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Why do you want to go back to school, anyways?

No, really. Answer the question!

It’s tougher than you’d think to come up with a reply, right?

Many applicants, when asked, “Why do you want to go to LBS (or Stern or what have you)?” can instantaneously spurt out reams of reasons. However, when faced with the most fundamental question, “Why do you want to go to get an MBA?” they become mute for a few minutes.

Let’s face it. Getting an MBA is expensive, perhaps even exorbitant if you are determined to study in a highly ranked program. What’s the point of spending a hundred thousand dollars and a long year or two with your nose to the grindstone? What is it, exactly, that you are hoping to get out of this ordeal?

Enhanced career prospects? Exposure to different cultures and locations? Strong professional and social networks? Soft skills you can take with you wherever life leads you? A clearer vision of what you want to do with your career? The opportunity to explore a variety of fields within business? Deeper insight into one specific aspect of business?

If you think through the question posed to you calmly and honestly, you’ll most likely agree that the below reasons for choosing a program are quite ineffective.

Here is a list of how NOT to choose an MBA program:

1. Pick the 8th school on a ranking rather than the 10th

If you genuinely feel that the 8th school is a better match for your interests and needs, by all means, pick that institution! However, if you feel warmer toward a school for the sole reason that it is a couple steps higher on a certain ranking, remind yourself that no ranking can tell you the absolute truth about program quality.

First of all, different lists rank according to different characteristics. Some, for example, may place greater importance on student teacher interaction while others may put more weight on graduates’ career prospects.

Second, what’s a couple places on a ranking? Few people will contend the opinion that the education you can get at a school ranked in the top ten will differ greatly from the education you can get at a school ranked in the forties. However, ranking lists would not sell if schools did not move up and down them; some would point out that publishers have good reason to ensure that rankings differ from year to year.

In other words, there probably isn’t a whole lot of difference in quality between programs very close to each other on ranking lists.

2. Choose a school because you have friends there

Yes, it’s daunting to pick up and venture out into the unknown. And no, nobody is denying the importance of friends.

However, an MBA program gives you to opportunity to burst out of that comfort zone, to challenge yourself and to explore. You should expand your network and collect novel experiences that will shape you into the professional you want to become.

Don’t let fear be your guide.

By the way, the opposite is just as ineffective. Avoiding high quality schools that might perfectly fit your needs simply because you want to get away from your hometown could also be detrimental to your school selection process; you might overlook some excellent programs.

3. Force yourself to select a concentration, then apply only to schools renowned in that specific field

Are you 100% sure of how you want your career to progress beyond graduation? If so, you should feel truly lucky because you are in the minority.

Most people in their twenties and thirties are still learning about their aptitudes and interests. It’s alright to not know in precise detail what you will be doing twenty years from now.

Let me repeat that.

IT’S ALRIGHT NOT TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU WANT TO DO.

This is doubly true if you are aiming to study in the USA: Most programs in this country are two years in length and tend to attract younger candidates.

If you actually know exactly how you wish your career to progress, then I congratulate you. If you don’t, however, don’t feel like you have to outline your career beyond graduation right at this moment.

Instead, identify broad career areas your interest is piqued by such as finance or technology and look for schools with strong track records in those fields. You can also select schools that will give you a strong background in general management and skills you can use no matter what industry you end up in.

4. Rush into an MBA program

It’s your 27th birthday next month, so you’d better start cranking out some b-school apps, right? Well, it depends.

Many young professionals feel that they have to complete a graduate degree by a certain deadline or they will be “left behind”. However, following the flock is not always the brightest idea. True, the longer you wait to begin your MBA, the more likely it may be that you have dependents to worry about.

If you start your MBA too early, though, you may not have matured enough in your career to get the most out of your program. You may not have enough real-life business experiences to be able to fully comprehend the theories you are taught in class. Perhaps if you were to wait a year or two to apply, you’d not only be able to select better schools with your enhanced resume, but also go in with a more detailed understanding of how you want to use the MBA to further your professional life.

On the other hand, you don’t want to wait too long. If you have reached a career and management stage that is much more advanced than those of your b-school peers, you might find yourself contributing disproportionately more to class discussions than you take away. Should this be the case, you may want to consider applying to Executive MBA programs instead.