Many people choose to further their college education and add an MBA to their set of achievements. Before choosing a graduate school, there are many things to take into consideration. Here are the top 20 MBA schools in America, with percentages of job offers coming in as the first consideration.

1.  Dartmouth: Graduates have a 97% employment rate, an average salary of $106,000 and tuition costs of $100,000.
2. IMD in Switzerland: 96% employment rate, an average salary of $129,000 a year and tuition costs of $57,000.
3. Harvard Business School: 95% hiring rate, a salary of $115,000 and tuition costs of about $102,000.
4. MIT (Sloan): 95% hiring rate, with salary at $110,000 a year, and the tuition is at $105,000.
5. INSEAD (France/Singapore: 93% graduate hiring rate, salary is typically $116,000 a year, while tuition costs around $75,000.
6. Columbia: 93% grad hiring rate, expected salary of about $106,000, and the tuition is also about $106,000.
7. Stanford: 92% hiring rate, tuition is $110,000 and average graduate salary is around $119,000 a year.
8. IESE (Spain): 92% graduate hiring rate, salary is expected to be $119,000 a year, while tuition costs $94,000.
9. Chicago (Booth): 91% job success rate, with the salary around $108,000 and the tuition costs over 101,000.
10. London: 91% job rate for graduates, salary is $105,000 while the tuition is about 80,000.
11. California at Berkeley (Haas), www.haasberkeley.edu: 90% job success rate, salary expectations at $107,000, tuition costs at $104,000
12. New York (Stern): 90% hiring rate, salary averages at $100,000, tuition costs at $89,000.
13. ESADE, www.esade.edu: 90% hiring rate, salary averages at $110,000, tuition costs $76,000.
14. York (Schulich): 89% hiring rate, salary range at $93,000, tuition costs at $63,000.
15. Carnegie Mellon, www.cmu.edu: 89% hiring rate for graduates, salary averages at $93,000, tuition costs $108,000.
16. Virginia (Darden): 87% hiring rate, salary expected to be $101,000, tuition costs $99,000.
17. Pennsylvania (Wharton), wharton.upenn.edu: 87% hiring rate, salary expectations at $114,000, tuitions costs $108,000.
18. Northwestern (Kellogg): 87% hiring rate, $107,000 average expected salary, tuition costs $108,000.
19. HEC Paris, www.hec.edu: 85% hiring rate for graduates, $129,000 salary range, tuition costs $60,000.
20. Duke (Fuqua): 82% hiring rate, salary expected at $102,000, tuition costs $100,000.

While some of the colleges offered a more competitive salary/tuition difference, the point of receiving an MBA is to find a job, therefore those schools that provided higher percentages of successful job offers were given higher rankings, despite their lower tuition costs and higher average salaries. In addition, it should be considered that while many fine international schools of business offer extremely high job rates and lucrative salaries with a low tuition cost, it may be very difficult or even impossible for many American students to go overseas for graduate school. Therefore, even though some international schools received a higher ranking on this scale due to their larger percentages of graduates finding work within the first three months of graduation from college, American students need to factor in the prohibitive costs or red tape that can accompany an international school.

References:

• http://www.economist.com/blogs/dailychart/2011/10/which-mba

Before acquiring a Master’s Degree in Business Administration, it is important to decide beforehand which area of emphasis would work best with the line of work you intend to go into. While there are literally hundreds of options of specialty available, some are obscure and some are very basic. There are really five basic areas that are not only essential to almost any area of business, but are also offered by many reputable colleges.

Some of the MBA specialties ranking, including the tuition costs, approximate number of graduate students within that area, and when applicable, the percentage of graduates that are hired within the first three months of graduation.

Accounting:

• University of Texas (Austin): $30,000 in tuition fees each year; averages 537 accounting graduate students.
• University of Pennsylvania-Wharton: $49,000 tuition fees each year; an average of 1700 accounting students; 87% job success rate.

Entrepreneurship:

• Babson College (Olin): Tuition averages of $46,000 each year, and only 390 entrepreneurship students.
• Stanford University: Average yearly tuition costs of $53,000; 800 students in the entrepreneurship program, 92% job success rate.

Executive MBA:

• University of Pennsylvania-Wharton: $49,000 tuition costs yearly; 1,600 students in the executive management program; 87% job success rate.
• University of Chicago (Booth): $51,000 in yearly tuition fees, 1,200 students in this program, and a 91% job success rate.

