Darden Graduate School of Business (University of Virginia)

The University of Virginia is a brainchild of Thomas Jefferson who wanted people to learn in the areas of arts, philosophy, foreign languages, law, medicine, and science. The university was opened in March 1825 to scholars, and among them was the famous poet and writer, Edgar Allan Poe. The Darden Graduate School of Business is one of the expansions of the university and it is one of the most recommendable business schools in the United States. To apply to Darden, fill-up an online application form available at the school’s official website.

Kenan-Flagler Business School (University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill)

UNC Kenan-Flagler was established in 1919 as the Department of Commerce of UNC Chapel Hill’s College of Arts. It was only in 1991 that the school’s name was changed to what it is now, after philanthropists Mary Lily Kenan Flagler and husband Henry Morrison Flagler gave donations. Also, the school’s name is a form of recognition of F.H. Kenan of the Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise.

Among the programs offered in UNC Kenan-Flagler are MBAs, executive MBAs, master of accounting, executive education, undergraduate-BS in Business Administration, and doctorates. Apply to UNC Kenan-Flagler through its official website.

Cox School of Business (Southern Methodist University)

Cox School was founded in 1920. It is currently considered by several major publications like The Wall Street Journal and BusinessWeek as one of the best business schools in the world. Students who apply to Cox School can opt for undergraduate, graduate degrees, and executive education programs other than MBAs. Visit the official website of Cox School of Business to submit an application.

Leonard N. Stern School of Business (New York University)

NYU Stern started out in 1900 as the NYU undergraduate School of Commerce, Accounts, and Finance and is located on New York University’s Washington Square Campus. It was only in 1916 that the graduate business program was launched and was able to accommodate both full-time and part-time students. Throughout the years, NYU increased the number of programs it offered as prompted by the changing business industry demands and trends. The School of Commerce, Accounts, and Finance was also changed to Leonard N. Stern School of Business after Stern gave a $30 million donation to improve the school’s facilities. To apply to NYU Stern, visit its official website and sign up through the online application form.

Anderson School (University of California–Los Angeles)

The Anderson School of Management was founded about 70 years ago under the University of California in Los Angeles. Currently, Anderson offers MBA, PhD, executive MBA, and Master of Financial Engineering as one of the school’s post-graduate programs. In addition, Anderson offers the UCLA-NUS Global Executive MBA program, Management Development programs, Global Access program, Riordan programs, and Management Communication programs. To apply to UCLA Anderson, visit the school’s official website and accomplish the online admission form.

Kelley School of Business (Indiana University)

Kelley School of Business was established in 1920 but formerly had the name School of Commerce and Finance. The school was again renamed to School of Business Administration which was later shortened to School of Business. Finally, in 1997, when E.W. Kelley gave a $23 million donation, the school was renamed as the Kelley School of Business. It offers Undergraduate, full-time MBA, online MBA, specialized master’s degrees, and doctoral programs as well as executive education. Apply to Kelley School through its website and complete the online application form.

Haas School of Business (University of California–Berkeley

The establishment of Haas School of Business was an idea initiated by Berkeley graduate and businessman Arthur Rodgers. The idea of a College of Commerce in the University of California was mentioned in Rodgers’s 1883 commencement address and was realized no more than 15 years later. Among the programs offered in Haas School are full-time and part-time MBAs, PhDs, undergraduate and executive programs, Masters in Financial Engineering, and non-degree programs. Apply to Haas School by contacting the admissions office or by completing an online application form.

Johnson Graduate School of Management (Cornell University)

Johnson School was founded in 1946. It offers MBA, executive MBA , PhD, and graduate and undergraduate with MBA programs. The prominent alumni of Johnson School include Irene Rosenfeld of Kraft Foods, Inc., Daniel Hesse of Sprint Nextel Corp., Nancy Schlichting of Henry Ford Health System, Robert Ramin of National Aquarium, and Kyung-Bae Suh of AmorePacific Corp. Apply to Johnson School by visiting its website and by accomplishing an online application form.

