In a recent article about finding the right fit in a business school program, Bloomberg BusinessWeek turned to Clear Admit Senior Admissions Counselor Stacey Oyler for some guidance.
Oyler, who worked in admissions for Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business and as a recruiter for McKinsey before joining Clear Admit, encouraged prospective applicants not to let a school’s rank in the various MBA rankings overshadow other important considerations. A top-ranked school can help catch recruiters’ eyes, but the school also needs to be the best match for what you want to do, Oyler told Bloomberg BW. “It’s two years and a significant financial investment,” she said. “So take the time to think about fit just as much as rank and reputation.”
Ankur Kumar, director of MBA admissions and financial aid at the University of Pennsylvania, also contributed to the Bloomberg BW article. She stressed to prospective applicants that the choice of where to go to business school is a personal one that requires self-reflection regarding what you want to get out a program, where you want to live for two years, how your academic and professional goals align with the school and more.
Kumar pointed out that a school’s admissions process can actually provide valuable indicators for candidates trying to determine fit. A given school’s culture and values will often be reflected in the focus of its essay questions or in a unique component included in the admissions process, she told Bloomberg BW. As an example, Kumar noted that Wharton recently added a team interview component to its application to assess how well-suited candidates are to group projects. That’s because Wharton students take part in 15 to 25 team projects, on average during their MBA program, she said.
For more guidance on how to find the right fit as you evaluate MBA programs, check out the complete Bloomberg BW article, “Finding Your ‘Best Fit’ Business School.”
