You’ll often hear the word “fit” when our team talks about making your b-school decision, and you may wonder what exactly we mean by this. What it comes down to is that you need to determine which MBA Program bests suits your needs in terms of the teaching method, length/pace, post-graduation opportunities, network, and overall experience.
While there are a number of ways to investigate each Program’s offerings (talking to students and alumni, reading blogs, watching youtube clips, etc.), the best way determine if a Program is the right fit for you is to visit the campus and experience a day in the life for yourself.
There is a lot to be said for the vibe you get from a campus and the interaction with the students, faculty and staff, so when you narrow your down your choices, or when you are comparing offers, if you can physically get yourself to each School before making your final decision I strongly recommend doing so.
At Ivey, we offer a Class Visit program once per month and you can even apply for a Travel Award to help cover the cost of getting here. And if the Class Visit date doesn’t work for you, you can arrange an individual visit through our website, so you can still sit in on a class and meet with either Niki, Hoda or me so that all of your questions get answered.
The importance of visiting campus and experiencing what each School has to offer really hit me earlier this week when I had the opportunity of meeting two prospective students at Spencer for individual visits. One currently has an offer to join the Program and the other had attended a First Class on the Road earlier this spring and wanted to sit in on a real class to confirm that case method is right for him.
I met the fellows before classes in the morning and took them on a tour of the Spencer building; I could tell that they were impressed by the amenities it offers, but also the cozy feel that it has. They were also happy to know that students and professors are on a first name basis with one another, and faculty and staff are always available and accessible to answer questions and help solve problems.
My point was proven when we arrived at Amp A and Course Coordinator Fiona McCann was working at the desk next to the entrance of the classroom, ready to address any student inquires (and let them know where they could find calculators for the Decision Making with Analytics quiz that afternoon!). I left the visitors in the hands of Professor Gerard Seijts to participate in a Leading People and Organizations class about Jack Welch and General Electric, and before I was even out of the classroom they were each chatting with a current student.
When I met the visitors for lunch after the class, they were full of great questions and truly impressed with what they had just experienced. For the prospective student with an offer, I really had the sense that he benefited from the visit because he was considering attending a b-school closer to his hometown for convenience reasons, but the visit made him realize that convenience should not be the main reason for choosing an MBA.
I truly love meeting prospective candidates for the Ivey MBA Program, and encourage those of you thinking about Ivey to take advantage of the many Experience Events we offer. And remember: when it comes down to making a final decision, you owe it to yourself to try each Program on for size and make sure that it fits!