After Acceptance: Saying Yes to an MBA Degree Program

All of your hard work has finally paid off. You've taken the GMAT, gotten glowing references, and written your heart out on your application. The good news: You've been accepted to more than one MBA degree program. The flip-side: Now what should you do?

by Jami J. Rodgers
jami.rodgers@MBA-Business-Schools.com
MBA-Business-Schools.com Columnist

Consider yourself lucky. You have applied to several MBA degree programs, and have been granted acceptance by more than one program. Congratulations! All of your worrying about not even getting in was all in vain. Now you have an important decision to make. Which MBA program works best for you? Don’t rely entirely on various publications’ rankings and others’ perceptions of the programs. Only you can make this important decision. Consider some of the points below before saying yes to a particular MBA degree program.

If your program is on-campus, did the campus visit and interactions with school seem to provide a setting where you can meet your own personal and professional goals? Perhaps one MBA program is available on a part-time basis, versus a traditional full-time on-campus MBA program. Does one program fit better with your other obligations? Talk to other professionals, and even faculty that you know you’ll be working with. Do their interests and professional backgrounds match your goals?

Don’t overlook the financial implications. At first glance though, prioritize your needs without considering costs of the various MBA programs. Rank your programs according to your needs. If you have not visited schools on your short list, book a ticket! This cost is insignificant to the cost of your MBA program in the long run. Once you’ve determined which schools meet your needs, factor in the costs. You’ll need to do a cost-benefit analysis. Is the additional cost of one program worth what that program provides to meet your own personal needs? If you aren’t ready to make this decision, you may want to defer enrollment until you can fully consider all aspects of this important decision. Remember, only you can decide what is right for your education, and which MBA degree program works best for you.

Graduate Management Admissions Council

Jami J. Rodgers—who is currently pursuing MBA school admission—works in acquisition management for the federal sector in Washington, D.C Jami holds a B.S. in Spanish with a business option and an international studies minor from Pennsylvania State University.

Posted on March 27, 2007 at 10:55 AM

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