Applying to MBA programs is the beginning of your next job search. You need to align your career goals with your search for the right program. What do you want to get out of the program you attend? What do youhave to offer them as a student, a teammate, and a job seeker? Ultimately, eachperson’s school choice is highly subjective, but consider these 7 factors as astarting point in your research.
1 Location: You have to consider two main things: 1) where do you want to be forthe next two years and 2) where do you want to be living after you graduate? Ina large city? Small town? If you are on the West Coast, do you want toexperience life in the North or Southeast, for example. The majority ofMBA graduates stay in the same region post-graduation. This is not the case forall program graduates, but geography plays a role in recruiting. Location alsoties into cost, which I will discuss below. 很多MBA 学生在完成学业后都会选择留在学校周围，因为他们两年内积累的人脉都在学校当地。 所以在选择学校的时候，不仅是排名需要考虑， 地理位置对于商学院来说十分重要。
2 Class size: The size of an MBA class has a lot ofimpacts: your classroom experience, your social opportunities, your leadershipopportunities within clubs and campus organizations, how well you can get toknow your faculty, and your relationship with the career management staff. Schools with large classesattract major companies more easily for on-campus recruiting, which is a bonusif you want to go into consulting, but your job search may be moreself-directed than at a smaller program. Smaller programs offer a morepersonalized, individualized experience. 项目人数多少对于你的整个求学经历都会有影响。 没有哪个比哪个好。只是每个人的喜好不同。
3 Cost: Cost is more than tuition. You also need to think about thetotal cost of attendance, plus what you might spend above that on internationaltrips, recruiting travel, or living off-campus. Cost of living in the city or town of your school can matter a lot. So spend time thinking about yourbudget for living as a student for two years. Depending on the strength of yourapplication, you may qualify for merit-based aid, but you may also need toapply for loans. Some schools have more merit-based aid to offer acceptedcandidates, and other schools have better need-based loan options. You need tothink about what your degree will cost you in comparison to what you anticipateyour salary to be after graduation minus the cost of any loans you need tore-pay. 对于所有的MBA申请者来说，学费昂贵是一件头大的事情。 同时大家还要考虑到生活费，机会成本等等的花费。
4 Career support: Getting an MBA is not only aboutthe academics! You are also there to develop yourself professionally andpersonally, so researchwhat each career office can offer you for support and training that matches your skills and interests. Read employment reports, research employers,determine which programs offer the career support that matches your careergoals. 选择MBA项目的时候还要着重看他们的career office的成熟程度。这些都可以通过登录学校的官网， 了解他们的雇主统计就可以。
5 Alumni network: Not only will you make lifelongfriends at an MBA program, you will become part of the school’s alumni network.These connections can beimportant to your career over the years, so when you choose a school, you arealso choosing your network. How engaged are the alumni with the school and itsstudents? What opportunities will you have to interact with alumni to learnfrom their experiences? 选择学校的时候， 侧面打听一下这个学校的校友圈的紧密程度以及校友圈的大小都很重要。
6 Curriculum: Yes, the academics matter! A graduateprogram is not a repeat of undergrad. A full-time MBA program is just that,full-time, and it’s important that the curriculum offerings match what you needto learn to move your career forward. What learning opportunities are offeredinside and outside of class? What emphasis is placed on experiential learning?What concentrations or tracks are offered?
7 Extracurricular opportunities: Outside of theclassroom, look for clubsand activities that will enable you to grow as a person, as a leader, and buildyour resume, especially if you are transitioning from one career or industry oranother. What international travel opportunities are there? 课余活动比如说学校的社团等等都可以训练你的领导力， 团队协作等等。
Conclusion:The right MBA program can help you advance your career in the right direction. Location, class size, cost,career management resources, alumni network, curriculum, extracurricularopportunities – each of these factors need to be considered because they arerelevant to your MBA experience and your future career direction. Do theschools you like offer the courses and the recruiting opportunities that willhelp you? Make a list of the things that matter to you about an MBA program, inorder of importance. Use that matrix to evaluate the programs that interestyou. | 
