MBA Admissions Consultant
Joined: 26 Dec 2008
Posts: 2457
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Re: Profile Evaluation for Top 50 Schools
[#permalink]
07 Jul 2009, 22:35
If scholarship money is all you're after, you should limit your choices to schools outside the top 30. They will be local and regional US schools. Ohio State and Michigan State you may be competitive, but my hunch is that you probably won't get scholarship money. You'll probably have to go to schools that have a lesser reputation than that. Moreover, in this kind of economy, graduate professional schools aren't exactly flush with money to give out.
I can understand why you may want scholarship money because it seems to be customary amongst other academic degrees (like MS and PhD programs). However, an MBA is a professional degree, and banking on getting scholarship money is wishful thinking.
B-schools typically give out scholarship money to improve the diversity of their class ("diversity" isn't just nationality or ethnicity, but also occupation/profession as well). And those who will give out scholarship money simply because of a monster GMAT score should send you a signal of the quality of that school.
Consider getting a free ride (or even a discounted cost) in an MBA program to be a bonus, not an expectation. Be prepared to pay the full freight - whether it's out of your own pocket or through student loans. If you are unwilling to do that, then don't apply to b-school.