TheFool wrote:
I created a spreadsheet as well but my focus was on simplifying the information available so I could refer back to it later. I found the strategy helped me narrow my search and gave me a decent impression of the various schools I was considering.
After doing research on a school (reading their website, going through course catalogue, speaking with someone, etc.) I would write one or two sentences in a notes section on the school. It might say something like "poor marketing department" or "I spoke with XYZ and got a great impression of the program." I found that to be really helpful because your memory of how you feel about a school can fade over time, and recording your gut reaction is helpful.
I also crunched some numbers and created a couple of indexes for each school, things like "Difficulty in getting in" index and "Average student earnings" index. My aim was to simplify the flurry of statistics you're given for each program, and it helped me compare schools across just a few factors rather than the 10 you're typically supplied with.
I decided to create a calculation that spat out one number to decide which schools made the most sense to apply to... It calculated
fit (location, teaching style, impression of students, concentrations),
ability to get in (avg gmat/gpa/work experience/selectivity/yield),
ability to get a job post mba (placement in marketing and consulting, salary, % employed 3 months out), and
family impact (Does my wife like this school/location, likelihood of getting back to the northeast)... all of those weighted to equal one number... which I ignored.