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Online management education programs may be convenient—but they aren’t easy.
A French business school holds the top spot in this year’s MBA rankings, online programs gain in popularity, and Kaplan announces a test prep campaign that lets you give back. Here’s the latest on the management education landscape.
Top spots in MBA rankings
‘Tis the season… for MBA rankings. In what may come as a surprise to many, INSEAD, a French business school, has again topped the Financial Times global MBA rankings. What makes this program attractive to aspiring MBAs from America is that, while you’d have to uproot yourself and move to Paris, attending the program is only a one-year commitment. Rounding out the top three spots in the rankings are Stanford Graduate School of Business and the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. Harvard Business School, London Business School, and MIT Sloan School of Management—all titans among business schools—lost ground in the FT’s annual rankings.
These latest MBA rankings come at a time of some uncertainty in the business school world as British programs express concern about how the UK’s pending withdrawal from the European Union will affect their applicant numbers. On the other side of the pond, American business schools fear that Donald Trump’s immigration policies and past comments about Muslims may impact application volumes. (BusinessBecause)
The perception gap
According to a new study, MBA students are from Mars and recruiters are from Venus. Jeff Kavanaugh, a managing partner at Infosys and adjunct professor at the University of Texas at Dallas Jindal School of Management, finds that business school students think a lot more highly of themselves than do corporate recruiters in several skill sets— critical thinking, teamwork and collaboration, oral and written communications, professionalism and work ethic, and IT—which may make for a bumpy landing when these business school grads interview and land jobs.
But does this mean business schools are doing a poor job of focusing on the right schools? Kavanaugh says, “I don’t think they’re ignoring leadership as much as they’re desperate for the ones they called out like critical thinking and analysis and work ethic. They need people to hit the ground running. They need people to be successful. They can’t make too many mistakes. They don’t have that luxury. I think that’s what they’re highlighting.” (Poets & Quants)
Going online
Many top-ranked MBA programs now offer online programs, recognizing that today’s aspiring business students demand flexibility and the ability to continue working full time. While studying online has its benefits (no commuting, for starters), you cannot call it easier than a traditional brick and mortar experience. Meet Quinn Woodard Jr, a 28-year-old Chevron Corp employee who attends the Indiana University—Bloomington Kelley School of Business online program. Woodard comments, “I go pretty late sometimes, just depending on when things are due. And then I kind of recycle for the rest of the week and plan out what I have to do.”
Tara Lall, an online MBA student at the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business, adds: “Time management is the key to success with this. And I think that looks very different for everybody.” (U.S. News & World Report)
Practice with a purpose
Last month, Kaplan Test Prep proudly announced its “Practice with a Purpose” campaign, which we’ve launched in conjunction with Boys and Girls Clubs of America to provide up to $125,000 in test prep scholarships—including scholarships for aspiring MBAs who need to prepare for the GMAT.
Here’s how it works: For every 1,000 free test prep tools—pop quizzes, 20-minute workouts, or practice tests—used on our site, scholarship recipients selected by Boys & Girls Clubs of America can choose from one of Kaplan’s live on-site classes or live online classes to help them advance their educational goals. This program can only work with YOUR help, so please take a few minutes to make a big difference in someone’s life.
Try one of our free Practice with a Purpose GMAT prep tools and get ready for Test Day while giving back.
The post MBA Rankings Season Is upon Us appeared first on Business School Insider.
