Selection of the B-School

When I started thinking of MBA in 2006, I wondered which school should I select. Is there really a big difference among the various top B-Schools of India? Are the Global B-schools really a class apart from the Indian schools, as is claimed by a section of the MBA fraternity?

I started searching for B-Schools through the trusted ‘google’ and found a number of rankings of the top B-schools of the world. It was really very difficult to narrow down the choices. Still I carried on, with perseverance, and found that its not that difficult as it appeared in the beginning. For making a choice regarding the school, remember that every B-school has its own particular character and you have to identify that characteristic on your own. Search the MBA sites, visit the websites of B-Schools, devote good enough time on their pages, make notes about various schools and consult the alumni from various schools.

Other important task is to list your priorities, your objectives and what you want from an MBA. Once you know your objectives and the various characteristics of the different schools, matching them should not be a big issue. Infact, the major issue usually is: what are our objectives. What we want to achieve in life. I myself was not clear about it; but this is very important as it will not only help you in selecting the right B- school but shall also help shaping your career. It will also help while writing admission essays and applications for the B – schools. I suggest one should read the book: ‘What color is your parachute’ by Richard N. Bolles and then decide on the priorities.

Other than your objectives, here are some important aspects which one may consider while choosing the school and the course:

Duration of the course: How much time are you ready to take a break from your professional career- 12 months, 16, 24? That’s for you to decide.
Which sector are you focusing on: Finance, Marketing, Supply Chain Management- there are different B-schools having different focus areas?
What are you targeting to achieve from MBA- wanna develop personal skills, or professional traits or simply you want to grow your network?

These are just examples to help you know on what lines you need to think while selecting a B-school.

Regarding the differences between Indian B-Schools and the global B-schools- the major difference (infact it’s the worst drawback of studying at Indian B-school) is that the students and the faculty are not diverse. Almost 99% of the students and the faculty in Indian B-schools is from India and that leaves almost no room for learning from diverse peers n teachers.

Global B-schools have faculty and students from a variety of backgrounds and from all over the world and you learn as much from your peers as from the MBA course.

There are many other theories available on internet that will guide you in your endeavor. For any help, one is most welcome to contact me at vkhanna10@gmail.com