First make a list of what matters to you most about a business school. Then, look for the facts. For example, if you would like to build a really international network of business contacts during your studies, look at the “Class Profile”. What is the percentage of international students in the programme, from how many countries do the students come, and are these the countries/regions which you are interested in? If feel you will benefit most from experienced peers, look at the “age range” and “average age” data. If you expect assistance from the school in landing a good job upon graduation, look into what the Career Services Centre actually offers – do not be satisfied with the fact that there is a Career Centre. Each Career Centre works in a different way and many of them expect students to play an active role in their career development.
Also, go beyond the reading the website. Take every chance to meet school representatives in person – they can give you further facts and provide more detail about what stands behind the marketing talk and statistics. It is helpful to read standardised school presentations, i.e. school profiles and school digests, because these help you compare more easily. Talk to experts who have the professional knowledge on different schools’ strengths, culture and student profile.
