![\"\"](\"https:\/\/fortunaadmissions.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/jeshoots-com-pUAM5hPaCRI-unsplash-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/h2>\n<\/h2>\nMeeting the people and hanging out with the students \u2013 by attending a class, chatting with staff, and soaking up the environment is the best way to get a feeling of the culture and personality of a school.\u00a0Because the Covid-19 pandemic eliminates most possibilities of in-person interactions, you need to adapt your research strategy accordingly.<\/p>\n
But even when a campus visit is out of the question, your research process should be a deeply relational experience. Sure, there\u2019s a vast array of material online from various sources, but it\u2019s also too easy to go down a rabbit hole or get distracted by metrics that reflect someone else’s priorities. That\u2019s why you\u2019ll want to adopt a fit-centric mindset to optimize your time and effort when narrowing down your short list of target schools.\u00a0Most Admission Committees are obsessed with fit, and you should be too.<\/p>\n
Why? Too often, candidates assume that if they get into a top school, they are destined for a marvelous business school experience followed by a brilliant post-MBA career. Unfortunately, sometimes students realize too late that they didn\u2019t make the optimal choice \u2013\u00a0even at a very top school \u2013 and the issue typically comes down to fit. It\u2019s understandable to become so obsessed with whether a certain business school wants you<\/em> that you can overlook just how much you really want it<\/em>.<\/p>\n 1. Know thyself The upshot of all this self-awareness is that it will also make the process of writing your application more efficient \u2013 and your narrative more compelling to the admissions committee. Among the key questions the Admissions Committee will ask in assessing the thousands of applicants vying for just a few hundred spots are: \u201cWhy do you want an MBA? And why an MBA at our school?\u201d Your unique motivations and vision for your post-MBA future are effectively the lens and filter for discerning what\u2019s most useful, relevant and meaningful to you. (For more tips on initiating an outcomes-oriented process of self-reflection<\/a>, view my Fortuna colleague\u2019s related article in Forbes.)<\/p>\n 2. Follow the hierarchy of good information School-hosted blogs are among the best sources of timely and accurate info \u2013\u00a0like the many Covid-19 updates<\/a> our Fortuna team has been reporting. In addition to keeping applicants apprised of news, changes, and opportunities, a blog\u2019s tone and content are revealing about its personality and priorities. Same for its social media channels, where you can follow the latest and often get the swiftest response to your queries.<\/p>\n These and other online resources are part of each school\u2019s \u2018MBA Cloud\u2019\u2014and everything that isn\u2019t should be considered in context: Who\u2019s giving the advice and what\u2019s their agenda? Are they a student, alum or experienced consultant? How can you fact-check the information?<\/p>\n 3. Weigh each program\u2019s strengths & culture And when you do review rankings tables, keep in mind that each publication uses a different methodology. For example, the Forbes ranking is a fairly simple calculation of ROI while Bloomberg Businessweek favors satisfaction levels of students and recruiters and The Economist emphasizes the international make-up of the school and post-MBA career opportunities. Understand what\u2019s being measured and then assess how relevant it is to you.<\/p>\n 4. Double down on digital networking efforts \u201cWhether you send messages on LinkedIn or other social networks, ask for 15 minutes to glean advice and learn more about someone\u2019s experience,\u201d writes Fortuna\u2019s Judith Silverman Hodara in her blog, Round 1 Strategies Amid Covid-19: MBA Application Tips & Advice<\/a>. \u201cWhen you\u2019re sincere about asking for an alum\u2019s insight and perspective, especially in demonstrating a point of connection or synergy, it\u2019s very likely they\u2019ll say yes.\u201d<\/p>\n And, over the last three months, schools have done an impressive job accelerating the quality and dynamism of virtual offerings to help students get to know them and their communities. As Judith says, \u201cThe technology is getting ever more fluid, and there\u2019s certainly a higher bar to create a valuable virtual experience as schools compete for the attention of top candidates.\u201d<\/p>\n The competition for a spot in any top tier MBA program is fierce, and business schools are screening for fit as well as excellence. Your thoughtful research ensures you know what matters to your target programs, and that it\u2019s aligned with what matters most to you.<\/p>\n Caroline Diarte Edwards<\/a> is Co-Founder and Director at Fortuna Admissions.\u00a0For more free advice and a personal, candid assessment of your chances, you can sign up now for a\u00a0free consultation<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Until now, my advice to business school hopefuls looking to research MBA programs was to find a way to visit campus\u00a0to get a gut feel for whether you can see…<\/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-49386","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\/49386","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=49386"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49386\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=49386"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=49386"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=49386"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}With fit in mind, here are four top tips on researching business schools:<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n<\/strong>I\u2019ve reviewed thousands of applications during my career in MBA admissions, from serving as head of Admissions at INSEAD to my Director role at Fortuna Admissions, and I feel strongly that the single most important action you can take is this: spend substantive time on self-reflection. Pause to get introspective about your ambitions, strengths, passions and personal values. The time you invest in introspection will directly influence your ability to be discerning throughout the research process.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The programs themselves are the best sources of information. While you\u2019ll want to digest each school\u2019s website, it\u2019s valuable to start with a look at its MBA Student Profile and employment report. Both reflect data about current and graduating students, which gives you a sense of where students are coming from and where they\u2019re headed after graduation. Too often, candidates skip rich source material like the employment report, yet it\u2019s a trove of useful data that can illuminate a lot about whether your post-MBA goals are feasible and if a school is best positioned to get you there. When evaluating schools, ask yourself: How can this program help me achieve my career goals? Can I picture myself thriving here?<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>At a glance, schools may seem similar, but each one possesses a distinctive management development approach and community culture. Tempting as it is, don\u2019t rely overmuch on the MBA rankings to tell you what matters. The institutional values, curriculum strength, community vibe, connectedness of its alumni network, and opportunities for career advancement in the areas you care about are all more important. Remember to also consider program length, cost and location.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>Since a visit is out of the question, be sure to invest a lot of time and effort in reaching out, networking online and trying to have discussions with people who\u2019ve been there. Sleuth out students and alumni who share similar interests and initiate frank conversations that help you understand a school\u2019s identity beyond its polished brand. By having those in-depth conversations, you\u2019ll build up an impression over time about whether a program is the right place for you.<\/p>\n
\n