Finance

• New York University (Stern): Annual tuition costs of $44,000; 807 students a year in the finance program; 90% job success rate.
• Columbia (NY), www.columbia.edu: Average tuition fees of $53,000; 1,300 students; 93% job success rate.

IT:

• MIT (Sloan): $50,000 average tuition costs; 800 students that specialize in IT; 95% job success rate.
• Carnegie Mellon (Tepper): $53,000 in annual tuition fees; a small student rate of 404; 89% job success rate.

Even within these five categories of specialty in an MBA program, there are numerous sub-categories as well. Depending upon the school and the major, almost anything can be made to mix and match to create an interesting portfolio of attended classes and areas of expertise. Remember, the Universities that offer the highest job success rates for the students who have just graduated typically have the most diverse set of classes.

If you are unsure of which area of MBA specialty would be the best guarantee of success, look to those who have done well in business and see if they had a methodology that worked. While everyone needs a unique set of guidelines for financial success, there will inevitably be some basics that should not be over looked.

If you would like to major in more than one area in business grad school, there are many prestigious colleges that offer double major programs, or simply have so many high quality and well rounded classes that it is easy to follow up on several areas of specialty at once. Compare the schools online, and see which classes offer the most diverse areas of education. When you see a school you like, call an advisor or counselor to discuss a career path that is right for you and your future plans.

References:

• http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-business-schools/information-systems-rankings
• http://www.economist.com/blogs/dailychart/2011/10/which-mba

Sometimes it seems that lists are made arbitrarily and pointlessly. People are often left asking, “How did they come up with that list?” In order to explain the method behind the madness of the MBA rankings methodology, it important to first decide if it even matters whether or not the schools are ranked in the first place.

What is the point to listing ranking schools in the MBA program?

• Stating statistics that prospective and current students can use to compare.
• Discovering the rate of success at any given university.
• Enticing prospective students.

Where is this information coming from?

• Business journals
• College offices
• Student information

How should the information be presented?

• In an unbiased form
• With the pertinent statistics
• In an easily understood presentation

These are just a few of the ideas behind the ranking system. Admittedly, some of the information that is pulled off the internet does need to be verified, as anyone can put forth incorrect statistics. In order to avoid this pitfall, it is best to visit the source directly.

Where is the best place to get this information?

• From the colleges themselves
• From statistical manuals
• From a reputable search engine

How to tell this is the information that is needed:

• If it contains potential costs
• If it contains potential earnings
• If it is accurate about the average expectancies for getting hired after graduate school

Always do thorough research before deciding upon a graduate school, as grad school will take many years to complete. This is an extremely important decision, and should not be taken lightly. Before choosing the school, discover if:

• If it will offer advancement in education
• If it will offer job skills you do not already have
• If it will be necessary for you future career

Never be afraid to ask questions before you enroll. Do not allow yourself to be intimated by the sheer volume of information that is coming your way. Give yourself time to think carefully.

• Do not make snap decisions
• Give yourself time to look through all of the literature concerning the college
• Avoid giving a direct “yes” or “no” answer at first

If you have developed your doubts about the school, follow your instincts. If something seems too good to be true, it usually is. What to avoid:

• Being pressured
• Fast talking recruiters
• Faculty input

Many staff and faculty members of a college are very proud to tell you about their place of work, and rightfully so. There are many wonderful colleges and universities that have extremely prestigious MBA programs. However, it is easy for someone to put a personal spin on their place of work, and this can leave you with an incomplete picture. While word of mouth is a great way to learn information, it is not always the best way to learn facts.

• Stick to factual information, not emotional
• Weigh the financial costs with the financial gains
• Decide what benefits you, and not others

This is a decision for your life, and only you can decide what direction that life needs to take.

References:

• http://www.collegeboard.com/student/apply/the-application/38101.html

Marketing is an essential strategy for any business. Whether the business is sporting goods, finances, art or consumer products, there will always need to be someone who can understand what customers need and how to fill that niche. Marketing can be used for:

• Creating communications between consumers and businesses
• Sales techniques
• Satisfying customer demands
• Creating an advantage in competition with other similar businesses

When looking for a good school that specializes in marketing, it may be a good idea to look over some of the options in MBA rankings marketing lists.

