Focus on Fit When Choosing Which MBA Programs to Target

If you seek a business school environment where you’ll truly thrive, focus on fit over ranking and brand. While the latter two are important, if you don’t feel at home from the moment you set foot on campus, you won’t get the most out of the MBA experience.

When you focus on fit, you should consider the three C’s – curriculum, culture, and communication.

For applicants who must ultimately choose between two or more admissions offers, this post should help clarify matters. For those still in the research phase, keeping these three qualities in mind will serve you well as you narrow down your list.

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Is the Curriculum a Good Fit?

B-schools regularly revamp their courses to keep up with trends in leadership and innovations in the world at large. Common changes include more required and elective experiential courses, plus new opportunities for students to customize their learning experience.

All general management MBA programs will provide you with the fundamentals of core management skills. The next step to determining fit requires you to find out just how well the programs align with your post-MBA career goals.

Top business schools are known for their strengths in specific fields—finance, entrepreneurship, marketing, health care, real estate development, etc. Now more than ever, business schools are getting STEM certified to attract MBA students looking to blend technology with management. So, start by narrowing your list based on how well the program can prepare you for that industry.

Listen to B-Schooled Episode #157: 12 School Selection Considerations *Beyond* the Rankings

If you have laser-focused career goals, consider business schools that offer a concentration in your area of interest. You might also prefer a school with a more versatile curriculum from the beginning that you can really tailor to your needs. Choose a program with a curriculum that suits you and your learning style best.

Is the Culture a Good Fit?

Understanding the prevailing culture at a school will help you decide whether the program is a good fit for your personality. You can begin your assessment by determining whether the culture is predominantly competitive or collaborative.

Size and location often play an important role in this regard. Larger programs in urban centers, such as Harvard, Wharton, and NYU Stern, typically feel much more competitive and intense.

Smaller business schools and those located in rural settings, such as Dartmouth’s Tuck School, usually foster a close-knit community feeling. Here, many students live on campus and socialize with fellow students and faculty regularly. MBA programs with smaller cohorts take pride in their down-to-earth, collaborative cultures.

Now more than ever, URM applicants are taking a closer look at the diversity initiatives at their target programs. “For Black, Latinx and Indigenous students, in particular, the digging has to go much deeper,” explained Chicago Booth MBA Brian Billups on the MLT blog. “You’ll want to ensure your school for the next two years feels like a home.”

After all, matchmaking goes both ways, Billups noted. Talk with current students, alumni, and admissions staff and ask questions to help you decide if the program meets your needs.

You are trying to figure out whether you can thrive—professionally, educationally, socially, and mentally—in this program, Billups said.

There’s no right or wrong when it comes to a school’s culture. It’s simply a matter of choosing the environment that’s best for you.

When You Focus on Fit, Good Communication is Key

You may also want to consider whether the admissions team seems genuinely interested in getting to know applicants, too. A great way to gauge this is by seeing how often and how much engagement the admissions committee offers.

Take, for example, the admissions blog at Chicago Booth School of Business. This resource gets updated weekly with application tips, student profiles, school events, and other thoughts.

In recent weeks, the blog profiled several MBA students for Hispanic Heritage Month, explained what happens after you submit an application, and highlighted how Boothies have fun with fellow students. This level of attention to attracting and engaging potential students speaks volumes about the kind of experience Booth students can expect to have once on campus.

Finally, applicants should check out the insider intel coming from school-sponsored student blog posts. (The HBS MBA Voices blog is a great one to check out.) These resources help you learn more about the daily experience at your target schools.

Choosing where to pursue an MBA is a huge decision. A focus on fit will help you narrow down the options. Do your homework and understand the strengths and potential drawbacks of each option. Knowing yourself and how a particular school suits your professional goals and needs is the essence of making the right choice.

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