Best schools for MBA in non-profit/social enterprise?

Question

Hello,

I'm very interested in doing an MBA in non-profit and social enterprise, and have shortlisted the following schools after reviewing as much as I could about their curriculum. I was wondering if there's any other schools for this particular concentration.

Here's the list:

Stanford GSB

Yale SOM

Michigan - Ross

UCLA - Anderson

Virginia - Darden

Carnegie Mellon -Tepper

Thank you!

DefyingGravity · Answer

Have you considered Kellogg?

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MAC · Answer

Hi Infinite Paradox,

Your list is a solid one. However, you may want to also consider adding a few more schools to your list from the ones below, as they continue to demonstrate an excellent focus in nonprofit and social enterprise. I believe you will also find these programs to be consistent with this year's listings across various publications such as Newsweek and US News.

Berkeley - Haas
NW - Kellogg 
Duke – Fuqua
NYU – Stern
Dartmouth - Tuck 
UPenn - Wharton
HBS

Please let us know if we could be of further help. We believe in helping candidates with their applications but saving their finances for business school.

We wish you the best in your MBA journey.

Best wishes,
Sue

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InfiniteParadox · Answer

Thanks for the suggestions! I had considered all of the above, and after a fair amount of research and talking to alumni, ruled them out because I didn't think I'd 'fit' in. Kellogg is probably something I'd consider applying for as well, but thought I'd limit the schools.

Also, I'm planning to apply straight out of college, so don't some of the schools like Haas or Tuck usually ask for post graduate work experience?

Also, I'm planning to apply straight out of college, so don't some of the schools like Haas or Tuck usually ask for post graduate work experience?

MAC · Answer

Hi Infinite Paradox,

I can understand your concern. I had the same concern about "fitting-in" when I was applying to certain b-schools, especially the top 5. Even after speaking with alumni and doing my own extensive research, I took it a step further and visited the schools. It was the best decision I made and I strongly recommend this if you want to truly determine your fit for certain schools. I assure you that you will be pleasantly surprised as every school has a distinct personality. Within the first hour you will know if this will be the business school that you can see yourself at. You will receive an unbiased perspective and a clear sense of the school's culture, student camaraderie, and faculty's approach. If you cannot visit the school, I would suggest that you attend an offsite information session. Until then, I encourage you to not self "opt-out" of any top programs or limit yourself. You can always reduce the number of schools you will apply to, but after you gain a first-hand experience with the various program members at such forums.

Without knowing much about your personal and academic background, it is difficult to say which schools you should apply to. They are all great programs for the concentrations you are interested in. However, I would suggest that you gain at least 2-3 years of professional experience and not apply directly out of undergraduate school. I have seen candidates be readily accepted to the programs I mentioned (including Tuck and Haas) when they have at least a few years of experience before applying.

Hope this helps. We wish you the best in your MBA journey.

Best wishes,
Sue

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InfiniteParadox · Answer

Visiting the schools won't be possible unfortunately, but I'm looking to attend admission events for sure. I actually met Yale's Senior Associate Dean, Anjani Jain for a Yale organized informal dinner meet, and it was a great experience.

As for the work experience part, I don't have full time post graduate experience, but I have been working in the non profit sector since 3 years, as well as own a startup company, among other things.

MAC · Answer

Hi Infinite Paradox,

Excellent - this does make your candidacy attractive to AdComms in that you have solid industry experience, especially in your own start-up environment. When I work with candidates, I always share that 1 year in a start-up environment (pre-MBA) is equivalent to 3-4 years of experience in a large firm.

You definitely have a unique background and I believe that it will make you standout from your competition when applying to b-school.

We wish you the best in your MBA journey.

Please let us know if we could be of further help. We believe in assisting candidates with their applications but saving their finances for business school.

Best wishes,
Sue

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ARINGO · Answer

Hi InfiniteParadox,

Here are some schools which are relatively strong in non-profit:
HBS, Berkeley, Yale, Kellogg.

You can read more about it (and about other MBA Specializations) here: https://www.aringo.com/MBA_specializations.htm

Best schools for MBA in non-profit/social enterprise?

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