Last visit was: 19 Nov 2025, 06:04 It is currently 19 Nov 2025, 06:04
Home
GMAT
Messages
Tests
Schools
Events
Rewards
Chat
My Profile
Close
GMAT Club Daily Prep
Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.

Customized
for You

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History

Track
Your Progress

every week, we’ll send you an estimated GMAT score based on your performance

Practice
Pays

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History
Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.
Go to My Error Log Learn more
Close
Request Expert Reply
Confirm Cancel
avatar
ketan1605
avatar
Joined: 30 Jun 2011
Last visit: 19 Dec 2012
Posts: 16
Location: Noida
Schools: Johnson '15 (S)
Posts: 16
Kudos: 0
Deciding best colleges for myself. 03 Jul 2012, 04:17
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Hi,
I gave my GMAT last year and will be applying to universities this year, most probably in R1. Currently, I am in the process of selecting colleges to which I should apply first in R1 but am in some sort of a fix.
I don't know exactly how I can research the colleges and decide on which college would be best for me- by best, I mean a college that I can get to for the 2013 batch and a one which would have a good course for me.
My question, then, is this: what is the best way to research colleges/college-curriculum etc.? I am a little skeptical about the many mba rankings (businessweek, financial times etc.) because I believe they are not the best way to decide which college I should go to.
avatar
gmatmba1
avatar
Joined: 25 Feb 2012
Last visit: 05 Mar 2015
Posts: 68
Own Kudos:
10
Schools: Fuqua '14 (WL) Darden '14 (M)
GMAT 1: 720 Q49 V39
Schools: Fuqua '14 (WL) Darden '14 (M)
GMAT 1: 720 Q49 V39
Posts: 68
Kudos: 10
Deciding best colleges for myself. 03 Jul 2012, 05:27
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
ketan1605
Hi,
I gave my GMAT last year and will be applying to universities this year, most probably in R1. Currently, I am in the process of selecting colleges to which I should apply first in R1 but am in some sort of a fix.
I don't know exactly how I can research the colleges and decide on which college would be best for me- by best, I mean a college that I can get to for the 2013 batch and a one which would have a good course for me.
My question, then, is this: what is the best way to research colleges/college-curriculum etc.? I am a little skeptical about the many mba rankings (businessweek, financial times etc.) because I believe they are not the best way to decide which college I should go to.
Show more

School visits
Conversations with alumni/current students
Conversations with people surrounded by many MBA graduates
School homepages

and of course, limited internet googling :)
avatar
ketan1605
avatar
Joined: 30 Jun 2011
Last visit: 19 Dec 2012
Posts: 16
Location: Noida
Schools: Johnson '15 (S)
Posts: 16
Kudos: 0
Deciding best colleges for myself. 03 Jul 2012, 05:54
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Thanks for responding!
I am actually based out of India. So a few options you mentioned, such as visiting schools or meeting alumni, are difficult for me.
What do mean by 'limited' googling? Can you tell me some great places online where I can talk to people who've made it into good schools?
avatar
gmatmba1
avatar
Joined: 25 Feb 2012
Last visit: 05 Mar 2015
Posts: 68
Own Kudos:
10
Schools: Fuqua '14 (WL) Darden '14 (M)
GMAT 1: 720 Q49 V39
Schools: Fuqua '14 (WL) Darden '14 (M)
GMAT 1: 720 Q49 V39
Posts: 68
Kudos: 10
Deciding best colleges for myself. 03 Jul 2012, 06:08
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
ketan1605
Thanks for responding!
I am actually based out of India. So a few options you mentioned, such as visiting schools or meeting alumni, are difficult for me.
What do mean by 'limited' googling? Can you tell me some great places online where I can talk to people who've made it into good schools?
Show more

Some international applicants do invest time and $$ to visit US schools. In the grand scheme of things, $3-4k might not be much in the long run.
However, situations are different for everyone. So, if you can't visit the schools, try to find aforementioned people and exchange emails or give them a call.
and I am pretty sure there are tones of MBA graduates in India you should be able to find.

