Business School Tips and Stats

Here are some pointers and suggestions for when you are considering business school.

Smart Choices

Aim to get global experience through schools' overseas partnerships. At Northwestern, students can head abroad for research or consulting projects. Harvard also offers international immersion trips. Stanford's students can work overseas for at least a month to supplement summer internships.

[Check out the Best Business Schools rankings.]

Insider Tip

While you won't need a job until graduation, start your career strategizing as soon as you arrive on campus. Get to know the staff in the career services offices, and take time to meet with recruiters by attending school recruiting events or setting up one-on-one meetings.

Getting In

Go for the Interview. Applicants have a lot of stresses to bear, and unfortunately, this is one they really can't unload: the interview. While many business schools require applicant interviews, some, including the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College, make them optional. But Dawna Clarke, Tuck's director of admissions, says that in almost all cases, turning down the opportunity for an interview is a big mistake. "There are so many skills and attributes that might not come across on paper. Making an effort to go to a school to interview shows that you're really interested in the school and lets you tell your story in a different way," she says. Even if you have a tendency to bomb in interviews, it is probably worth the risk. "In my experience, people are more likely to leave a positive impression than a negative impression," Clarke says.

Ask Alumni

It also pays to be extra diligent in researching a potential school. Clarke suggests that applicants track down alumni and ask them every­thing they can about the school. "It allows you to convey a better sense of why you want to come to the school," she says. One way to find graduates: through the alumni network of your undergraduate school.

Reality Check

Recessions are often good times for business school applications, and this recession has been no exception. In 2009, the Graduate Management Admission Test was taken a record 269,614 times, according to the Gradu­ate Management Admission Council. The exam was taken 264,641 times in 2008 and 246,054 times in 2007 • The record set in this crisis was not, however, driven by Americans looking for better business credentials. Instead, more prospective business school students from outside the United States have been taking the GMAT • The number of times the GMAT was taken by Americans actually declined slightly last year to 157,055 from about 158,727 in 2008.