Choosing a B-School: Class Size Matters

By Jeremy Shinewald, mbaMission

We present part two of our nine-part series, Selecting Your Target MBA Program. This week, we discuss the importance of class size and how it can influence interactions within the business school community. Next week: Flexibility of Curricula.

When I conduct our school selection presentations, I frequently start by asking, “Who is interested in Harvard Business School (HBS)?” Inevitably, most of the hands in the room rise. I then ask, “Can anyone tell me how many students HBS has in each student class?” Often, I get no response at all. So many candidates are interested in HBS—and there is nothing wrong with that; it is indeed a great school—but very few have truly investigated their target schools to determine what elements of those programs might significantly affect their professional and personal lives.

Just so you know, HBS is the largest of the top international business schools, with approximately 900 places in each class. Meanwhile, Dartmouth-Tuck and Berkeley-Haas are on the smaller side, each with 240 students per class. But can class size affect your experience? Absolutely. READ MORE