What to factor in?
First, you need to take into account your plans, ambitions, preferences, potential etc. From here, you start the search for the right school and program, considering factors such as class profile and campus life, location, reputation, format, and teaching methods. And last but not least, you need to get a sense of the culture and atmosphere of the business school.
What knowledge and skills do you want to improve? What post-MBA job do you want to land? Which regions or industries do you want to explore during your studies? What peers do you want to learn from? Would you prefer to combine a successful career with part-time MBA studies or commit fully to the transformational business school experience? Where will you feel at home, but also be able to challenge yourself and go out of your comfort zone?
This is quite a lot to take into consideration while looking for the right business school fit, especially when you realize the diversity of MBA programs around the world today. The MBA is currently the most popular professional degree program in the world, with more than 2,500 MBA programs offered worldwide, according to Find MBA.
Check out: The Future of Artificial Intelligence in Education
Harvard Business School MBA student Leslie Moser writes in the Muse:
When I first started looking, I definitely felt overwhelmed and wasn’t sure where to start—there are so many schools out there!
MBA orientation expertise and AI come in handy
Big data, profiling, search algorithms, and instant results are all around us. We are so used to having solutions just a click away. Try out Unimy, an AI-driven MBA selection platform that combines professional experience in the higher education area with state-of-the-art artificial intelligence technology.
Unimy guides MBA aspirants through several steps, gradually narrowing the pool of business schools and programs to identify the ones that most closely correspond to a set of predefined preferences. At the core of Unimy is an AI matching tool that enables applicants to choose from among 1,000 ranked and accredited business schools and about 3,000 MBA programs.
However, Unimy does not leave the search entirely to AI and algorithms. It is true that software can perform some tasks more efficiently than people, but what it lacks is that uniquely human ability to cater to the needs of the individual. Therefore, Unimy offers users the opportunity to contact experts. Additionally, applicants can learn from alumni via webinars and chats.
Check out: Studying in the Age of Digital Distraction
School fit is also about cultural fit
Before choosing a business school based on an array of search criteria, it is crucial to get a sense of its culture. Business school culture, just as corporate culture, affects the way you will perform and grow. Cultural fit is rapidly gaining popularity in higher education, but the task of finding the school whose intrinsic values correspond to those of the applicant remains challenging.
With that in mind, Unimy has conducted surveys that inquire about common practices and beliefs within business schools. This has helped understand life inside school communities and create a cultural comparison map which MBA aspirants can use to find the business schools that suit them best in terms of overall environment that best matches their own personality, style, and beliefs.
Check out: It Felt Like Home: the Impact of Shared Values in the Cornell MBA Network (Interview)
A roadmap to your MBA fit
Finding your perfect MBA match is a process. Let’s look at the approach of Unimy that combines the virtues of technology with human expertise, and communication.
Step 1: Browse. You can browse through 3,000 MBA programs and apply filters with multiple criteria.
Step 2: Match. This option allows you to identify the top 10 MBA programs that match your preferences.
Step 3: Fit. Here you can further refine your search by identifying the business schools whose core values and predominant culture are in line with your attitudes, values, and beliefs.
Step 4: Consult. You can contact experts and ask them questions to better understand the data-driven results. This enables you to build an in-depth understanding of your options.
Step 5: Connect. Engage and learn more via alumni webinars and chats. Insiders’ perspectives help you get a feel for the MBA programs that you are considering. This is a powerful decision-making tool to shortlist your options.
Step 6: Apply. Finally, you can apply to the MBA programs you have chosen directly online though the Unimy platform.
It should be noted that these steps do not just enable you to find the best place for your MBA studies. You will also benefit from both self-discovery and a sound understanding of the essential factors that affect the quality of your MBA experience. Taking the Unimy journey will equip you with a road map to building a convincing MBA application. Admissions committees place a premium on self-awareness of where you belong, where you fit, and how you want to grow. Being conscious of your own preferences, character, and plans, coupled with arguments of how the chosen program fits you, will ultimately help you write better MBA application essays and be convincing during admissions interviews.
Before and after
Imagine yourself being part of other MBA-bound professionals’ journeys. Maybe in a year or two you will be one of those successful MBA alumni, advising the next generation of MBA prospects via Unimy.
The account of Harvard Business School MBA student Leslie Moser is one of the many that point to the perils of undergoing a search for the right business school on your own. Now those aiming to be in the next MBA intake around the world have the tools to avoid getting bogged down for months in message boards, articles, and opinions.
They have a shortcut to business school fit and admission where collaboration between people and technology ensures a truly personalized experience. This is how all educational services should be.
Comments