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<\/h2>\n<\/h2>\nNow that it\u2019s nearly June, you\u2019re starting to think about how to tackle the laborious application process. The amount of time, money and effort you\u2019re gearing up to invest means that where you go to business school will be one of the biggest life decisions you\u2019ll make.<\/p>\n
Re-imagining your highest aspirations \u2212then pursuing them \u2212 positions you for a life-changing experience that business school offers. It\u2019s the rich soil to fertilize your next phase of growth \u2013 both personally and professionally. But like a geranium transplanted to the desert or a cactus to a rainforest, not every ecosystem is conducive to your success. And the ecosystem of any business school is at the crossroads of academic style, institutional identity and community culture.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s why you should be focusing on fit, as Admission Committees do. It\u2019s essential to conduct your research \u2013 which is where things can get complicated. The glut of information that\u2019s instantly accessible from various sources on limitless topics means it\u2019s all too easy to go down a rabbit hole. You\u2019ll want to separate the wheat from the chaff, as there\u2019s a hierarchy of information out there.<\/p>\n
Take a minute to truly reflect on your strengths, passions, ambitions and personal values. Throughout the research process, taking the time to reflect will influence your ability to be efficient and selective. In evaluating the thousands of candidates competing for limited classroom spots, Admissions Committees will wonder: \u201cWhy do you want an MBA? And why an MBA at our school?\u201d Your unique motivations and vision for your post-MBA goals are effectively the lens and filter for discerning what\u2019s most meaningful, useful and relevant to you.<\/p>\n
The best sources of information are from the programs themselves. After digesting each school\u2019s website, it\u2019s valuable to \u00a0look at each program\u2019s Student Profile and employment report. Both will give you a sense of where candidates are coming from and where they went after graduation. Too often, applicants skip rich source material like the employment report, yet it\u2019s rife with useful stats and data that can tell you a lot about whether your post-MBA goals are realistic and which school may be best positioned to make those goals happen. Ask yourself when you\u2019re comparing schools: Can this program help me achieve my career goals? Can I see myself thriving there?<\/p>\n
Another great source of timely and relevant information are school-hosted blogs. In addition to keeping applicants up-to-date on admissions info, news, and events, the tone and style of these MBA blogs tell the story of a school\u2019s personality and priorities. Similarly for a school\u2019s social media platforms \u2013 its sources like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram that you\u2019ll \u00a0often receive the speediest response to your queries.<\/p>\n
When skimming non-school resources, be cautious and curious of who\u2019s giving the advice and what their agenda might be.\u00a0Are they a student, alumnus or experienced consultant? How can you fact-check the information for accuracy?<\/p>\n
You might find that schools may seem similar at a glance, but each one possesses a unique culture and approach to management development. I advise to not rely too heavily on the MBA rankings to tell you what matters, although it\u2019s tempting. The curriculum strength, community atmosphere, opportunities for career advancement, connectedness of its alumni network and institutional values are all more significant. Program length, location and cost are also major considerations.<\/p>\n
When it comes to rankings, keep in mind that each one uses a different methodology. Familiarize yourself with what\u2019s being measured and evaluate how relevant it is to you. For example, the Forbes ranking is a fairly simple calculation of ROI, The Economist focuses on post-MBA career opportunities and the international nature of the school, where Business Week favors levels of satisfaction of students and recruiters.<\/p>\n
These days, it\u2019s tempting to think that you can learn everything you need to know about a school online. But there is truthfully zero substitute for getting a real sense of the environment yourself by doing a campus visit. Considering the financial investment and time you\u2019ll dedicate to the MBA itself; it\u2019s indeed time consuming and expensive, but it is an investment strongly worth making. Attend information sessions and get a campus tour, but also go further by sitting in on a class or engaging with students around the school. Is it a welcoming environment? Are students collaborating or does it feel highly competitive? Are faculty engaging with students or rushing off to other obligations after class? These observations will give you the best sense of school community and its institutional personality.<\/p>\n
If a campus visit isn\u2019t in the cards, be sure to connect virtually with students and alumni who share interests similar to yours and initiate frank conversations that help you understand a school\u2019s identity beyond its brand. For more depth, having conversations with faculty are helpful too. Of course, you can always take advantage of local or online information sessions or an MBA fair.<\/p>\n
Too often, candidates expect that if they get into a top school, they are destined for an outstanding MBA experience and an exceptional career post b-school. But unfortunately, it happens where students even at the very top schools recognize too late that they didn\u2019t make the best choice. It\u2019s usually an issue with community and cultural fit.<\/p>\n
MBA programs are screening for excellence as well as fit and the competition for a place at any top tier business school is fierce. Your thorough research helps you identify what matters to your top schools, and what matters most to you.<\/p>\n
Fortuna Admissions is composed of senior admissions professionals from 12 of the top 15 business schools.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" You\u2019ve decided to pursue an MBA. Now that it\u2019s nearly June, you\u2019re starting to think about how to tackle the laborious application process. The amount of time, money and effort…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":160,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"1","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11,1831,775,243],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-45780","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-mba","category-fortuna-admissions","category-admission-consultants","category-blog","entry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45780","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/160"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=45780"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45780\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=45780"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=45780"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=45780"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}