Pick Your MBA School

Quick Tips To Help You Choose The Best MBA School For You

You deserve the best.  And when it comes to your MBA school, it's important to pick the one that is best for you, for the years and decades to come.

That means you need to look carefully at your resources, abilities, and expectations.

The Pros and Cons of an Online MBA
Should You Do Your MBA Online? 

Let's look at these three items in detail:

Your Resources

Resources means the time and money you have available to you.  Some MBAs require every minute of your life, and others can be done in 2-3 hours per week - a big difference.  If you have family commitments, or a need to keep a job, this will affect the school you choose.

Money.  Yes, MBA schools cost money, and if you don't have it, you'll need to beg, borrow or steal.  You definitely do NOT want to stretch yourself beyond your means.  If you have $5,000 to your name, you could try applying to the Harvard scholarship program and get in that way.  Otherwise, you'll need to be wise with your money, and choose the school that best fits your budget.

Don't forget about travel, accomodation and food - if your MBA school isn't nearby, these costs can easily match or exceed tuition.

Your Abilities

Most business schools require you to write the GMAT test - the Graduated Management Admissions Test.  It's a combination of writing and mathematic tests, designed to measure individuals on their general aptitude for business.

Schools that require this test will limit the students by their GMAT scores.  Don't start sweating - there are some very good practice guides on the market, and if you do enough preparation, you'll score at the highest range possible.

Your abilities also relate to the classmates you'll end up with.  You will want to be in a peer group, not so overqualified that you feel like Einstein in a mental institution...or Elmer Fudd at the Rocket Academy.  Getting along with your peers and making life-long friends is one of the greatest benefits to any live MBA program, so make sure you pick a school worthy of your attention.

Your Expectations

This means you should have expectations.  Maybe you want a promotion at work, or a 50% salary increase within 3 years.  There are ways to see what happened to other students that graduated in the same business school you are thinking of attending.  So go check and see what other students like you experienced.  Don't be surprised if you find more people quit their jobs AFTER finishing their MBA - that is a common common trend for all MBA programs.

Summary

Putting it all together, and looking at your situation, your resources, your abilities and what you want out of it will help you pick a school that is much better than simply looking at some ranking chart on some website or magazine.  After all, everyone has a bias.