1. Northwestern University (IL): a private school; offers an MBA with an emphasis in marketing; annual tuition $45,000.
2. University of Pennsylvania (PA): Has a high ranking with several national reports, and is a prestigious Ivy League School; offers both undergraduate and graduate level marketing majors; annual tuition $49,000.
3. University of California (Berkeley): One of the top ranked MBA programs in the nation; has a 90% job offer rate within the first three months after graduation; emphasizes study in consumer behavior and the science of marketing; annual tuition $42,000.
4. Duke University (NC): Has an 82% job offer rate for graduates; will work around graduate student’s schedules; annual tuition $48,000.
5. Stanford University (CA): Offers MBA and Ph.D. levels in Business with a marketing major; focuses on behavioral marketing; 92% graduate job success rate; annual tuition $53,000.
6. University of Michigan-Ann Arbor (MI): Offers multi-focus marketing majors.
7. University of Texas (Austin): Has a Center for Marketing Solutions that actually introduces MBA students to the leading industries that focus in Business and Marketing.
8. University of Wisconsin (Madison): Includes the A.C. Neilson Center for Marketing Research.

Many of the top colleges in the country will offer an extremely good MBA program, but may not specialize in marketing as an added emphasis. Depending upon the scope of the jobs you may be looking for, a marketing degree may be just as important as a degree with an emphasis in finance. Marketing typically will consist of the following:

• Market research
• Product research and pricing
• Sales techniques and strategy
• Community support and involvement
• Distribution
• Support of customer needs
• Advertising and media planning

In today’s world, marketing will need to also cover the digital side of marketing. It is important to be able to take advantage of the technological advances in order to get the word out about a company or product. The internet is a fabulous resource and tool for inexpensive or even wide-reaching marketing.

The audiences that the internet can reach are vast and almost limitless. While getting an MBA with an emphasis in marketing is a great idea, it may also be wise to look into finding a side emphasis in IT as well.

A person in marketing also needs to be aware of the very human needs for satisfaction and happiness. In order to be effective in marketing, one should carefully consider the effects a product, business or feedback will have upon each individual customer.

References:

• http://education-portal.com/articles/Top_Schools_for_Business_Marketing.html
• http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-business-schools/marketing-rankings

As higher education becomes easier and more common to attain, the numbers of people with an MBA has skyrocketed. There are almost 150,000 people who currently have an MBA, and this does not include those who are going to school to receive one.

As the MBA becomes far more of the norm, many people with a Bachelor’s degree find themselves being short-changed when it comes to job-hunting. Rather than get left out in the cold, it is best to start looking into the financial advantages of getting an MBA in management.

Management can encompass many different areas, and there are many schools that can meet those specialty areas. When it comes to MBA Rankings in Management, it can be difficult to pinpoint which ones truly are better, as there are so many different educational emphases that can change the dynamic. Here is a list of some MBA management areas, and schools that provide the education in that area.

Operations:

• Northwestern University (IL): has 16,000 students, and teaches at the MBA level courses that work with Operations, such as finance, marketing and organizational behavior.
• University of Michigan (Ann Arbor): 58,000 students, offers both operations and management, offers the chance to mix engineering with operations, houses the Tauber Institute for Global Operations.

Healthcare:

• University of Minnesota (Twin Cities): 53,000 students, is a public university, and has more than 60 years in health care instruction.
• Mount Sinai School of Medicine: 80% graduation rates, offers financial knowledge, health care environment, ethical awareness and information technology courses.

Business:

• Dartmouth:  is the oldest business management school in the country, offers the highest job success rate of any graduate school of business, has 46 faculty members, and has about 500 MBA students.
• Harvard: is the oldest school in the country, and has as some of the most stringent entrance requirements, is a private, Ivy League School, and has a 95% graduate hiring rate.

Hospitality:

• Keller Graduate School of Management: works to introduce concepts for management, analysis, logistics and history for the management of casinos, hotels and restaurants.
• Strayer University: provides a business degree along-side a minor in hospitality. Covers business enterprise, marketing, economics, and International tourism and franchise management.

Whatever the emphasis, an MBA in management can lead you to many different types of success. The world of business can be wide open, whether you choose to specialize in hospitality, operations, management, or health care. Achieving an MBA is a great way to put your best foot forward in the business world. Without a degree, it can be extremely difficult to compete against those with higher quality education.

Learn about networking, advertising, group ventures, enterprising and micro-enterprising.

Make new business contacts that will help you reach clients, suppliers, peers and workers.

Enjoy striding forward in business and see new opportunities and techniques while you learn about cutting edge technology and business strategies.