Also, school's homepages usually have alumni/current students contact information.
If anything, current students on this forum should have good advices.

Do attend information sessions in India as well.

Online, I am always cautious about what I read. Some people just spread rumors, unverified facts, etc. and completely false information.
Often, many online posts are written by people who "heard-this-from-someone-who-heard-from-someone."
Also, people tend to place more than necessary emphasis on the "rankings." If you do the same, I am sure you'll go crazy, and if you find ranking A places school X higher than school Y, and ranking B does the opposite, you'll find yourself googling "ranking A vs Ranking B". lol

Good luck
avatar
ketan1605
avatar
Joined: 30 Jun 2011
Last visit: 19 Dec 2012
Posts: 16
Location: Noida
Schools: Johnson '15 (S)
Posts: 16
Kudos: 0
Deciding best colleges for myself. 03 Jul 2012, 10:36
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Hi,
Even I do believe that rankings are not a very good measure for deciding schools to apply.
Your advice to not follow online posts blindly is really welcome! And yes, I shall try finding alumni from India itself.. maybe I can find some on LinkedIn :)
User avatar
faro
User avatar
Joined: 27 Jul 2011
Last visit: 02 Jan 2018
Posts: 191
Own Kudos:
65
Given Kudos: 85
Location: United States (CA)
Schools: Consortium (A) Stanford '14 (S) Tuck '14 (M) Yale '14 (A) Consortium (A)
GMAT 1: 730 Q44 V46
GMAT 2: 760 Q50 V44
GPA: 3.49
Schools: Consortium (A) Stanford '14 (S) Tuck '14 (M) Yale '14 (A) Consortium (A)
GMAT 2: 760 Q50 V44
Posts: 191
Kudos: 65
Deciding best colleges for myself. 03 Jul 2012, 11:01
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
ketan1605
Hi,
I gave my GMAT last year and will be applying to universities this year, most probably in R1. Currently, I am in the process of selecting colleges to which I should apply first in R1 but am in some sort of a fix.
I don't know exactly how I can research the colleges and decide on which college would be best for me- by best, I mean a college that I can get to for the 2013 batch and a one which would have a good course for me.
My question, then, is this: what is the best way to research colleges/college-curriculum etc.? I am a little skeptical about the many mba rankings (businessweek, financial times etc.) because I believe they are not the best way to decide which college I should go to.
Show more

You're absolutely correct in that rankings are *not* the best way to decide which business school to attend.

The Veritas Guides (you can get 3 for free) give a pretty comprehensive overview of the different schools and the business school guides (US/ International) here in GMATClub.com are also pretty useful.

That said, you need to list out all the ways in which schools differ, decide what you prefer and ultimately rank your schools accordingly.

For example, my thought process/conditions were as follows:
1) Prestige: Top 10 School (based on most rankings)
2) Size: Small class (<400)
3) Network: Strong alumni network
4) Career: Good for consulting
5) Experience: Prefer college-town
6) Misc: Exchange opportunities

Tuck hit all those points for me, and everyone I met from the school was great. Over time, you'll understand different schools' "cultures" a little bit more, and that can/should weigh pretty heavily into your decision. It's 2 years of your life that you're committing to spending with your classmates in a particular area, so you should really think about where you see yourself "fitting in".

Some schools allow you to connect with alumns that are in your area or share your background/interests. I know Tuck has "Tuck Connections," not sure about other schools.

Hope this helps. I know it's difficult to really "get" what each school is about without visiting/spending time there, but hopefully the more reading you do and the more you get to interact with people associated with each school, the better understanding you'll get. Ultimately, certain qualities/characteristics will be emphasized more for each school and you'll have to decide which you value most.

Good luck!
Moderators:
Bunuel
Math Expert
105388 posts
GMATBusters
GMAT Tutor
1924 posts