Harvard, Wharton & the likes...

In the wake of the economic downturn that has suddenly half-swallowed up the global market, MBA programs, as an investment option more than an educational asset, tops the priority list for most of the students & professionals these days.  Above and beyond the just-out-of-college grads and young recruits, today, the experienced workforce, too, is flocking to the security of an MBA degree. Undergrad office-goers are facing tough times & believe that by arming themselves with an MBA from a reputed university, a high-paying job would be in the bag. Looking at the surge in the interest in B-schools, let's take a tour of the best international B-schools in the world. 

(Based on my tinkering around with mba programs, regardless of whether I am gonna make it or not in any of these, I have consolidated the info in a post...hope this helps!) 

Harvard Business School: The most popular name in edification, its century-old standards continue to inspire awe. The unique case-study method of teaching, an alumni base that consists of business leaders around the world and the exceptional research puts Harvard a brand apart.Your browser may not support display of this image.

Wharton (University of Pennsylvania): Founded in 1881, it’s the first collegiate business school in the world. With the largest faculty in the world, unparalleled flexibility in courses, an 80,000+ alumni base strewn in 140 countries and a neighbourhood of Washington DC and Boston to boast of, “the Wharton MBA” can definitely take you places you never dreamt of.

Chicago Booth (University of Chicago): Ranked as the top B-school in the U.S. by Business Week for 2 consecutive years, Chicago Booth has a first-rate faculty, go-getting students and heavy academics as its hallmarks.Your browser may not support display of this image.

Queen’s School of Business (University of Canada): Twice number one non-U.S. B-school, Queen’s the first preference among scientists, researchers and engineers, its USP being collaborative effort by the students, personal attention and intensive workload.

Kellogg School of Management (Northwestern University): Set to complete a century of imparting knowledge, Kellogg has a distinctive culture of competitive educational system and has produced world-class business leaders like the CEO of Hershey Co. & the MD of Google India to name a few.

Richard Ivey School of Business (University of Western Ontario), Canada: Holistic approach to studies, inclusion of real-world situations, extracurriculars, & plenty of old pupils help in the job hunt.

Ross School of Business (University of Michigan): With a fun-loving & high-spirited student culture, it has one of the highest jumps from pre-MBA to post-MBA pay.

IMD (International Institute for Management Development), Switzerland: A succinct program for those already well-conversant with business skills, with individual coaching as its key point.

London Business School, England: International locale, unique programs, strong partnerships with other global B-schools, a strong alumni network and an MBA akin to that in the U.S. make it an ideal choice for an MBA in Europe.

IE Business School, Madrid: Convivial hospitability by the Spanish, programs of international appeal and a monetary leap post-MBA has it one of the top choices of late, albeit the language barrier.Your browser may not support display of this image.

Stanford University, California: Vicinity to Silicon Valley, small classes, students from diverse backgrounds are the major appeals.Your browser may not support display of this image.

INSEAD, France: Has the most demanding programs typical of the French, but the most diverse student body at the same time.Your browser may not support display of this image.

Rotman School of Management (University of Toronto): A favourite among finance grads, but not for someone looking for a change in the line of business.Your browser may not support display of this image.

MIT Sloan School of Management, Cambridge, Massachusetts: Idyllic for techie grads and entrepreneurs, stresses on quantitative legerdemain.

Columbia Business School, NY: Proximity to Wall Street, visits to i-banks (before their collapse) & a high focus on finance are the points worth mentioning.

Haas School of Business (University of California-Berkeley): Pluses similar to Stanford, though percentage of applicants accepted is quite low relative to other B-schools of the same repute.

Fuqua School of Business (Duke University): Zealous instructors and hard-core teamwork milieu are the pluses.

ESADE, Barcelona: High teacher-to-student ratio and cultural development are the aspects attractive to it. Indifference shown by the college for placements is criticized a bit.

IESE Business School (University of Navarra), Barcelona: A sense of community to the Spanish culture, small-size classrooms and an environment conducive to study are the only reasons why it scores high marks.Your browser may not support display of this image.

Johnson School of Management (Cornell University), NY: Taxing curriculum with strong alumni association, though the high fees & location does hurt some.

Tuck School of Business (Dartmouth College): Supportive faculty and the bucolic setting make it very attractive.Your browser may not support display of this image.

Said Business School, Oxford University: Attention on liberal arts and freedom to attend non-MBA classes on the campus are much admired.Your browser may not support display of this image.

Stern School of Business, NY: Shares qualities identical to Columbia Business School, popular for i-banking.

HEC School of Management, Montreal: Mostly for those grads in a haste to complete their MBA, but it’s cost-effective program is truly a bargain.Your browser may not support display of this image.

Darden School of Business (University of Virginia): Case-study method of learning is very effectual.

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