Frankly GMAT ting!

So every one tries to get into Top 20 … right? right. The fact is it makes perfect sense to aim for the best there is and I cannot give any argument against that. What I am going to present here are the compelling facts and some arguments as to why we should look beyond the Top 20 schools and why it may be a big deal to do so.

What Rankings Tell you (show)
All Rankings are based on several criteria, which includes not only the really important factors such as faculty, placement, Alumni etc, but also on smaller factors such as peer assessments/assets/reputation/research/consulting etc. The aim for the rankings is to give a holistic picture about the University and I cannot agree more. What needs to be understood is that each of these criteria is weighted differently which determines the rank. Some of the Top20 universities are like 0.1 points apart in the total points, does that really warrant a difference in rank or you preferring one over another?

What Rankings DONT Tell you (hide)
There are quite a few smaller universities who don’t reveal a lot of information about themselves. Ofcorse if this information is part of the criteria, their rank takes a hit. Their rank also takes a hit on “not so important” criteria which most students going for MBA don’t care about much. The question how much different is the 20th Ranked university from the universities with 20-25 ranks? I dont think they are much difference. When the decision of ranks is based on decimals, I dont think it is prudent to let go of substantial opportunities that lie in the other universities.

What you should think about
The point I wanted to drive home is “Definitely go for Top 20, but don’t miss out on the good universities beyond that”. I know about students who have graduated from seemingly unknown MBA universities got $100K+ jobs and are doing quite well today. Lot of people wonder what to do with life if they didn’t score well on GMAT. Here are the options I suggest

1. If not alreay taken GMAT more than 1 times, the first option is always to go for a retake, but this time prepare well. Dont obsess about 700+, around 650 is quite respectable score.
2. If you have less experience, wait for some more time, or if you really want to go for MBA asap, consider applying for some good universities in Top 100 and may be beyond that – Look beyond top 20.
3. Even if you perceive a decent chance in Top 20 universities, dont forget to atleast check out some universities beyond top 20. May be you have better chances of getting a scholarship, may be this univ is better in the field of specialization you are looking for, the location of university may warrant less cost of living etc.

In the end, aim for the best but remember rankings give ONLY the general picture, which may be far from what you want to achieve from your MBA degree. So do your research and make sure you don’t take unto the 19th and leave the 21st just because they were 0.2 points apart in the tally

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