Memo to Admission Staff: Small School is not a Differentiator!

As my MBA program search winds down, I want to bring to the attention of MBA admission staffs everywhere that a small school is not what makes a program special! On my trip it came up more than once and I am sure many other schools spin it (Hell, Stanford with 350+ students calls itself a small school!). It is a practice that needs to stop.

When an applicant asks "what sets your program apart?" the small school response doesn't cut it. I recognize that a small school may allow the whole admin staff and student body to know you by your first name. That's a warm, fuzzy feeling in the cockle of my heart, but doesn't tell me why your students, or your faculty, or your program shines against all competitors.

Frankly, it can be argued that a small school means that it can hire less faculty, offer a lesser variety of high quality courses. It has less resources to build and maintain cutting edge facilities.

When my software company sells software, we do not use as our flagship reason to use us is that we are smaller and more attentive than our competitors because it will not sell. Now, I am not saying we don't use the line, but it is number four on our list.

Therefore, MBA Admissions offices everywhere I suggest you take my advice when I say there are better reasons why your program is unique than size. Spend some time and create a marketing strategy and sell us!

I'd love to hear other applicants thoughts on this point.
Cheers.