Seven key factors in choosing an MBA program that fits your business plan. By Hayden Francis Estrada IV

HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE:

I suggest asking yourself these questions to get your bearings. Then ask people at your target schools, such as Admissions, faculty, and current students. The point is to ask consistent questions so you can reasonably compare the answers.

1. Know yourself.

What are your career goals?

What is your passion?

Have you really examined where you want to go in life? Do you really need an MBA? Are you looking for a degree, or an education that will advance your goals? Consider the investment of time, work, and money.

Do you have a plan?

Maybe this brochure will help clarify things a bit for you. Be realistic. Are you looking to advance in the same field, or branch out into a new area? Knowing this will make it easier to choose the business schools to which you'll apply.

What are your strengths and weaknesses?

This is not what you wish they are, but what they are today. Be honest about the weaknesses especially and that may be a prime reason to select or de-select a school.

Or a reason to change your mind about business school altogether.

• What is my plan? 

• What's my career goal? 

• Is an MBA what I need?

 

2. What is the best environment for you?

Business schools are not all alike. Each one offers a different approach.

Do you prefer city, suburban, or rural environments?

Some people will be happier in a forested campus away from the bright lights. Others will thrive in Boston, London, or Mexico City. What works for you?

What kind of field you want to enter?

If you want to work in finance, choose a city where finance is alive and the faculty are likely in touch with financial practitioners. If your interest is agriculture, choose a school where you can truly get your hands dirty.

What's the size of the school, and the size of the program?

Large universities offer more options. Large incoming classes may mean less personalization. Small colleges may offer more intimacy but fewer options. Small classes may offer closer connections with faculty.

What kind of learning environment does this school offer?

What are the student support options? If the program is team-learning based, are there team coaches? Is it highly competitive, or more collaborative?

3. Who attends this school?

What kind of students attend?

International? Midwestern? Coastal? Are they smart, aggressive, driven, individualistic, socially conscious? It's important to get a feel for the school's student culture. After all, you'll spend one or two full years in classrooms and team meetings with these folks. You can get some answers from the Admissions statistics, but for the rest, the best answer is a campus visit.

• Would I fit in here comfortably?

4. Who makes up the faculty?

Really - who are they?

At its most basic, a school is its faculty. What have they done? What do they teach? What is their expertise? What have they written? Are they authorities in the field? Who thinks so? Are they cited in the professional research journals? Do they have experts in your field of interest?

• What kind of faculty meet my needs?

 

5. Does the School provide and accommodate options?

Is the curriculum flexible, or one-size-fits-all?

If you are undecided, or if you have a dual-track in mind, can this business school serve you? Can you combine engineering classes or public health with a business degree?

Look closely - this is a bigger question than you may think. Presumably you are attending business school to increase your options - make sure you have options in the first place.

• What kind of options do I require?

 

6. How effective is the career center?

What are your job prospects at graduation?

Or, will you have a support network to help create your entrepreneurial vision? How many recruiters visit (and from what companies)? What are the placement figures? What are the starting salaries? What are the career results three years out? In other words, what are the long-term benefits of this degree for your career plan?

• Will this school help advance my career?

 

7. Does this school have the network to relaunch my career?

How wide and deep is the alumni and business network?

Success in business is all about relationships. You'll often find your best future partners, customers, or vendors right in your own MBA class. But additionally, during your time in a particular school, you should be able to tap into the school's network of already practicing professionals. People who may offer you internships, make introductions, or share industry wisdom.

• Does this school meet my expectation for networking?

Naturally this is a decision that will have a long-term impact on your life, and as such, the process of choosing the right path will be intimidating. Hopefully these questions will provide you with a framwork for determining the kind of impact you need to move your career forward, and the questions to make good comparisons between options.

Hayden Estrada was at the time of writing Assistant Dean of Graduate Admissions at Boston University School of Management. Sadly, Hayden passed away in October 2010. We would like to send our sincere regards to his family - Hayden was a great writer and we were privileged to have him share his knowledge to the readers of our magazine.