Want to attend business school? We’ll help you choose the right degree program.
Applying to business school is an involved process—one that includes securing recommendations, drafting and editing application essays, deciding if you should take the GRE and GMAT and planning your prep accordingly, and more—and that’s just the straightforward part. One of the more challenging aspects can involve determining where you want to attend business school for your MBA or other specialized business degree. Luckily, this can also be one of the more exciting decisions you make.
The first thing you’ll want to determine is what kind of business degree you want to pursue. As you may have already seen in our Are You Ready blog series, business school isn’t just for MBAs. Many students pursue other types of specialized master’s degrees—in finance and accounting, for example—or combine an MBA with another master’s degree.
People who attend business school to switch careers or start their own businesses tend to overwhelmingly favor earning MBAs instead of master’s degrees only, or MBAs with a combined master’s. People who go back to school to enhance their job prospects in careers they’re already in, however, more frequently earn master’s degrees or MBA-master’s combos.
When deciding where to attend business school, think about which degree types are best for your professional goals. Not every school categorizes their degree programs in exactly the same way or uses the same naming convention, so be on the lookout for differences.
If you want to earn your business degree while you’re in your current career, location is likely a factor—you probably want to study in the same city you work. What about school ranking? Do a little research—a good place to start is with the U.S. News and World Report or Forbes rankings. Don’t shy away from the top business programs in your field, but also apply to one or two safety schools that you expect you’ll get into even if you don’t hit your target GMAT or GRE scores or meet other top admission requirements.
Want to know more about the business school degrees out there that you might be interested in? Answer five questions about yourself in our Readiness Quiz, and get examples of average GMAT scores at schools around the country, as well as a “day in the life” snapshot from a student in business school.
While you’re at it, unlock a digital goodie bag of more free stats, tips, timelines, and handy downloadables—all customized to your specific readiness stage. This info will help you challenge yourself to get to the next stage, or wrap it all up if you’re almost there. Visit us next week to complete your Are You Ready journey by finding out the #1 biggest application killer.
The post Where Should You Attend Business School? appeared first on Business School Insider.
