Great Expectations

I wasn't sure what to expect from business school when I applied. I had attended an undergraduate business school that shared space with a graduate program, and all I observed of the MBAs around me at the time didn't suggest that I would enjoy a similar experience. HBS was a surprising place. For those of you who are considering business school, think hard about what you're trying to get from the experience. Here are some dimensions that matter:

• Sections: MBA programs vary in their emphasis on a section (or cohort, cluster, "ocean" if you're at MIT Sloan, etc.). Some schools are all about the section and structure the entire experience around it, while for others they are more or less incidental. Some people may thrive in the former, others in the latter, but in any case the difference matters.
• Teaching approach: The mix of cases, lectures, field studies and other learning models varies tremendously. I've found that the case method is perfect for me. It's the right way for me to learn a lot of things. However, learning everything by large group discussion might drive you crazy, so know which camp you fall in when you choose a business school.
• Size: The size of the school correlates with the resources it has for activities. Bigger schools can do more, have slicker conferences and flashier speakers, but smaller schools may develop a more cohesive esprit de corps. (At graduation a few weeks ago there were numerous classmates walking across stage whom I had never seen before.)