Choosing Among Multiple MBA Admissions Offers
They say you can never have too much of a good thing. Yet the reality is that a bounty of B-school acceptances often produces anxiety in candidates. Today’s post addresses the fortunate MBA applicants entertaining not just two but three or more admits from their target schools. “How do I decide, and what if I make the wrong choice?” they fret. If you find yourself with this enviable problem, consider the following when weighing multiple MBA admissions offers.
Factors to Consider if You Have Multiple MBA Admissions Offers
Forget about rankings and reputation. Instead, think long and hard about each school’s other particulars, such as size, academics, or location. For instance, a larger class, such as the one you might find at Harvard Business School, might provide more networking opportunities but could feel less personal. Meanwhile, a smaller program, such as Stanford GSB, might foster a tighter-knit community.
Academically, consider whether the school emphasizes hands-on, experiential learning (Kellogg School of Management, Columbia) or theoretical, case-based approaches (HBS, UVA Darden). As for location, urban settings might offer abundant internship and job opportunities. On the other hand, rural campuses like Dartmouth’s Tuck School or Cornell Johnson can provide a more focused, distraction-free environment for study.
The process of finding, applying for, and sorting out MBA financial aid opportunities can be tedious and confusing. If you have already received admission to your dream MBA program and would like help with applying for financial aid as a US or international candidate, we are here to help with SBC’s Financial Aid Advisory service. Please email info@stacyblackman.com to learn more.
Let your personal preferences and priorities guide your decision-making process. Does your desire to live in an urban setting outweigh a preference for a smaller class size? Is there a financial incentive that puts one school in the lead? Does the diversity of the student body matter to you? Perhaps you didn’t have a strong preference earlier as an MBA aspirant. But you should tally up the different characteristics now to see how the wind blows.
Experience the Campus IRL
If you haven’t already visited the campus as part of your application process, now is the time to do so. A campus visit can provide invaluable insights for anyone with multiple MBA admissions offers. You can look closer at the program’s culture and environment for a firsthand sense of whether it aligns with your goals and personality.
Interactions with current students and faculty can reveal details about the community and learning experience that might not come through in brochures or online research. Additionally, exploring the surrounding area will help you envision what day-to-day life will be like during your MBA journey.
Sit in on a class, chat with students and professors, hang out on campus, and generally soak up the atmosphere. You’ll spend the next two years of your life here, so making sure the program is a good fit for you academically and socially is imperative. This visit will reassure you that you’re making the right choice for your future.
Don’t miss: Mine the Wisdom of Current MBA Students
Even if you have already toured the school, consider visiting again. Attend events designed for admitted students so you can scope out your potential classmates. These people will become a part of your future network, and test-driving your comfort level with them before committing makes sense.
Weigh the Strength of Alumni Networks, Industry Placement
Many people feel the network they gain in an MBA program is the most valuable aspect of the experience. That goes beyond the folks in your immediate cohort. For example, alums from a strong network often help current students secure internships, provide mentorship, or even facilitate career transitions post-MBA.
Listen to B-Schooled Podcast #153: Connecting with MBA Students, Faculty and Alums
Building connections with classmates who share similar goals or complementary skills can lead to lifelong collaborations, whether in launching a startup or driving industry innovations.
MBA candidates should also ensure that the school graduates people who work in their target industry, possess their ideal job within that industry, and are willing to share their wisdom and advice with current students.
The decision of where to pursue an MBA is weighty, especially for people with multiple MBA admissions. So, do your homework and understand each option’s strengths and potential drawbacks. That includes researching employment outcomes, reviewing course offerings, attending alumni panels, and examining the school’s culture to ensure it aligns with your personal and professional goals.
Ultimately, you may choose a place that feels like home. You may also decide on a school that takes you beyond your comfort zone to stretch your boundaries and perspectives. Either way, find peace of mind knowing that in this situation, there’s really no “wrong” choice.
Here’s a snapshot of the caliber of expertise on our SBC team.
Ashley
Ashley is a former MBA Admissions Board Member for Harvard Business School (HBS), where she interviewed and evaluated thousands of business school applicants for over a six year tenure. Ashley holds an MBA from HBS. During her HBS years, Ashley was the Sports Editor for the Harbus and a member of the B-School Blades Ice Hockey Team. After HBS, she worked in Marketing at the Gillette Company on Male and Female shaving ...
×Pauline
A former associate director of admissions at Harvard Business School, Pauline served on the HBS MBA Admissions Board full-time for four years. She evaluated and interviewed HBS applicants, both on-campus and globally. Pauline's career has included sales and marketing management roles with Coca-Cola, Gillette, Procter & Gamble, and IBM. For over 10 years, Pauline has expertly guided MBA applicants, and her clients h ...
×Laura
Laura comes from the MBA Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS) and is an HBS MBA alumnus. In her HBS Admissions role, she evaluated and interviewed hundreds of business school candidates, including internationals, women, military and other applicant pools, for five years. Prior to her time as a student at HBS, Laura began her career in advertising and marketing in Chicago at Leo Burnett where she worked on th ...
