Many prospective business school students make the mistake of deciding where to apply based on annual MBA school rankings which list out what each publication deems to be the top business schools in the country. The business school program you choose should really be based on factors beyond the rankings. In fact, in a list of criteria upon which you should base your list of schools, rankings would in my opinion barely make the top 5.
So if you shouldn’t look at MBA school rankings, what should you REALLY be looking at? First and foremost, you need to ask yourself why you are applying and what would be your dream company and job. Then you need to look at the career statistics, often found on school career center websites, and see what companies are big recruiters at each of the schools. You also need to look at geography. If you want to work in media or entertainment in Los Angeles, I would advise you apply to USC or UCLA over Harvard or Wharton. While Harvard and Wharton might rank higher, what matters at the end of the day is that you are exposed to the opportunities you are most interested in, which there is an abundance of at UCLA and USC – not to mention a huge directory of alumni you can call on for advice from these schools.
If you are strategic and lucky, you’ll find a school that both ranks high in MBA school rankings and is also aligned with your goals and interests. For example, Kellogg is a school with a great reputation and ranking, and also offers a huge array of marketing classes, treks, and case competitions in the area of consumer product goods, which many students go into. Going to Kellogg would set you up for a successful career at any consumer products good, and coincidentally it is also one of the core target schools for the top CPG companies. At MIT Sloan on the other hand, numerous technology companies recruit there, and various clubs, classes, and treks are also focused on technology. If you are interested in technology, you’ll get a highly ranked school on your resume and a wealth of career opportunities in technology.
So in a nutshell, rather than spend your time looking at MBS school rankings, focus on researching what companies recruit at the schools you’re interested in. This will also help you focus on the most important question – why you are going to business school and what you hope to get out of your 2 years there.