Stay up to date and current about new changes in the management world, and avoid getting stale and burned out.

References:

• http://education-portal.com/articles/Top_Schools_for_Operations_Management.html
• http://www.healthcaremba.org/index.php
• http://www.tuck.dartmouth.edu/about/facts-figures/
• http://www.economist.com/blogs/dailychart/2011/10/which-mba

America is a land of do it yourself people and is the home of capitalism. It is part of the American dream to create an innovative business. Many people can do this by discovering a need, and filling it, thus creating a niche on the market for their product. However, becoming a genuine entrepreneur can be much more difficult than it seems. Fortunately, many graduate students can work towards their goals with accredited and highly prestigious graduate schools that offer classes and programs specifically designed to encourage the entrepreneur within us all. The following is a list of the top 10 MBA entrepreneurship rankings in the United States.

• Harvard: This Ivy League school actually offers an impressive 50% success rate for entrepreneurs coming out of the MBA program.
• Stanford: This program focuses on researching and developing a product as well as the sound business principles behind running a successful enterprise.
• University of Pennsylvania, Wharton Business School: This is the oldest business school in the country, and offers sound business training as well as an emphasis in entrepreneurship enterprises.
• MIT Sloan: This large University can not only provide an MBA in Entrepreneurship, but can allow students to achieve a Doctorate, as well, and specializes in innovative products.
• Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University: This multi-tasking school offers students a chance to attend full time or part time, so that entrepreneurs of all types of lifestyles can still attend graduate school.
• UC Berkeley (Haas): This business school has a sound program that emphasizes the basic administrative, executive and financial principles needed by every business owner.
• Columbia, www.columbia.edu: This University has a traditional place in the business and entrepreneurship world, and has had a total of 13 Nobel Peace Prize winners affiliated with its business program.
• NYU (Stern): This school offers a global finance program, and has interesting choices to emphasize in, such as Risk Management.
• Carnegie (Mellon): This private University focuses on researching and developing ideas and techniques not only in finance, but IT management as well.
• Babson: Students can pull in a major from another concentration during their senior year, even while attending this prestigious school of business, which allows a cross-focus on varying markets for a greater choice in entrepreneurship.

Although this list has been gleaned from graduate schools exclusively within this country, there are many extremely prestigious and extremely innovative graduate schools around the world. If a student has the means, they should weigh the options of attending a foreign MBA school in entrepreneurship.

To become a successful business owner, it is necessary to not only be innovative, but to have the sound principles of how to run a business well in hand. In today’s market, this needs to include a focus on IT, global marketing, accounting, and technological product development. It is no longer enough to simply have a business degree. The more well-rounded the graduate knowledge is, the greater the chance of success in the competitive job market. Attending a top rate business entrepreneurial school can make all the difference in the world.

References:

• http://ceoworld.biz/ceo/2011/12/09/top-20-best-entrepreneurship-mba-graduate-business-school-rankings-for-senior-managers-and-entrepreneurs

The United States is a country founded on innovation. Fortunately for many students who wish to move forward with their education, innovation could be the best way to get their graduate degree. The internet has long been a tool for education, either formal or informal. Now, many reputable schools are offering students across the country to achieve their educational goals from home while taking online courses. Here is a list of the best online schools and the health care MBA rankings.

1. Ashford University: Offers an MBA in Healthcare Administration. Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission; has restrictions about which states will be accepted.
2. Benedictine University: Offers an MBA in Health Care Administration; located in Illinois by Lake Michigan, affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church.
3. Tiffin University: Offers an MBA in Health Care Administration; located in Ohio; founded in 1888; private college.
4. Grand Canyon University: Offers an MBA in Nursing Leadership; non-profit Christian campus; located in Arizona; Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
5. Walden University Online: Offers online MBA’s in both Heath Care System Improvement and Heath Care Management; member of the Laureate international Universities Network; Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
6. Virginia College: Offers an online MBA in both Business Health Care and Generalized Health Care; has multiple campuses; belongs to the Education Corporation of America; opened in 1983.
7. University of Saint Mary: Offers an online MBA in Health Care Management. Located in Leavenworth, KS; Christian focused campus; offers 5 different Master’s degree programs.
8. Strayer University: Offers Health Services Administration online MBA. Specializes in helping working adults get a degree; began as Strayer’s Business College in 1892; has campuses all over the country.
9. University of Phoenix: Offers Nursing/Healthcare and Healthcare Management MBA online. Founded in 1976, has over 200 locations, has 20 years of online program experience; offers degrees from Associate’s to Ph.D.
10. Colorado Technical University: Offers online MBA in Business Administration. Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission; is at five different locations; affiliated with the Association of University Women; affiliated with Better Business Bureau; flexible programs allow graduation from 18 months to 3 years.

