Stereotypes can be difficult to shake off, and some business schools know this only too well. Last week, the New York Times offered its take on which MBA program is best suited for candidates desiring certain outcomes with respect to their career, such as working in private equity or starting one’s own business. For example, among the tips offered was to head to the Kellogg School of Management to snatch a job at McKinsey & Company, or to Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business to land a position with Apple. The NYT is admittedly perplexed as to the best way for candidates to choose an appropriate program and notes that the schools are of little help. “Their slick brochures try to be everything to everybody,” the article states, “and in the process they obscure rather than illuminate.”
Of course, all top-ranked business schools are diverse institutions with plenty of opportunities to offer. While falling back on stereotypes can seem to help simplify what is unquestionably an important decision, dismissing any institute based on preconceived ideas alone can be detrimental to finding the right program for one’s individual needs. Given that earning an MBA involves a sizable investment of both finances and time, staying true to one’s preferences and desires, rather than turning to stereotypes, will likely provide the most fruitful results.
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