EDUCATION/ MBA SPECIAL............ Choose the right business school

Choose the right business school 
 

Peter von Loesecke tells you why it crucial to research on the graduate schools you wish to apply to

Where do you want to be in 5 or 10 years?
Now more than ever students are taking into consideration where they want to be post-business school before they even start applying to MBA programmes. So instead of seeing an MBA as the end goal, students are seeing MBA as a tool to help them reach a desirable career goal.
How does this help you find the right school?
Do you want to work abroad? Do you want to make a high salary? Do you want to own a company? Do you want a more familyfriendly career? Do some thinking to find where you want to be after you earn your MBA, and once you know that answer you can start answering the next questions to help choose the right school to get you there:
Do you have a timeline?
Do you have the time to enroll in a two-year MBA programme or is your time limited, and a one-year programme is the way to go? Consider your timeline and use it to help you compare and narrow down on MBA programmes.
Does the location of a programme impact your personal and professional life?
Often overlooked by students, the location of where you earn your MBA can impact your personal and professional life in ways that can affect how you achieve your career goals. In a personal sense you need to know if you will be comfortable living in an urban or rural environment, across the country or across the world, and understand the associated costs of such locations.
Does the school have any networks that are of value to your career goals?
Is peer engagement important to your success? Maybe it’s important to you for your school’s career services to have close connections to a particular industry or employers, so looking at career service options will help you find the right school.
How do you plan on funding your education?
Do you need to apply for financial aid, or do you qualify for certain types of scholarships? Start your funding research early, no applicant wants to get accepted to their dream school, but not have the means to fund his or her education.
Which is the right school for me?

The MBA tour’s events in India create opportunities for applicants to learn about programmes and identify their perfect-fit school in a number of ways:
    Panels: Panel sessions in which industry experts, admission directors, or alumni from different schools offer their advice to applicants and answer applicant questions about programmes.
    School presentations: Individual school representatives and admission officers give 30 minute in-depth presentations about their respective school and MBA program as well as answer applicant questions.
    Fair: An open floor of school representatives and alumni from various programmes are available to answer any questions you might have, ranging from school network strengths to scholarship qualifications. This opportunity allows you to make a personal connection with your top choice schools, get your questions answered, and increase your chance of getting accepted to those schools. Learn more at:
www.TheMBATour.com/India
The author is managing director, The MBA Tour ET130923