Tuck School of Business (Dartmouth College)

The Tuck School of Business was founded in 1900 and is stationed in Dartmouth. The school offers just the full-time MBA to fully support and assist students. But other than the full-time MBA program, Tuck also offers executive education programs and the undergraduate Tuck Business Bridge Program. Among the alumni of Tuck, some of the most prominent are Quentin L. Kopp, Colin Kenny, John Jacquemin, Mark Byrne, Anne Sullivan, and Philip J. Moss. Apply to Tuck through the online admission page at its official website.

Columbia Business School

Columbia Business School was established in 1916. Ever since the year of its establishment, this school has produced business leaders in the United States. Today, however, Columbia Business School has more than 40 percent of its student body representing other countries.

The school is most proud of its MBA, executive education, and doctorate programs. In addition, Columbia Business School is proud of having many professors who coined various business concepts and are also business practitioners and advisers to business heads around the world. To apply to Columbia Business School, visit the official website and begin the online application.

Fuqua School of Business (Duke University)

Duke University was founded by James Buchanan Duke in 1924. The school was formerly an expansion of Trinity College and was made possible by the Duke family’s philanthropic foundation, The Duke Endowment. Then, in 1969, the Fuqua School of Business was established. Today, Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business boasts of one of the best business education in the United States. The university also offers cross continent and joint degree programs other than MBAs, doctorates, and executive education. Apply at Fuqua by using the online application form available at the school’s official website.

MIT Sloan School of Management

MIT Sloan in Cambridge, Massachusetts was established in 1914. It did not start as a business school but was, in fact, an engineering administration curriculum in the MIT Department of Economics and Statistics. Today, MIT Sloan offers MBA programs, Master of Finance programs, PhD Programs, undergraduate Programs, and executive education. To apply to MIT Sloan, contact the admission office or download the online application form from the school’s official website.

Wharton School (University of Pennsylvania)

Wharton is considered as the world’s first collegiate business school. It was founded in 1881 by Philadelphia industrialist and philanthropist Joseph Wharton, with the intention of providing liberal education in the field of business. The school now has 11 academic departments, the most cited faculty, and over 25 research initiatives and research centers. Among the programs offered in Wharton are undergraduate programs, MBA, PhD, and executive education. To apply to Wharton, visit the official website and fill up the online application form.

Ross School of Business (University of Michigan)

The School of Business Administration was established in January 10, 1924 and had the Tappan Hall as its main center for a quarter of a century. Gradually, the department expanded not just in the scope of program offerings but also in territory. In 2004, alumnus Stephen M. Ross donated $100 million to the school and was acknowledged by the Board of Regents by renaming the School of Business Administration after him. The new building opens in January 2009.

Among the offered programs in Ross are MBAs, executive education, and doctorates. To apply to Ross, visit the official website. Programs and schedules are available with the downloadable application form.

Stanford Business School

It was through the initiation of late US President Herbert Hoover that the Stanford Graduate School of Business was founded in 1924. Hoover wanted to keep many of the brightest students in the West Coast who proceeded to the East Coast to study business. Stanford GSB prides of having three Nobel laureates in its faculty, as well as of being able to offer the Center for Leadership Development and Research, the Center for Global Business and the Economy, the Center for Social Innovation, and the Center for Entrepreneurial Studies. To apply to Stanford GSB, visit the official website and fill up the online application form.

University of Chicago Booth School of Business

Chicago Booth was founded in 1898 and boasts of an effective, discipline-based approach to learning. The university is also the alma mater of many respected, effective, and confident businessmen and businesswomen. Among them are several Nobel laureates. Of these Nobel laureates, the first is James Kilts who turned Oscar Mayer, Gillette, Kraft, and Nabisco into large companies. To apply to Chicago Booth, visit the official website and request for an application form. Program options are full-time, evening, and weekend classes, along with executive, PhD, and MBA programs.

Harvard Business School

Harvard Business School (HBS) was founded in 1908, making it one of the oldest MBA schools in the US. Throughout its history, HBS was able to maintain the effectiveness and quality of its management education. To date, there are 42, 012 living MBA Alumni from HBS and its deans included John H. McArthur and Jay O. Light. McArthur has been the Senior Advisor to the President of The World Bank since 1996. Current dean, Light, on the other hand, became a Director of Investment and Financial Policies of the Ford Foundation. To apply to HBS, visit the official website and use the online application program.

