Top MBA programs: finding the best business school for you

Introduction

Part I. Setting Your Foundation

Chapter 1. What Is the Value of the MBA Degree?

Measuring Value

Beware the Incentivized Endorsement

Value of a "Brand" School Degree

Other Considerations Related to an MBA's Value

Chapter 2. What Fit Is and Why It Matters

What Does Fit Mean?

Why Fit Matters to Schools-and to You

A Study in Fit

Chapter 3. What Are the Fit Factors?

Tell Me What You Really Want

The Role of Rankings

Accreditation: What Does It Mean?

What Are the Teaching Styles?

A School's Profile and What It Means to You

Research, Ask, Explore

What Schools Want from You

Part II. Building Your Dream

Chapter 4. What It Means to Position Yourself

View Your Candidacy the Same Way as an Admissions Committee Does

Getting the Timing Right

The Dilemma of Return on Investment

When Is the Timing Right?

The Hurdle of Test Scores

Prepare and Review, and Then Act

Will Your Undergrad School Affect Your Chance of Admission to a Top MBA Program?

Improving Standardized Test Scores

Admissions Committee Perspective on Your Transcript

Transcripts Not All They Could Be? Try an Alternative

Recommenders Are Crucial

The Right Number of Recommendations

Your Message

Chapter 5. What It Means to Manage Your Applications

Outlining Your Application Tasks

Know Your Due Dates

Timeline for What to Do When

Wrap It Up

Chapter 6. What Is Your Essay Master Plan?

How to Strategize and Stay Organized

Different Types of Essay Questions

How to Approach and Write Your Essays

Drafting Your Essays and Creating Your Themes

Grammar and Spelling Do Matter!

A Holistic Approach

Are You Ready co Submit?

Chapter 7. What to Do After You Have Submitted Your Applications

The Waiting Game

What Happens to Your Application After You Submit It

An Invitation to Interview: Now What?

The Interview

Avoiding Common Interview Mistakes

Backup Plans and How to Devise Them

The Final Decision: Your Wait Is Over

Chapter 8. What It Means to Deal with Acceptance, Waitlists, and Rejection

How to Anticipate Your Acceptance Letter

What to Do When Facing Multiple Acceptance Letters

What the Waitlist Process Means to You

What a Deferral Means

How to Handle Rejection

Assess the Values and Strategies of a Reapplication

Good "Admit" Etiquette

Part III. Moving In and Moving On

Chapter 9. What to Do Before You Matriculate

How to Leave Work on Good Terms

How B-School Differs from College or Wotk

How to Face the Basics-Housing, Transportation, Banking, and More

Start Your Career Research Early and Get a Jump on the Competition

How to Perfect the Art of Preparing to Perform

Chapter 10. What Is the Business School Balancing Act?

How to Hit the Ground Running and Get the Most from Your Classes

Why Business School Is More Than Your GPA

How to Use Career Services, Networking, and Other Resources Effectively

How Alumni Help with Career Placement

Managing Your Emotions

Chapter 11. Putting It All Together

Part IV. Top Business Schools

Carnegie Mellon University: David A. Tepper School of Business

Columbia University: Columbia Business School

Cornell University: S.C. Johnson Graduate School of Management

Dartmouth College: Tuck School of Business

Duke University: The Fuqua School of Business

Emory University: Goizueta Business School

Georgetown University: Robert E. McDonough School of Business

Harvard University: Harvard Business School

Indiana University: Kelley School of Business

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT): Alfred P. Sloan School of Management

New York University: Leonard N. Stern School of Business

Northwestern University: Kellogg School of Management

Stanford University: Graduate School of Business

University of California, Berkeley: Walter A. Haas School of Business

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA): Anderson School of Management

The University of Chicago: Booth School of Business

University of Maryland: Robert H. Smith School of Business

University of Michigan: Stephen M. Ross School of Business

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: Kenan-Flagler Business School

University of Pennsylvania: The Wharton School of Business

University of Southern California: Marshall School of Business

University of Texas at Austin: McCombs School of Business

University of Virginia: Darden Graduate School of Business Administration

Vanderbilc University: Owen Graduate School of Management

Yale University: Yale School of Management

Indian School of Business (ISB)

Insead Business School: Institute Européen d'Administration des Affaires

London Business School

University of Navarra: IESE Business School

University of Toronto: Joseph L. Rotman School of Management

University of Western Ontario: Richard Ivey School of Business

Appendix: About the Accompanying CD-ROM

Index