B-School: Finding the Perfect Fit

The admissions director at Michigan's Ross School advises thinking beyond rankings by e-mailing alums and researching the school's culture

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Soojin Kwon Koh
University of Michigan

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BusinessWeek recently hosted its third online MBA Expo, an information-gathering session for potential business school applicants. BusinessWeek Business Schools editor Phil Mintz explored the Expo's theme of finding a best-fit business school with several admissions directors from top business schools, as well as with a private admissions consultant. Here's an edited transcript of BusinessWeek's discussion with Soojin Kwon Koh, director of admissions for the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan.

What's the first thing you do at Ross to determine if a student is a good fit for the school?

Well, if we meet a student on the road, we gauge their interpersonal communications skills. Are they personable? Are they articulate? And have they done some homework on the school? Are they asking good questions, do they seem to know what we're about, are they enthusiastic about the school? And if we're "meeting" for the first time through their application, then we look at their essays, their recommendation letters, to get a sense of their teamwork and leadership skills and their goals, their aspirations, and what they want out of the MBA program.

Speaking of asking good questions, what are the three or four main considerations that someone considering business school should think about in determining which school is the best fit?

The first thing they should think about is the type of learning approach that they want. Do they want all case studies? Do they want all lecture? Do they want a hands-on experience? Also, they should think about what discipline or function they're interested in—do they want a general management school or a school that focuses on one area, like finance or marketing. And then the final piece that's probably a little bit more elusive is the kind of culture that the student will thrive in. Do you need an ultra-competitive environment to motivate you, or are you seeking a more collaborative culture? Or could you see yourself fitting in at a particular school based on the current students that you've interacted with, and we hope you do take that time to interact with current students, whether it's by e-mail or visiting on campus or going to an event.

Now those are the things that you, as an admissions counselor, think they should be looking at. From the applicants' point of view, what are the main issues about fit that they're coming in with? Are students sometimes obsessing about the wrong thing?

I think a lot of students start their school search using the rankings, which is fine, but then many of them don't go on to do their due diligence by visiting the school or talking to students and alumni. So not fully understanding what the school is about beyond the rankings can be a mistake.

And then some students often let location drive their decision. They choose schools that are located in or near cities in which they want to work after business school. I'd recommend that students do research on which companies recruit at a particular school, or what other non-corporate paths…MBA graduates take, so they get a sense of, 'Can I get there from a particular school?' At any top business school, chances are that top recruiters will be there, so they should not let location limit them to a certain set of schools.

And speaking of location, what about students applying from abroad? Do they have different issues concerning fit from students who are applying from the U.S.?

Well, students applying from abroad want to know whether there are other students from their country at the school, are there people who look and talk like me? They also want to know whether the school's community embraces and integrates international students, or if they're a separate community unto themselves.