×Andrea
Andrea served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions at Harvard Business School (HBS) for over five years. In this role, she provided strategic direction for student yield-management activities and also served as a full member of the admissions committee. In 2007, Andrea launched the new 2+2 Program at Harvard Business School – a program targeted at college junior applicants to Harvard Business School. Andrea has also served as a Career Coach for Harvard Business School for both cu ...
×Jennifer
Jennifer served as Admissions Officer at the Stanford (GSB) for five years. She holds an MBA from Stanford (GSB) and a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Jennifer has over 15 years experience in guiding applicants through the increasingly competitive admissions process into top MBA programs. Having read thousands and thousands of essays and applications while at Stanford (GSB) Admiss ...
×Erin K.
Erin served in key roles in MBA Admissions--as Director at Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley and Assistant Director at Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB). Erin served on the admissions committee at each school and has read thousands of applications in her career. At Haas, she served for seven years in roles that encompassed evaluation, outreach, and diversity and inclusion. During her tenure in Admissions at GSB, she was responsible for candidate evaluation, applicant outreach, ...
×Susie
Susie comes from the Admissions Office of the Stanford Graduate School of Business where she reviewed and evaluated hundreds of prospective students’ applications. She holds an MBA from Stanford’s GSB and a BA from Stanford in Economics. Prior to advising MBA applicants, Susie held a variety of roles over a 15-year period in capital markets, finance, and real estate, including as partner in one of the nation’s most innovative finance and real estate investment organizations. In that r ...
×Dione
Dione holds an MBA degree from Stanford Business School (GSB) and a BA degree from Stanford University, where she double majored in Economics and Communication with concentrations in journalism and sociology. Dione has served as an Admissions reader and member of the Minority Admissions Advisory Committee at Stanford. Dione is an accomplished and respected advocate and thought leader on education and diversity. She is ...
×Anthony
Anthony served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where he dedicated over 10 years of expertise. During his time as a Wharton Admissions Officer, he read and reviewed thousands of applications and helped bring in a class of 800+ students a year. Anthony has traveled both domestically and internationally to recruit a ...
×Meghan
Meghan served as the Associate Director of Admissions and Marketing at the Wharton MBA’s Lauder Institute, a joint degree program combining the Wharton MBA with an MA in International Studies. In her role on the Wharton MBA admissions committee, Meghan advised domestic and international applicants; conducted interviews and information sessions domestically and overseas in Asia, Central and South America, and Europe; and evaluated applicants for admission to the program. Meghan also managed ...
×Amy
Amy comes from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania where she was Associate Director. Amy devoted 12 years at the Wharton School, working closely with MBA students and supporting the admissions team. During her tenure at Wharton, Amy served as a trusted adviser to prospective applicants as well as admitted and matriculated students. She conducted admissions chats with applicants early in the admissions ...
×Ally
Ally brings six years of admissions experience to the SBC team, most recently as an Assistant Director of Admission for the full-time MBA program at Columbia Business School (CBS). During her time at Columbia, Ally was responsible for reviewing applications, planning recruitment events, and interviewing candidates for both the full-time MBA program and the Executive MBA program. She traveled both internationally and dome ...
×Erin B.
Erin has over seven years of experience working across major institutions, including University of Pennsylvania, Columbia Business School, and NYU's Stern School of Business. At Columbia Business School, Erin was an Assistant Director of Admissions where she evaluated applications for both the full time and executive MBA programs, sat on the admissions and merit scholarship committees and advised applicants on which program might be the best fit for them based on their work experience and pro ...
×Emma
Emma comes from the MBA Admissions Office at Columbia Business School (CBS), where she was Associate Director. Emma conducted dozens of interviews each cycle for the MBA and EMBA programs, as well as coordinating the alumni ambassador interview program. She read and evaluated hundreds of applications each cycle, delivered information sessions to audiences across the globe, and advised countless waitlisted applicants. ×
Kate
Kate served in the MBA Admissions Office at Columbia Business School for over five years. In her capacity as an Associate Director, Kate advised applicants daily and reviewed hundreds of applications per cycle. She was also an applicant interviewer, a liaison to other offices within the School, and a CBS representative at events around the world. Kate managed several recruiting and operational projects for the Admissions Committee. After Columbia Business School, Kate transitioned into cam ...
×Holly
Holly worked as a member of the NYU Stern MBA Admissions team for seven years and holds an MBA from NYU Stern. In her tenure as Director of NYU MBA Admissions, Holly worked closely with admissions teams from Columbia, Michigan Ross, UVA Darden, Cornell Johnson, Berkeley Haas, Yale SOM, and Duke Fuqua on recruiting events domestically and internationally. On the NYU Stern admissions committee, Holly conducted interviews, planned and hosted events, and trained staff on reading and interviewi ...
×
