{"id":18968,"date":"2013-06-09T09:29:06","date_gmt":"2013-06-09T16:29:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/?p=18968"},"modified":"2013-06-09T01:35:33","modified_gmt":"2013-06-09T08:35:33","slug":"4-ways-you-should-not-use-the-mba-rankings-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/4-ways-you-should-not-use-the-mba-rankings-2\/","title":{"rendered":"4 Ways You Should NOT Use the MBA Rankings"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"MBA<\/a>You\u2019ll find loads of articles online enumerating the ways in which you can use the MBA rankings to your benefit<\/a>. Most of these articles are found on the ranking websites. I\u2019m not saying that you shouldn\u2019t trust what you read on BusinessWeek<\/em>, The Financial Times<\/em>, or U.S. News<\/em> \u2013 after all, the rankings do offer data comparing top MBA programs<\/a> \u2013 but I do believe these sites are not offering you a complete picture.<\/p>\n

So now I\u2019d like to present you with the other side of the story \u2013 the rankings\u2019 limitations. Blinding yourself to the rankings\u2019 flaws could lead to an expensive, time-consuming mistake: choosing the wrong MBA program for you.<\/p>\n

\u2022 They don\u2019t measure your priorities.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2022 General rankings hide strengths (and weaknesses) in specific areas.<\/strong> There are numerous \u201cgem\u201d programs that thrive outside the top ten or top twenty. Many MBA students have a great chance of gaining acceptance PLUS receiving financial aid at these gem schools.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Averages are exactly that. Average.<\/strong> They aren\u2019t a cut-off and don\u2019t reflect extenuating circumstances or the interplay between myriad factors in an admissions decision. At every school there will always be applicants who are accepted with below-average stats and who are rejected with above-average stats.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Surveys, especially surveys of students and alumni, can be gamed.<\/strong> Students and alumni know that higher rankings increase the value of their degrees and have an incentive to think kindly of their schools.<\/p>\n

In short, don\u2019t give the rankings too much importance. Don\u2019t replace school research and self-reflection with rankings to determine where you should apply or attend.
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