Author: The Chief

The Role of Business School Alumni Network and Location

Virgil

July 15, 2015

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In an MBA application, every data point matters. Particularly when the application pool continues to grow so voraciously as it has in the last decade. One aspect that’s often overlooked, or at least under-exploited, is your choice of school in terms of its alumni network and location.

The Business School Alumni Network

Every program has an alumni network, which most applicants make some reference to in their essays. But too many stop there; simply mentioning that you’re aware of notable alumni and aspire to be like them. Such applicants overlook at least two valuable opportunities that researching an alumni network represents: 1) a method to evaluate “fit” – how well suits you and your goals and 2) a way to stand out by demonstrating deep knowledge of the kind of graduate a program turns out.

For starters, researching this topic can be a major aid in your decision making process. Don’t just find out the size of the alumni network – find out the top 5 cities they live in, their titles and industries. Find out their involvement with the school, how much they tend to donate, and their willingness to help their fellow alumnus. Find out their level of satisfaction, whether they enjoyed the program, and whether, given the option, would they do it again. In other words, find out the VALUE of the alumni network and the value they themselves place on their education at this program. If alumni don’t live in the cities you intend to, work in your areas of interest, didn’t enjoy their experience, and don’t give back to the network in any significant way, then they might as well not exist and they’ll certainly add little to nothing to your MBA experience. But if they do live where you want, work where you aim, valued their MBA, and actively contribute as alumni, then there’s another reason to apply, and another reason to potentially leverage. Don’t overlook this topic. If you find anything compelling, share this in your application – it shows the reader you’re interested not just in an MBA, but an MBA, specifically, from their program.

The Location

Similar to network, your choice of location should be very deliberate. Every school is different. Every town and city in which they’re located is different. Every location offers different environments, social atmospheres, cultures and traditions, restaurants and entertainment, things to do, sights to see, and experiences to discover. And, yes, every location offers different business opportunities. Your choice of business school should reflect your understanding of its location and all that it entails, all the ways it will challenge you, and of course, all the opportunities that it hold. This is why location matters and why it can demonstrate yet another aspect of why (or why not) you want to attend a certain program over another.

Take, for example, an applicant I read a few years ago while working in admissions in New York City – this applicant graduated with a degree in computer science and built a career in management consulting. Looking to combine the two, the candidate was applying to business school to attain knowledge in venture capital and to build a network amongst tech startup entrepreneurs. But here’s the thing, at the time, all the tech startups (and, consequently, the VCs) were mostly based in Silicon Valley. Not only that, but the applicant currently lived in California, with his spouse and kids, and eventually wanted to move back to China, the applicant’s home country. This candidate didn’t mention any specific company targets post-MBA nor any notable alumni in Asia. In this critical omission, the candidate shot himself in the foot, multiple times. More than likely, the applicant was applying to California programs to remain in the heart of Silicon Valley, avoid uprooting the family, and eventually set themselves up for a move to Asia. By omitting mention of network and location, the applicant also showed a lack of research, and possibly, a lack of priority of a New York-based MBA over other locations. Furthermore, many programs in California have exchange programs with Chinese counterparts, which implies no advantage for the applicant to attend a New York program over another program – though, to be clear, the applicant didn’t touch on this at all. In the end, though qualified, the applicant provided no compelling reason they were specifically interested in our program. He was waitlisted based on quality, and eventually rejected because he would likely accept elsewhere.

So bottom line: The business school alumni network and  location can play a significant part in your MBA experience and prior to that, your admissions decision. Don’t skimp on this research and don’t waste this opportunity to further persuade your application reader.

Now is the time. Contact our business school admissions experts to get started!

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