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How Do I Find A Business School That Fits My Skill Set?

Rodrigo Porto, director of admissions at Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia, offers his advice on how to find the best business school fit for you

Thu May 2 2019

BusinessBecause
It's time for another Applicant Question of the Week at BusinessBecause!

Every week, we give you the opportunity to ask one of our chosen admissions experts anything you want to know about getting into business school. One question each week is chosen for our expert to answer.

This week, our question comes from an anonymous user.

Their question is answered by Rodrigo Porto, director of admissions and recruitment at Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia.


Applicant Question of the Week:

Dear BusinessBecause,

What is the best way to find a business school which fits my personal skill set?


The Answer:

The question of fit is so important when considering where to further your education. We think the best way to find a business school which fits your personal skills is to look for the alignment between your own values and the values of the school.

One tip is to assess the school’s strengths in relation to your professional goals and skills.  Another piece of advice I offer is to weigh your options from a broad viewpoint: don’t just consider the rankings. While rankings can certainly offer valuable information about a school, they can’t tell the full story.

A school’s culture cannot be measured as easily yet this factor plays a huge part in the overall business school experience. Some schools are more competitive, while others are more focused on collaboration. You need to determine what environment will enable you to thrive.

Some of these aspects can be difficult to gauge from the outside, but you’re in luck! Often, business schools provide prospective students the opportunity to experience an MBA or Master’s program before actually enrolling through sample classes and recruitment events. These events allow you to get a feel of how classes are delivered in the program and give you a chance to ask the faculty any questions related to your learning style.

We also recognize the importance of inviting alumni that have gone on to build transformative careers to come back and speak about their experiences. Thus, hearing and connecting with alumni with similar career paths, skills and background should also be a key part in determining if a business school fits your personal skills.

Finally, it is crucial to learn about a business school’s career centre and how it could add value and strengthen your current skill set. If possible, schedule a meeting with a program career coach and chat about how the career development programming is tailored to your needs. The more you know in advance, the easier it will be for you to find the right business school for you.


Read More: 9 Skills Business Leaders Of The Future Will Need

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© fizkes via iStock


Here are a few questions that may help you get a better sense of your fit with the school when weighing out your MBA options:

1. Who am I as a person, what do I value, how do I like to learn and what are my MBA goals?

2. What is the reputation of the school that I am applying to, in what industry does it typically place the most people after graduation and how will the types of students that the school likely recruits affect my learning experience?

3. What level of competitiveness in the learning environment am I comfortable with and how will that impact my ability to seek help and advice from others?

4. What are the guiding values of the school and where does it direct most of its resources? How do the school's values align with my own values?

5. What have been some past academic and professional situations where the environment that I was in significantly affected my ability to perform at a high level? How does what I know about the program that I am applying to compare? Are there any similarities?

For those of you who have just set out on your MBA journeys, I urge you to ask yourself these questions, attend a recruitment event, attend a sample class, book a 1-on-1 with a program career coach, and speak with alumni. Good luck with the journey!


Ask an Admissions Expert a Question!

crystal.jpeg

Next week, you'll have the opportunity to ask Crystal Grant, director of admissions at Imperial Business School in London.

Crystal has over ten years of experience at Imperial College London, one of the UK's top universities and business schools. 

Got a question you'd love Crystal to answer? Submit your question on our TwitterFacebook, or LinkedIn pages, send us an email to info@businessbecause.com, or simply post a comment below! 

Student Reviews

Imperial College Business School

Sakshi

Verified

5/11/2023

On Campus

Innovative, Immersive and an Excellent Curriculum

The MSc Strategic Marketing course opens many avenues into the business world at Imperial. The coursework consists of group-based assignments, individual reports, and sometimes, examinations. The Careers team helps you with your CV, Cover letters, and other job application support. Imperial truly lives up to its name!

Shiyun

Verified

19/05/2020

Very applicable courses

I enjoyed studying here for my master degree as I could feel that I was surrounded by very clever people, and I did learn a lot of knowledge that I could directly put into use into my current internship

Student

Verified

9/05/2020

Diversity and Professional Development

Imperial College London is an innovation hub with expertise across multiple industries. The international student body exposes students to endless cultures and experiences. Furthermore, the Careers team at Imperial is second to none as directors help guide students to the career paths of their dreams.

Student

Verified

20/04/2018

Business School

Imperial college business school has amazing facilities, amazing staff. I particularly like the business school cafe although it would be nice if they added a few more power sockets in the open space and heating for winter. The course is really good too. Very interactive classes and highly diverse environment.

Student

Verified

8/07/2020

Career Services

Very strong university with good quality faculty and a very strong career services team that prepared students well for the jobs market. Very nice facilities in the city center. Good sessions organised with employers.

Student

Verified

29/05/2020

Chinese students majored in English- now strategic marketing

My undergraduate major was English back in China and now an MSc student in strategic marketing at Imperial. For Chinese students who share similar experiences with me, you can get as much/deep as you want about marketing with some challenging group works and inspiring lectures. At the same time, if you just want to get the degree anyway with less effort, it's possible as well... ...

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