The top business schools in the nation all offer incredible curriculums and reputable track records for delivering quality programs to graduate students. But there is also an important component to a top MBA degree program which involves connecting with an alumni network both during one's education and following it. According to U.S. News & World Report, "The connections you make are, for many, the single most valuable aspect of the MBA, so make sure you capitalize on the opportunities in and out of the classroom during your MBA studies. Your alumni association network helps you stay connected to the university as well as to countless professional opportunities you can tap into throughout your career. While the quality of the education at the most elite programs is guaranteed across the board, when you're spending two years of your life and paying more than $100,000, it's the network of contacts you build that make your MBA experience truly priceless."
MBA Programs
The two-year full-time MBA offered at Stanford University's Graduate School of Business receives its exemplary business accreditation through the AACSB-International and is a top-five program across many national ranking entities including Eduniversal, the Financial Times, and U.S. News & World Report. Stanford GSB works hard to maintain close ties between alumni understanding what a benefit it is for its students to network with the 28,000+ business school alumni and 217,000 Stanford University alumni currently around the globe. Some intentional alumni connection points offered through the GSB include the Online Alumni Directory, Groups and Discussion Boards, Student/Alumni Dinner Series, Regional Alumni Chapters, and the Executive Challenge. The Executive Challenge is an alumni experience where students will "test your leadership skills when more than 200 C-Level alumni and business leaders from around the world return to campus each fall. These alumni put the first-year MBA students through a rigorous role-playing of tough business scenarios."
Columbia University's Business School has a long and seasoned reputation for delivering a top-notch MBA program only elite Ivy League schools can offer. Though offering no standard concentrations, the school instead emphasizes career-focused elective paths, including Decision, Risk, and Operations, Finance, Leadership and Ethics, Marketing, Private Equity, Retail and Luxury Goods, and Value Investing. The student-alumni community at Columbia are kept strong by such alumni initiatives as an online network, alumni events channeled through over 75 alumni clubs, and programs like the Columbia Career Network Mentor program, Uris Unplugged, and Students Partnering with Alumni to Reignite Connections (SPARC). Each of these opportunities help to connect current students with the wealth of knowledge and experience many seasoned alum can offer.
Alumni of Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Sloan School of Management are currently leading in the areas of business and government within nearly 100 foreign countries. To date, Sloan graduates have established over 650 companies showing a real drive in the areas of entrepreneurship and networking. MIT Sloan believes a strong network between its students, staff, and alumni will foster growth and development within its MIT Campaign for a Better World. The school also maintains an updated alumni directory, offers a slew of opportunities for leadership among its alum at the regional, class, and virtual levels, and periodically holds events on campus and around the world to keep professional relationships thriving among its graduates. Students seeking a high-quality and highly-accredited two-year, full-time MBA will want to consider this program which offers specializations in the areas of Enterprise Management, Entrepreneurship & Innovation, and Finance, or a certificate in Healthcare or Sustainability.