The Best MBA Program Selection Strategy
Most people pursue an MBA to improve their career prospects and increase their earning potential. However, some applicants assume that only an elite program can open the right doors. Unfortunately, even the most competitive candidates may not gain admission to an M7 MBA program simply because of the high volume of qualified candidates vying for limited spots.
Each year, thousands of candidates with stellar GPAs, impressive work experience, and strong GMAT scores get waitlisted or denied admission—not because they lack merit, but because demand outstrips supply. Therefore, a diversified school selection strategy is a smart move for all applicants. Broadening your MBA program selection horizons can help you identify various schools that align with your professional goals and personal preferences.
Applying to a mix of programs allows you to maintain ambitious goals while increasing the likelihood of securing admission to a high-quality business school that will propel your career forward.
Are you curious about your chances of getting into a top B-school? Contact us to talk strategy with a free 15-minute advising session with an SBC Principal Consultant.
Prioritize Career Outcomes Over Rankings
MBA programs publish their employment reports annually detailing the companies that recruit their graduates. Instead of fixating on rankings, research schools where your desired industry and employers actively hire. This will provide a realistic view of which programs can help you achieve your professional goals.
For instance, top MBA employers like McKinsey & Co., Goldman Sachs, Boston Consulting Group, Bain & Co., and Deloitte Consulting recruit heavily at elite schools. However, they also hire graduates from other strong programs such as UCLA Anderson School of Management, Emory Goizueta, and Georgetown McDonough. While most schools do not disclose exact hiring numbers, you don’t necessarily need an M7 MBA to land a job at a prestigious firm.
Consider Location and Industry-Specific Strengths
Location is a crucial yet often overlooked factor in MBA program selection. Many employers prefer hiring graduates who have lived or worked in the region where their company is based. Additionally, some industries are more concentrated in specific geographic areas, making it strategic to attend a school near industry hubs.
For example, if you’re interested in energy, you may have a better shot at career success by attending a school where that sector thrives. The UT McCombs School of Business in Austin, Texas, and Rice Jones in Houston have strong ties to the oil and gas industry. Similarly, Duke Fuqua offers concentrations in energy & environment and energy finance.
If entertainment or media is your focus, schools like UCLA Anderson and USC Marshall are excellent choices. These programs in Los Angeles provide direct access to the entertainment industry and the growing Silicon Beach tech scene, which hosts major players such as Google, Snap Inc., and Hulu. Their proximity to industry leaders allows for ample internship opportunities and post-graduation employment.
Spring is an excellent time to visit MBA campuses to get a feel for their unique cultures, interact with current students, and evaluate their fit. If you’ve only considered the top 10 B-schools, you might be surprised by how much you resonate with another campus environment. Many applicants find that a visit solidifies their interest in a program they may have initially overlooked. Exploring different schools in person can help you make a more confident, well-rounded MBA decision.
MBA Program Selection Beyond the M7
Several top-15 MBA programs provide outstanding career opportunities, strong employer networks, and excellent academic offerings. Schools like IU Kelley School of Business, Cornell Johnson, CMU Tepper, and NYU Stern stand out for their ability to place graduates in competitive roles across finance, consulting, and technology.
-
Indiana Kelley strongly emphasizes leadership development and experiential learning, making it an excellent choice for students pursuing careers in marketing, finance, and supply chain management.
- Cornell Johnson has a well-connected alumni network and an emphasis on collaboration, making it ideal for those seeking careers in investment banking or supply chain management.
- CMU Tepper is highly regarded for its strong analytical and data-driven approach to business education, making it an excellent choice for those interested in technology, operations, and finance.
- NYU Stern excels in finance and tech-related roles. Its location in New York City gives students a direct pipeline to Wall Street and major tech firms.
While slightly below the ultra-elite tier, these programs still offer extensive networking opportunities, strong recruiting partnerships, and excellent career advancement potential.
Actionable Steps for Applicants:
- Identify Your Career Goals: Define the job function, industry, and companies you want to target post-MBA.
- Research Employer Presence: Review employment reports to determine which companies recruit from potential MBA programs.
- Evaluate School Specializations: Find programs with strengths that align with your professional interests.
- Consider Regional Advantage: Attending a school in that location can be beneficial if you aim to work in a particular city or industry hub.
- Leverage Networking and Experiential Learning. Schools within the top 20 often offer close-knit communities and specialized learning opportunities that can enhance career prospects.
- Visit Campuses: In the spring, visit schools to experience the environment, meet faculty and students, and assess which one is the best fit for you.
- Analyze ROI: To ensure a strong return on investment, consider tuition costs, scholarship opportunities, and post-MBA salary potential.
The Bottom Line
While attending an M7 MBA program is a dream for many, several factors—including test scores, undergraduate academic performance, and tuition costs—can affect whether it’s a feasible option. If an MBA is critical for career advancement, consider broadening your school selection. A well-researched MBA program selection strategy can help you find a top-20 program that offers strong career outcomes, robust networks, and a great return on investment.
***
Stacy Blackman Consulting offers multiple services to meet your MBA application needs, from our All-In Partnership and Interview Prep to hourly help with essay editing, resume review, and much more! Contact us today for a free 15-minute advising session to talk strategy with a Principal SBC consultant.
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 ...
×
