Five Tips on Making the Most of an MBA Fair: TopMBA Mentor

How and why you can profit from attending an MBA fair.

In order to really get a feel for the atmosphere at a school, you need to understand the profile of the people the school attracts, of its administrative staff, and of its professors.

Classroom environments vary too – while Harvard Business School tends to be an ultra-competitive environment in which students are judged on classroom participation, at Wharton there is a greater emphasis on technical ability and rigor, and assessment is more community based.

Face-to-face meetings between schools and candidates are one way to facilitate this understanding - and this is really what attending an MBA fair is all about.

QS events are as much mini conferences as fairs, with whole suites of panels and presentations on applying and getting into business schools. There are career panels, in which alumni share the wealth of their experience, GMAT preparation panels with local experts, admissions panels with dos and don’ts from admissions officers, as well as specialist panels such as Women in Leadership, which looks at how an MBA can help candidates break the glass ceiling.

It’s all geared towards helping people understand how to get the best education for them, and how they can use this education to achieve their personal and career goals.

Making the most of these fairs requires a certain approach. So, here’s five tips on making the most of MBA fairs.

1. Do a self assessment.

Before attending a fair, we encourage prospective applicants to do a self assessment. Establish your goals and career objectives, and your abilities and aptitudes. If you can boast a stellar academic record and three or four years’ experience, then you might be eligible for a top-tier school. If you only have an average record and little experience, then perhaps your chances are more slim, and you might be better focusing on the next tier of school.

Understanding what your resources and budget are, and what you would need in terms of loans and scholarships is also helpful, and can open up schools you hadn’t considered or set a narrow band.

2. Compile a targeted business school list.

Having an idea of what industry and function you want to work in can be helpful here, as schools have different strengths and specializations. Also think about the geography of where you want to work. There are benefits of studying in the same region – not least because of access to employers.

Once you’ve narrowed your options down a bit, you can begin to compile a shortlist based on research – the functionality of TopMBA.comis designed to help you identify institutions in the correct geography, budget range and specializations, and get an idea of required GMAT scores and experience. You can also sort schools using ratings (see the QS Global 200 Business Schools Report).

3. When choosing an MBA, think about what matters.

After you’ve done this preliminary research, you’ll be better equipped to ask more probing questions to determine if you and the school are a good match, looking at things like the profile of the student body, the employers which recruit from the school, and what kind of support they can provide, for example.

You can identify further selection criteria too. You might care about the social side of business school, in which case you should see what opportunities there are for students to get together, what clubs and societies there are, what sports facilities there are, etc. This can make a significant difference in your enjoyment of the experience.

Also consider the learning methods employed. How will you work together in teams? What opportunities are there to work on real consulting assignments or simulations of financial trading models? How technology is used in delivery is an increasingly pertinent question.

Getting more information on the background and profile of the class is very relevant. Are you going to be learning from your peers or teaching them?

4. Do your business school research.

This is tied in the previous two points. If you’ve done a little bit of research and can demonstrate some knowledge and explain why it’s of interest, it will be noted. Schools at QS MBA fairs are equipped with (increasingly advanced) means to take notes on candidates. They will want to know your fit with them, and see how you can make a contribution if you join.

Some are authorized to even make conditional offers at fairs – particularly at our Connect 1-2-1 events, which see candidates matched up with schools which then have the chance look over their résumés, before a one-on-one meeting.

It should be noted that schools are aware that candidates at all stages of the application process attend events, and you won’t be penalized at an open fair if you’re simply at the preliminary stages of thinking about an MBA.

5. Be proactive.

My final piece of advice is to be proactive – speak to as many schools as possible. It may seem intimidating, but if you don’t speak to a school which later you realize was relevant, you may regret it. Gather as much information as you can, whatever stage of the application process you’re at. Don’t miss an opportunity to learn something which could make a significant difference.