Thunderbird ? Reputation ?

There is no question but that Thunderbird has struggled to maintain its edge and unique identity, as well as recruiter interest, as the elite business schools have globalized their curriculum over the last ten years. You are using the data in the various rankings well, but you also have to get accepted somewhere with your particular set of qualifications. If the schools that will accept you aren't worth the investment, then you need an alternative to an American MBA.

You might ask Thunderbird about that FT stat. Perhaps it reflects a disproportionate number of grads who lack work permits and are trying to get jobs in the US. Perhaps it really reflects problems in their recruiting.

thunderbird has an excellent reputation in international business. i know this as an alumnus and having had more than a decade overseas working with fortune 100 multinationals. the reputation is that it produces a very eclectic group of students who speak multiple languages, have lived in multiple countries and are planning to spend the bulk of their careers engaged in international work either through private industry, government or ngo. the admission to the school is not too competitive as it really is a self-selecting organization. you'll find that many of the students were not interested in attending other institutions or at most a select few in a similar academic space (read insead).

i feel that the issue of placement at the end of three months is a combination of many graduates refusing to take employment that is domestic in nature, foreign students (~45% of the mba student body) obtaining h1-b visas and a somewhat weak placement center. however, as an older, experienced manager going into the program, i had no delusions about the job search being on anyone else's shoulders.

i came into the program with a decade of management overseas and was pleased with the investment. that being said, there are quirks in system, bureaucracy in the administration and some professors who should be culled-not unlike you'll find in any other grad program.

Hi Clarise. Can you describe more about the quirks and bureaucracy? Thanks!