CHOOSING THE RIGHT SCHOOL

An MBA is an investment in your future. Therefore, no step following the decision to study an MBA should be taken lightly. One of the most important choices once you have decided to follow the MBA path is to decide which programme may be the right one for you and where to study it. With over 1 250 different programmes to choose from around the world, there is a lot to consider.

Here are some steps that may help you in making this decision:

• DEFINE YOUR CAREER PLAN BEFORE STARTING THE SELECTION PROCESS

In order to get into the most suitable for you programme you must first define your career plan. This plan should include the sector in which you wish to work, the country, the type and size of business you wish to enter, and the level you wish to reach.

Having a clear career plan for the next 5-10 years will greatly help you in defining your needs and thereby narrowing down the choices of schools and programmes to those that may be most suitable for you.

Once you have defined your personal goals and objectives, the next step before deciding on an MBA will be to consider the cost, the time it will take you to complete the programme, either while continuing to work or taking time off, and the place where you wish to study,

Choosing the place where you wish to study your MBA is also important decision which must again take into account your career plan.

You must remember that studying an MBA is not the end in itself. An MBA will provide you with the skills necessary to have a successful career in business, but what you choose to do once you have an MBA is entirely up to you. Imagine yourself as a surgeon who has all the tools necessary to carry out an operation, but in order to conduct the operation successfully you must not only know how to operate but also what to do after the operation.

Again, it is very important that your career plan and objectives are very well thought out even before you begin the process of selecting a programme. The clearer your goals, the better idea you will have on where to start your selection process.

• GET INFORMATION ON SCHOOLS

First, we recommend that you concentrate on 10 schools and find out everything you can about them. You will need to do considerable research on the nature and quality of the available MBAs, and the reputation of the schools that offer them. You may begin by asking questions at the MBA Fairs, calling schools, reading brochures, talking to representatives for information on admissions, discussing the MBA with various professionals, alumni, professors and visiting campuses. All these measures will most likely get you positive results in narrowing down the choice of schools that are best suited to your needs. To avoid sending out for hundreds of prospectuses and spending hours reading them, you should first concentrate on information regarding core and elective courses, specialisation of the schools, fees, teaching methodology, and the corporations that recruit in that school.

• DON’T SIMPLY FOLLOW REPUTATION

The top 10 MBA schools are obviously good choices when looking into different programmes but you don’t have to eliminate other schools from your list because they may actually turn to be more suitable for your needs and profile. Sometimes students believe that if it isn’t a top 10 school, then it isn’t any good.. This is not true. Only 10 percent of those who study MBAs do so in a top 10 school.

Again, having an MBA degree will be useful only if you make it so. The best thing is to define clearly what you are looking for in a programme that best suits your personal profile and your professional situation. Investigate till you find the school that best meets your needs. Then go for it!