ajs48 wrote:
Hey all,
I'm still relatively new to the whole B-school forum thing, and I was perusing some of the threads and noticed people listing schools then saying they felt like their personality would either fit there, or that they wouldn't be a fit etc. Can someone give me some sort of analysis of what exactly this would mean for each school? What type of personality thrives at each place, and what is each school looking for? What are the quirks beyond the rankings that make each school stand out and differentiates them all, other than simple location and ranking?
Thanks!
ajs48,
Contrary to what you have said, B-schools are about diversity. They prefer to take in people with diverse backgrounds, reason being that much of your learning within and outside the classroom takes place by interacting with your peers. Diversity in backgrounds ensures that you become aware of different perspectives for the same situation.
However, b-schools also have their own 'personalities' and this is where applicants try to look for a fit. For instance HBS has very large class sizes, teaching is case study based, doesn't offer specializations in any particular area, core classes are mandatory and essentially has a finance focus. On the other hand, Wharton also has a finance focus, largely uses action based learning, curriculum is flexible and can be tailormade according to the students' individual requirements. This includes both the core and the electives component. And, you can take majors.
So once you start reading about the programs, you will begin to feel the difference between them. It is features like these which differentiate the programs and where an applicant would decide about what suits his/ her learning needs better.
If you look for these nuances in MBA programs, it will help you go beyond the stereotypes which are associated with them.
Hope that helps.
Namita
close
