Four Tips for Scouting Business Schools This Summer

Consultant Stacy Blackman Provides the Roadmap for Researching Business Schools

LOS ANGELES, CA–(EMWNews – July 15, 2008) – Packing for the beach? Don’t forget to pack

your homework. Though school may be out, with many business school

application deadlines in October, the hazy days of summer are a good time

to begin researching business schools. Here are four tips from business

school consultant Stacy Blackman (www.stacyblackman.com) on finding the

right programs for every student.

1) Book your trip. Visit the campus and surrounding areas, and sit in on a

class. Seeing the school will help eliminate stereotypes and enable

applicants to get a good feel for the true culture of the school.

2) Talk to students and alumni. Ask them what they like and don’t like

about the school. Applicants may learn that what others love about a

school — a large, urban campus, for example, may be unappealing to them.

From students and alumni, applicants can capture informal snapshots of

daily life, culture and classes.

3) Go online. Review school websites and the plethora of information

available in blogs (such as www.stacyblackman.com/blog), forums and more.

Of course, prospective applicants need to be wary of trusting the advice of

anonymous posters; always keep the source in mind.

4) Attend information sessions. These sessions are where business schools

market themselves to potential applicants. They provide an opportunity to

sit back, listen, ask questions and learn. The sessions help reveal what

the school views as its strengths. It’s a great opportunity to evaluate a

school — both its strengths and weaknesses.

For many applicants attending information sessions will be the initial in

person contact with schools. Here, according to Blackman, are five mistakes

to avoid at information sessions or throughout other interaction with

target schools:

1) Don’t pose questions just for the sake of getting noticed. It’s a waste

of time, and phony questions are spotted a mile away.

2) Don’t be overly aggressive. Though you may get noticed, it won’t be in

the way you were hoping.

3) Don’t be sloppy. Business casual attire is appropriate; it presents a

mature and polished image.

4) Don’t be overly persistent: Be considerate of the time limitations of

the people you are contacting at the school.

5) Don’t forget to say thank you: Manners matter. For one-on-one contact

(in-person, over the phone or by email), be sure to follow up with a thank

you note.

“In general, when applying to business school, it’s critical to follow an

important marketing rule: Learn about your target market,” said Blackman.

“This approach will help you decide where to apply — and where to save

yourself the trouble. In addition, it will help with your applications,

enabling you to show true familiarity with and personal insights into, your

target business school programs.”

About Stacy Blackman Consulting

Since 2001, Stacy Blackman Consulting (www.stacyblackman.com) has helped

clients gain admission to every top business school in the world. The

company’s approach, based on developing and implementing a winning

marketing strategy, makes the application process less stressful and more

successful.