Beyond The Top 10 B Schools | The Best MBA Program For You

But today I want to talk about a few hidden gems. Schools that I personally really love to recommend because they're so incredible and they’re such a bang for your admissions buck. They're not in the top 5 and sometimes they're not even in the top 10, but they're really innovative and interesting programs that everyone should consider, if not as your reach school or your match school, possibly as your safety school.

1. So the first school I want to talk about is Michigan Ross. This is one of my absolute favorite programs. I've spoken on campus many times. I'm always struck by how exceptionally accomplished the students are, while also being incredibly focused, professional and down to earth. I would say it's a place for people who just want to make stuff happen in business. They don't have an ego. They don't have illusions of grandeur. They're just there to work and learn. It's situated in Ann Arbor, which is actually a really lovely college town – one of the best burgers I ever ate was at Blimpy Burger right down the street from the Michigan campus. And yeah, it's cold. Yeah, Ann Arbor is a cold place. But the student experience is fantastic because it's insular. You're in a college town and you're bonding with this incredible group of people who are just out to make a difference in the world of business. So one school that really should be on everyone's radar is Michigan Ross
2. The second school that I really love to talk about is the University of Texas. And I say this not just because I'm from Texas and not just because Austin is like one of the coolest places to be right now, but also because they have an incredibly entrepreneurial and innovative curriculum that attracts a group of students that is very entrepreneurially-minded. So your fellow classmates are not just going to be smart and accomplished, they're also going to be big thinkers. In fact, the staff at the University of Texas refers to its students as “tinkerers”. The whole attitude of the campus is one of exploration and innovation. Austin is known as the new, the second Silicon Valley for a reason. I think – isn't Elon Musk moving to Austin? Didn't Elon Musk? Yeah, one of the big tech guys is moving to Austin. Like Austin is a great place to be. But the University of Texas has, it's just a very vibrant and innovative culture. So similarly down to earth people, but really forward and really innovative and a lot of interesting entrepreneurial opportunities through the curriculum. So especially if you think one day in the distant future or the near term, you want to be an entrepreneur. Check out the University of Texas.
3. The third school I want to talk about today is Foster. Located near Seattle in Washington, it is one of the most important historic feeder schools directly into Amazon, directly into several other big tech companies. But the most interesting, best kept secret of Foster – apart from being located in a really cool part of the country, that there isn't a whole lot of other business school options up there – is the fact that they have historically, consistently one of the best alumni placement rates of any school. The percentage of alumni that have jobs right after school and within three months of graduating from their program frequently and almost always beats Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Booth, everybody. They have 98-99% placement of their students. This is a testament to the rigor and integrity of the career services program and the level of dedication that this school brings to helping its students really achieve their goals. It's not just about getting a fancy business education, it's about actually advancing your career goals. So especially if you think you want to work on the West Coast, go into technology, or just really make sure that you have a job going out of business school, Foster is a hidden gem within the constellation of top business school programs.