How did I choose Boston College for my MBA study?

Just a few more weeks before the school starts, I'd like to share with you how I chose Boston College for my MBA study. Hope you find useful information here for your MBA choice.

Boston College came into my radar when I scanned the list of top worldwide MBA programs in the Financial Times. The program was ranked among top 50 in 2010 (1). Another program feature that attracted my attention is the school's location. Boston is a beautiful city with well-known universities, long history and rich Western cultures. Having stayed in Southeast Asia so far, I want to have my MBA study in a new environment to enrich my life experiences. With these, I did further research about Boston College MBA.

BC has a strong finance program reflected in alumni's feedbacks and US MBA rankings sites (2). This is one of my criteria for MBA courses as I want to gain strong financial investment knowledge after my MBA. My other areas of interest are entrepreneurship and sustainability. BC provides specializations that meet these needs: asset management and entrepreneurial management.

Boston College MBA also impressed me with its experiential learning curriculum. During the first year, students participate in the Consulting Project by working with a small or medium sized enterprise (SME), a major multinational corporation, or a government agency to deliver a practical solution for the client's needs. In the second year, students will engage in the Business Plan Project that realizes a business idea and be able to apply the skills and knowledge learned in the classroom. I will come back more on BC's courses and projects when I have my hands on them.


As Boston College MBA met my requirements, I decided to apply for the program. During the interview, Meaghan Carey, a second year MBA student also shared with me one thing she likes about BC MBA is its close-knit, helpful community and alumni network. This further motivated me to become part of this community. 

Finally, I received the university's offer by end of Dec 2010 with a financial aid (you can apply for the financial aid together with the MBA application). I did apply for a few more MBA programs at the same time. However, I chose BC in the end as it provides most of my MBA needs.


To end up, you can find more information about Boston College MBA at http://www.bc.edu/schools/csom/graduate/mba.html.


(1) http://rankings.ft.com/businessschoolrankings/global-mba-rankings
(2) http://www.businessweek.com/interactive_reports/mba_specialty_2010.html
BC ranked 5th in finance in BusinessWeek rankings by specialty above. The school also ranked 14^th nationwide in finance by US News & World Report, and 26^th in research by Financial Times in 2010. 

PS: I used the MBA rankings as one indicator of the school's strengths and visibility. You might want to do more research about the program by reading school's website, talking with current students and alumni, or attending MBA talks.