We advise our MBA applicants to apply to between six and eight schools. Here’s what to keep in mind:
Rankings / Prestige. There’s been a lot of buzz over the past year about the efficacy of rankings. So, while this is an area that we encourage you to review for the programs you’re considering, we would discourage you from making it your top/only priority. Delve into the publicly available data, studying the metrics that are most important to you. This information will be a wonderful starting point for further investigation.
Geography / Network. Where you are located plays an important role in your ability to network. If you know where you want to live post-graduation, consider applying to programs that are within that city or state. Similarly, if your goal is to enter into a particular industry, consider applying to programs that are located near one of the industry’s hubs.
Career Placement. Take a close look at what industries and/or companies are recruiting at the MBA programs that you’re considering. Or, if you are very interested in a particular company, consider the programs where they recruit most heavily. You can review each school’s career placement report and/or engage with the school’s career services team to learn more. You may also want to confirm that the school’s MBA program facilitates clubs and activities that are relevant to your career goals (e.g., Finance Club, Luxury Goods Club, Marketing Club), as they will often host events connecting potential employers with interested students, as well as providing other resources.
Keep in mind that your top-ranked schools may not overlap exactly with the U.S. News and World Report or Financial Times. And that is just fine.