‘Picking the right Business School isn’t as tricky as it seems’, that is definitely an invalid statement. There are several things to consider before deciding what university to pick & many metrics to look at. Here are a couple tricks I use to identify what is good from what isn’t:

  • Each degree will have a different requirement but there is some commonality. Look for schools that have all major accreditations that Business Schools need to have to be identified as top tier. Schools that have the following three are called triple crown:
  • Equis
  • AMBA
  • AACSB
  • Specific Accreditations or recognitions are also important: In the US it is called the Ivy Leagues & in France they use the “palms”. Some Business Schools are excellent without having this type of recognition, but specifically for the EMBA I would advise it because these niche schools have Alumni networks like no other.
  • Look at Rankings: For business schools two rankings matter the most QS and the Financial Times, when they are at fault pick QS. Use the ranking system to decide what league you want to be in & if you have two universities that almost cost the same pick the one ranked higher. When checking the rankings look at the years before too maybe a university is climbing the ranks so quickly from 200 in 2016 to 150 in 2018 and finally 40 in 2019  (this is usually a star university in terms of where it is heading at the present time and in the future). You definitely want to be an Alumni when it becomes in the top 10 don’t you?
  • The best University doesn’t necessarily mean the best Business School: Always remember that just because a university ranks as the best in the country or even the world, doesn’t mean it has the best Business School. For example: Oxford and Cambridge are the UK’s finest Universities that have been constantly in the top 10 business schools but always behind London Business School (LBS). I would though go into Oxford for an EMBA rather than LBS because I am sure that the alumni network of Oxford is much more extensive, diverse and vital for the survival of a business. After all, we all watch Billions and know how important political connections are for a business.
  • Look for specific rankings: What do you want to study? Finance, operations, marketing? Or is it more of a niche? Digital Marketing? Look for the university that offers the degree you are looking forward to.
  • Keep your dream company at sight: Do you have a dream company?: This is very important because what I would do is look for my dream company and see if my pick has people that went to their dream job / company right after college. I would even go to the extent of sending them Linkedin messages just to make sure.
  • Look for the best ROI:  You definitely do not have to break your pocket for the best Business school. That is actually Mark Cuban’s advice. If you have 10 choices pick the cheapest one that gives you the best return on investment. If you want to be an entrepreneur make sure the school has a proper incubator / accelerator.

 For questions or inquiries please email me at: Yahya.alfreh@gmail.com

Photo by Riccardo Annandale

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Published by yahyaalfreh

Yahya is a career coach that has been in the field for almost 5 years. He has done it on the side while working at companies like Publicis, Amadeus and 22 Comms. He then initiated The Millennial Stage to shed light on successful Millennials & bring them to the international stage, showcase his coaching platform, and finally bring out role models from previous generations that could serve as inspirations for ambitious career adventurers. He holds a BBA in Finance from the American University of Beirut & an Msc in Digital Marketing from SKEMA Business School. He currently resides in the South of France. Please feel free to email Yahya at yahya.alfreh@gmail.com.

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