TIPS FOR SELECTING A BUSINESS SCHOOL
A. DECISION ENABLERS
1. Location
·
Except for the top-ranked
25 business schools, location matters.
·
So prefer a metro-based
business school to a non-metro one, other things remaining equal.
2. Faculty & Accreditation
·
Prefer a blend of
academics and practitioners.
·
Look for the
number of faculty members with over 10 years of work experience.
·
Accredited business schools are always preferable.
·
ISO certification
does not mean much.
3. Peer groups & impressions
·
They are the most
important.
·
From last year’s
brochure, see the kind of colleges your seniors came from.
·
Academic and
gender diversity, too, matters a lot.
4. Average salary potential & fees charged
·
Very few
institutes tell you the absolute truth.
·
So discount
average salary by about 25%.
·
See if the fees
justify the average salary.
·
Also do not be
too restrictive.
·
MBA has a long
earning horizon.
·
So go for schools
with better brand equity even if the fee is slightly higher.
5. Job profiles
·
Companies recruit
freshers at multiple levels with different packages.
·
See the profile
of jobs offered at the B-schools.
·
If it is a Tier
3/ Tier 4 school, ask if the companies recruit through their Direct Sales
Agents.
·
If yes, be very
careful.
B. WARNING BELLS
1. Management quota
·
If you are
offered a seat in this quota without asking for it, the institute is trying to
make extra money.
·
So check them out
carefully.
2. Discounted fees
·
If a school
offers you a discount (or even a scholarship), see if it comes
on the basis of competitive criterion.
·
Or else the
institute is just trying to fill its seats.
3. Listing of ‘companies associated with us’
·
These people may
have only given a guest lecture.
·
Specifically ask
for a list of companies who recruited during the last year.
4. Multiple-degree offers
·
Many schools
offer a range of MBAs within the same campus, but may not have flagship status.
·
If you are
offered admission to a program you have not applied for, be warned as it may
not be worth it.
5. Foreign trips / complimentary laptops
·
Unless the trip
is for a trimester or so, it will just be a pleasure trip, and is not worth
your time and money.
·
The same applies
to free laptops.