While the majority of business school applicants target four to six MBA programs, deciding how many business schools to apply to is not a one-size-fits-all decision. Some candidates will choose to focus all their energies on a single business school.
This may be for personal, professional or financial reasons, and this single-minded approach can pay off and actually increase their chances of admission success. Here are five scenarios where putting all your MBA application eggs in one basket is a valid decision.
1. Location-specific requirements: Most applicants take location into consideration when making their school short list.
Sometimes candidates prefer an urban environment over rural or warm climate versus cold. Often the location preference is industry-specific, such as applicants keen on financewho look exclusively at schools in or near New York City.
If you need to remain in your current region or want to live in a specific city, you may have only one desirable MBA option available. Or if you have family needs to consider, you'll likely search for a way to attend business school without uprooting your loved ones' lives.
The location requirement holds especially true for applicants considering part-time or evening MBA programs who plan to continue working while they earn their degree.
When I first met Olivia, she was living in Los Angeles and married with a baby. She could not entertain the possibility of moving her family or planning extended time away for two years, and the only local school she wanted was the University of California—Los Angeles'Anderson School of Management.
Olivia poured her heart into the Anderson application and once admitted, managed to juggle the demands of home and school like a champ. It was chaotic, but by staying local, she minimized the upheaval and had the support of her family during this hectic and rewarding time.
2. Company sponsorship: If you are lucky to attend business school on your company's dime, you may have to contend with the caveat that the company will only sponsor a particular MBA or part-time program. If you plan to stay at the organization long term, the limitation on where you can earn your MBA is probably worth the financial subsidy.
3. Highly specific career goals: The one-application approach can make sense for a person who has a very specific career path – such as in health care, technology or real estate. You might be interested in a particular program, teaching method or set of professors that only one school offers.
If you can determine which MBA program will likely connect you with the company you want to work for, and if that company only recruits from that one program, then that may be your degree program.
One former client, Jeremy, had a good job at a tech startup in Menlo Park, California. He only wanted to remain in that world – exploring other startups, networking with tech entrepreneurs and executives and staying connected with that scene. He also wanted to keep working a few hours a week during school.
Stanford University's Graduate School of Business was an ambitious choice, but the only school that his heart was really in. Fortunately, the gamble paid off and he received an admission offer from this prestigious program.
4. Joint application with partner: While this demographic makes up a small percentage of applicants, it's a significant one. You'll need to explicitly convey to the admissions committee that you and your partner are both applying to the program, since many schools consider couples applying together as a special case.
Schools generally don't want to break up families or relationships, so if both candidates meet admission requirements, you may have a better chance at admission. As you try to determine which school to target, research clubs and support available to married students and find out how other applicants successfully presented their case to the admission committee.
5. Intuition: Some applicants have had their heart set on a single school ever since the idea of pursuing an MBA started percolating. If you fall into this camp, you'll have an easier time than many other applicants explaining to the admissions committee why this program truly is the only place for you.
Showing how you are a good fit for the program and proving your utter commitment to attending that school reassures the admissions committee that you will accept an offer of admission, if given the chance. Admissions committees always have yield in the back of their minds when making admissions offers, and no school likes when accepted candidates turn the school down for a competing program.
As a bonus, it's much easier to research and prepare for a single MBA application and completely tailor it to that school, as opposed to creating several unique applications at the same time.
Whatever your reasons for pursuing one b-school, make sure your academic and professional profile is in line with that school's requirements and expectations. This approach requires pragmatism and optimism in equal measure. | 