Graduate school is a great investment in the future. Typically, people with a Master’s degree will earn between thirty thousand to fifty thousand dollars more a year than someone with an Associate’s degree.

It is also important to not get stale in your career. Going back to grad school ensures that you will stay on top of current trends in medicine and administration. Never face recycling in your job with a high quality degree.

Choosing the proper graduate school for you can be difficult, as there are many places to choose from. However, you can make an educated choice about the best MBA program in Health Care if you look at:

• the proximity to your home,
• the career opportunities in your location
• and the quality of education you could be receiving at an accredited University

Never overlook opportunities for an education, as it is priceless beyond measure. Enjoy feeling successful, useful and skilled with a Master’s degree in Health Care.

References:

• http://www.onlinemba.com/online-mba-in-health-care-administration/
• http://www.earnmydegree.com/online-education/mba/business/health-care-management.html

Accounting is its very own specialty focus within a business degree education, and many people choose this area for its adaptability and ease of finding a job. Accounting is going to be needed in every single business in the country, without exception. Even just basic book-keeping is accounting in its simplest form, and when you consider the accounting demands within an international company, it is easy to understand why so many Universities offer an extremely competitive and thorough education in this field. Here is a list of the top U.S. schools that stood high within the accounting MBA rankings.

• University of Chicago Graduate School of Business (Chicago GSB): Offers a student ratio of 19 to 1.
• Wharton School of Business (Pennsylvania): Has 1,713 MBA students, and offers 230 standing faculty members.
• Columbia Business School (NYC): Offers a student/teacher ratio of 6 to 1, and some departments have a 2 to 1 ratio.
• McCombs School of Business (Texas): Has a 29 to 1 student/teacher ratio.
• New York University (NYC): Student/teacher ratio of 11 to 1.
• College of Business Illinois: Has a small number of students with only around 200 full time students.
• Brigham Young University – Marriott School: has one of the lowest student/teacher rates of 4 to 1.
• Stephen M. Ross School of Business (Michigan): Has 149 full time faculty members and 3,120 full time students.
• Kelley School of Business: Has approximately 500 full time students.
• Marshall School of Business (California): 460 full time students, with a rotating number of staff and faculty.

While the student/teacher ratio is not the reason some may attend these prestigious business colleges, it can make a big difference in the intensity of the courses being taught. A large difference between the number of faculty and students can lead to confusion, a lower quality of teaching, and infrequent one on one time with the professor.

In addition, as business and accounting are such specialized fields, when working towards an MBA, it is important to find a dedicated staff in order to avail yourself of the best opportunities in education. A close ratio between students and teachers helps to guarantee a large amount of feedback and specialized training within the program, and can even lead to acquiring a mentor.

While many people tend to look at other statistics to determine where they wish to attend graduate school, sometimes the ratio gets over looked. Admittedly, it is also very important to view the hiring rates after graduation, the expected salary ranges for its former students, and take a careful look at the total tuition costs. However, all of these things will become meaningless if the education quality was compromised because a student literally got lost in the crowd. Getting an Accounting MBA is a major step forward, so look at all of the factors very carefully before making a final decision. Decide if personal and focused instruction is as important as tuition costs.

Use the internet to help you determine the value of your education, and look over statistics that are posted on the websites for each school. Typically, it will be possible to find all of the projected statistics needed to make an informed decision.

References:

• http://www.grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/…/mba-rankings
• http://www.wharton.upenn.edu/about/facts-and-figures.cfm
• http://www.studentaffairs.columbia.edu/admissions/faq/what-student-faculty-ratio
• http://www.businessschool.com/business-schools/university-of-texas-austin-mccombs-school-of-business/
• http://manhattan.about.com/od/educationlearning/a/nyustudents.htm
• http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-business-schools/university-of-illinois-urbana-champaign-01072
• http://master-degree-online.com/brigham-young-university/
• http://www.bus.umich.edu/NewsRoom/FastFacts.htm
• http://www.go4businessschool.com/indiana_kelley.shtml
• http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-business-schools/university-of-southern-california-marshall-01034

When it comes to American publications that provide professionals and consumers alike with the smartest and most cutting edge business and finance information, there is no publication that is read more often or more widely respected than the Wall Street Journal. So when you are looking to learn about which MBA programs are the best in the country, it only makes sense that you would go to the Wall Street Journal to learn about those schools which put their graduates at the top of their fields.