Kellogg School of Management [NorthwesternUniversity]

The Kellogg School of Management was founded in 1908 and has since been the alma mater of business leaders of varying cultural backgrounds. Today, Kellogg offers full-time, part-time, and executive MBA programs as well as executive education, doctoral programs, and undergraduate programs. To apply to the Kellogg School of Management, visit the official website and apply online. Remember to download the application form appropriate to the MBA program of your choice and check out the admission requirements.

Ways to approach alumni of MBA programs

In case you have a relative, friend, or coworker who already has an MBA degree, then you can ask about the admissions process of the school they entered. It would be good for you to get some ideas regarding how you’re going to write your MBA admission essay, because this gives admissions officers the chance to know more about you. If you don’t know anyone you can approach or seek advice from, then you can turn to the Internet and seek MBA program alumni from there. Consider joining forums of universities offering MBA programs and ask questions. You will most likely get answers from MBA students and MBA professors, which will give you additional information on what to expect in the admissions process.

Getting help with your MBA admission essay

Alumni of MBA programs and MBA students can give you tips on how you should act during the interview as well as what questions are usually asked. But it’s also advisable for you to get some suggestions on how you can write an excellent MBA admission essay. You may also ask these alumni or students for samples so that you can get ideas on what topics you can write about and how to structure your essay in a way that will make it interesting and easy to read. After all, your MBA admission essay can increase your chances of getting into the MBA program you want.

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* Mathematical skills

Attending MBA classes will have you dealing with spreadsheets and financial documents. This is why it’s important for you to have mathematical skills and be able to deal well with numbers. Aside from basic math functions, you should also be able to grasp advanced mathematical procedures and understand complex equations. These will be taught in your MBA classes, but it’s surely an advantage if you’re interested in math.

* Analytical skills

Aside from dealing with financial documents and spreadsheets, you will also have to know how to analyze the data found in these documents so that you can identify the strengths and weakness of a company’s operations. Having analytical skills will also help you in understanding case studies and seeing how a company’s financial and managerial structure affects its operations.

* Interpersonal and communication skills

Although you will deal largely with business problems, you also need to have good interpersonal and communication skills to succeed in an MBA program. It’s essential for you to learn how to be a good team member and team leader. Attending MBA classes will give you the chance to network and form ties with your classmates, who are most likely business professionals too. Being able to communicate well with them will help you gain insights and learn new ideas that can help you succeed in your chosen field.

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Different kinds of advanced MBA programs

There are many different types of advanced MBA programs. These programs typically require you to choose your major or area of specialization. Specializations include management, financial management, information systems, human resource management, biotechnology, and marketing. There are also joint or dual MBA programs, which will earn you two degrees once you finish. The MBA/Law program, for example, will give you the knowledge and training needed to become a lawyer and an effective business manager.

Choosing from different kinds of advanced MBA programs

When choosing from different types of advanced MBA programs, you must first assess your career goals and get information about various MBA programs in your chosen schools. You can then study the curriculum of these programs and see which among them will best suit your needs and help you achieve your goals.

What you can gain from getting an advanced MBA degree

When you choose to pursue an advanced MBA degree, more and better opportunities will be presented to you. Once you graduate and work in your specific field, you will be recognized as a highly skilled leader and a valuable addition to the company you’re working in. Management level careers are profitable and having a specific expertise will certainly increase your marketability.

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Reasons why it’s advisable for entrepreneurs to pursue an MBA degree

* Learning various business theories

When you enroll in an MBA program, you will get the chance to learn more about different business theories, which you can immediately put into practice. What you’re going to learn in class will not just remain in your mind as theoretical knowledge, you can put this in use and see which strategies work best for your business. Attending MBA classes can also help you when it comes to devising marketing strategies and give you the kind of knowledge you need to determine how to position your brand and advertise it to consumers.

* Benefits of having an advanced degree

In case you want to get a full-time job or go into the corporate world, having an MBA degree can translate to more and better opportunities, as well as higher salaries. Companies typically regard MBA degree holders as valuable commodities, so it would be easier for you to be considered for management positions.

* The connections you form with other classmates in the program

Enrolling in an MBA program at a traditional school will give you the chance to network with your peers, who are also professionals in various fields and backgrounds. You can form lasting bonds with your classmates, be it professionally or personally. They can also give you ideas that you can use in improving your business.

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