Pursuing an MBA from US universities is a big boost to your career. When you decide to pursue MBA, the first thing that comes to mind is choosing the right university for your course. Out of hundreds of US universities, choosing the right one for your studies could be as difficult as looking for a needle in a haystack.

How to shortlist B-schools for MBA?

There are certain things that you should keep in mind while choosing the right B-school. They’re as follows:

Check the Rankings

B-schools’ ranking should be considered to an extent when you are applying for admission. The future employees would compare the B-school’s ranking and reputation with other applicants.

● If you are an undergraduate with no work experience, the higher the ranking of the B-school, better would be for your resume.

● If you have prior work experience ranging from 5-10 years, then ranking would matter less. Your professional experience would add weightage to the resume.

For latest annual ranking, you can refer to popular sources like QS World University Rankings, US News, etc. These sources use different criteria for ranking, but their results would be useful in evaluating the B-schools in USA.

Program Curriculum

Out of so many factors, one of the most important factors to take into consideration is the curriculum of the B-schools. Usually the program curriculum is flexible  and moulds according to the changing economies of the world.

One of the best tricks to select the best curriculum for yourself is by evaluating your learning style and what are your expectations from the program. Points like, your subject area in which you majored in undergraduation, learning approach, what you want from the program would affect your selection decision.

The program format of MBA would influence the decision to pick-up the B-schools. It can be one-year or two-year MBA program. In one-year MBA programs, the B-schools usually prefer candidates with work experience in US.

Career

Look out for the employment record of the B-schools you are planning to apply. Check out the job types, the sectors and countries to which the graduates get jobs in. Study the reputation of the school’s career service and student support service available.

Academic Focus Area

Many B-schools try to distinguish themselves by specializing in a particular field, like finance, marketing, IT, etc. Their focus area would affect your learning in a B-school, the type of jobs that would be available after graduation and other students’ interests. You can also communicate with recently graduated students about their experiences and placements they received.

The above mentioned key areas would be helpful in shortlisting and selecting the best B-school for yourself.