What it means to have a top ranking Wall Street Journal MBA Program:

Aside from the allure of name recognition that comes along with having attended a prestigious school, there is a lot more to consider when you are thinking about the top schools in the business world. First, you have to consider the level of the faculty at these schools. Without a doubt, you will find that the Wall Street Journal, as other publications of its ilk, list only those schools which employ the top professionals and scholars in their fields. Likewise, students in these MBA programs have access to the most cutting edge and effective resources and also have the ability to engage in impressive internships and apprenticeships. Of course, graduates of these programs also tend to earn higher salaries and quickly move up the corporate ladder.

What are my chances of getting in?

When you are thinking about applying to one of the top programs, it is probably because you have big ambitions. This is understandable, and as a matter of fact, this also is a sign of confidence and or admirable aspirations. At the same time, you shouldn’t be unrealistic. Some of these prestigious programs are so selective that they have acceptance rates of below 10%, meaning that you will be competing with some of the best minds in the business world. This also means that you will be competing with professionals not only from the United States, but from all over the world.

Some Wall Street Journal Top MBA Programs:

• University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business
• Washington University in St. Louis
• Thunderbird School of Global Management
• University of Southern California School of Business
• University of Notre Dame Mendoza School of Business

Getting prepared to enter these schools:

Remember that these are some of the most competitive and selective schools in the world, so if you are thinking about applying, you need to make sure that you are doing everything right. As an undergraduate in college, make sure that you are taking all of the business and management classes that you can. This includes business math and economics classes. Likewise, you should seek out professors with whom you work well, this way you can earn some wonderful recommendations from them. You also will want to make sure that you are doing everything in your power to get meaningful professional experience, such as internships and even entry level positions. You also want to make sure that you are preparing for the GMAT, which is the standardized business exam.

References:

• http://online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/EMBA-Top-25-Ranking.html

If you are thinking about applying MBA programs, you naturally are going to be drawn to the top programs. With that being said, aspiring top level professionals from all over the world are going to have these same goals, so you are going to have some hefty competition. While it is important to know which programs are at the top, you shouldn’t put all of your eggs into one basket. Instead, you should make sure that you have safety schools. Programs such as the Harvard Business School have an acceptance rate of about 12%, meaning that they are incredibly difficult to get into. Don’t sell yourself short, but don’t give yourself unrealistic expectations either.

How do I improve my chances of getting accepted?

• Concentrate on your grades. You will want to make sure that you are getting A’s across the board if you want to be considered for a top program.
• Make friends in high places. When you apply to a top MBA program, you will want to make sure that you have impressive references. This means that you should make friends with supervisors, managers, and instructors who can testify to your intelligence, ambition, and work ethic.
• Prepare for the GMAT. This is the standardized test that almost all business students must take prior to applying to grad school. It is full of business math, comprehension, and critical thinking problems. This is a difficult test and will require you to prepare months in advance. Don’t be afraid to take this test twice.
• Get a lot of professional experience. Many people work in the business field for a few years prior to applying to graduate school, this way they can approve their resumes prior to applying to programs. If you want to be on top, you need to prove that you have what it takes to be considered among the best. Getting experience is the only way to do this.

So, which names can I expect to see on the US News MBA Rankings for 2011?

• Stanford University School of Business
• Harvard University School of Business
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sloan School of Business
• University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business
• Northwestern University Kellogg School of Business

Why these schools?

If you have been researching the best business graduate programs, then you probably are getting used to seeing the same schools over and over. Part of the reason is that these are the schools that are most selective and which require the most impressive credentials. It’s also true that these schools produce some of the most gifted and successful graduates. Individuals who graduate from these programs tend to end up in high level positions and earn very impressive salaries. Finally, the faculty members at these schools tend to be some of the most well respected professionals and intellectuals in their fields.

What if I don’t get in?

The truth, as we have stated before, is that these schools are highly competitive. The good news is that there are plenty of other schools that are slightly less selective, but which provide hundreds of business students with wonderful opportunities.

References:

• http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-business-schools/mba-rankings