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Will I Get In? And If I Do, Will I Want to Attend After All?

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Not surprisingly, one of the most common questions we receive from MBA candidates is “Will I get in?” Of course, this is an important question to consider before applying, and we suggest that you honestly assess and understand your candidacy and risk profile within the context of your target school’s typical student body before completing or submitting an application to that school. However, once you have determined that you will in fact apply to a particular school, you should not let this question haunt you or halt your progress. Many applicants spend too much time worrying and not enough time working. Your admissions decision is ultimately out of your control, so just focus on submitting the best application you possibly can.

How Business School Rankings Should Factor into Your School Search

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Which MBA programs are really the best? Harvard Business School, the Stanford Graduate School of Business, and the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School? Or maybe UPenn Wharton, Columbia Business School (CBS), and the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College? What about Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, and the MIT Sloan School of Management? Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business? The Yale School of Management? The Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley?

What About European Business Schools?

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We recently discussed part-time MBA programs as an option for candidates who are unsure of whether a full-time program is the right choice for them. MBA candidates looking to broaden their business school choices could also consider European programs. Although many applicants who are competing for places at the top U.S. business schools are well aware of the strengths of the MBA programs at INSEAD and London Business School, even more options are available beyond these two, including IESEESADEOxford (Saïd), and Cambridge (Judge). These four schools in particular have been aggressively playing “catch-up” with their better-known brethren by raising funds and dedicating them to scholarships and to enhancing their global brands. Other candidates may also be aware that IMD offers a boutique MBA program with remarkable international diversity, highly regarded academics, and a strong reputation with international employers.


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