So you've decided upon an undergraduate degree in business. Excellent choice! Sorry to say, but that might have been the easy part. Now you have to figure out where to apply. And, if you've already applied, and had multiple acceptances, you have to decide which one to choose?
There are some important decisions you have to make. But what considerations should inform your decision? First, we know that you prefer to attend the very best school that you can. Perhaps you'll check the undergraduate business school rankings. There are a lot options, but simply looking to see who is top of a rankings list isn't necessarily going to get you the education you want and need.
Consider this example; have you given serious thought to this word "business"? What does it mean to you? It includes a lot of diverse interests and activities. By no means do all schools cover all sub-disciplines well, or even at all. Say you conclude that your thing is going to be specializing in marketing or global supply chain management. However, it turns out that your chosen school isn't offering that specialization or, almost as bad, it's offered it, but the program isn't well regarded in the industry you want to join? Now what do you do? Change schools? Sacrifice what you really want to do? This is your life we're talking about.
I'd suggest you take into account at least a couple of considerations. If you're set on the business studies specialization you want to pursue, that's great. So, then, don't get dazzled by lofty numbers on a ranking chart. You don't need a school offering a full menu of options. That ranking may in fact come from excellence in programs you'll never take. That your school excels in real estate, quantitative analysis, information systems and insurance is of no benefit to you if the marketing program in which you'll be studying has a poor reputation. Get yourself to the best program; don't be distracted by meta-rankings that may not be relevant to what you want to learn.
However, you may not have yet determined your direction of study. Or at least you may feel a bit ambivalent about your choice. If that's your situation, then definitely, selecting a school with a full menu of options could be just the right call. Besides giving you a sampler of various options, you'll be better covered if you find something with a better taste. Changing into a program more suited to your evolving interests and aspirations will be far less burdensome if it's only a matter of doing some paper work and switching your attendance to a classroom down the hallway. Rather than changing schools and likely also cities!
And in like-manner, the truth is, whatever your thoughts about business school at the moment, unless you're absolutely certain of the choice, you'd hardly be history's first undergrad to switch major mid-course. In that scenario, the logic from above applies and maybe even more so. Attending a larger university, with many more disciplines, will cover your options much better if you suddenly fall in love with economics, engineering or mathematics, etc.
One other thing you might consider when ranking your business school options: there may be some cultural romance associate with brick and mortar colleges, with the ivy and all. But, if you know what you want to do, an online degree may be the wiser option. It certainly can save you a lot of money. And, interestingly, the sophisticated tools for online group cooperative work that they have available perhaps even better prepares you for the types of skills and technologies that make the modern global economy run.
Evaluating undergraduate business school rankings isn't just about who gets the best overall grade. Don't fixate on the gold star winner. As we've seen, there's much more than that to take into account. You have to think through your own circumstances. It is your education. Information should be a tool you guide, not a harness that guides you.
There are some important decisions you have to make. But what considerations should inform your decision? First, we know that you prefer to attend the very best school that you can. Perhaps you'll check the undergraduate business school rankings. There are a lot options, but simply looking to see who is top of a rankings list isn't necessarily going to get you the education you want and need.
Consider this example; have you given serious thought to this word "business"? What does it mean to you? It includes a lot of diverse interests and activities. By no means do all schools cover all sub-disciplines well, or even at all. Say you conclude that your thing is going to be specializing in marketing or global supply chain management. However, it turns out that your chosen school isn't offering that specialization or, almost as bad, it's offered it, but the program isn't well regarded in the industry you want to join? Now what do you do? Change schools? Sacrifice what you really want to do? This is your life we're talking about.
I'd suggest you take into account at least a couple of considerations. If you're set on the business studies specialization you want to pursue, that's great. So, then, don't get dazzled by lofty numbers on a ranking chart. You don't need a school offering a full menu of options. That ranking may in fact come from excellence in programs you'll never take. That your school excels in real estate, quantitative analysis, information systems and insurance is of no benefit to you if the marketing program in which you'll be studying has a poor reputation. Get yourself to the best program; don't be distracted by meta-rankings that may not be relevant to what you want to learn.
However, you may not have yet determined your direction of study. Or at least you may feel a bit ambivalent about your choice. If that's your situation, then definitely, selecting a school with a full menu of options could be just the right call. Besides giving you a sampler of various options, you'll be better covered if you find something with a better taste. Changing into a program more suited to your evolving interests and aspirations will be far less burdensome if it's only a matter of doing some paper work and switching your attendance to a classroom down the hallway. Rather than changing schools and likely also cities!
And in like-manner, the truth is, whatever your thoughts about business school at the moment, unless you're absolutely certain of the choice, you'd hardly be history's first undergrad to switch major mid-course. In that scenario, the logic from above applies and maybe even more so. Attending a larger university, with many more disciplines, will cover your options much better if you suddenly fall in love with economics, engineering or mathematics, etc.
One other thing you might consider when ranking your business school options: there may be some cultural romance associate with brick and mortar colleges, with the ivy and all. But, if you know what you want to do, an online degree may be the wiser option. It certainly can save you a lot of money. And, interestingly, the sophisticated tools for online group cooperative work that they have available perhaps even better prepares you for the types of skills and technologies that make the modern global economy run.
Evaluating undergraduate business school rankings isn't just about who gets the best overall grade. Don't fixate on the gold star winner. As we've seen, there's much more than that to take into account. You have to think through your own circumstances. It is your education. Information should be a tool you guide, not a harness that guides you.
About the Author:
If you're considering an MBA you need to go to Business Week MBA Rankings and read Thomas Ryerson's excellent analyses, including his article there on deciding if an MBA is the right decision for you.
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