Choosing a good MBA college from so many different cities in India can be a daunting task, considering there are thousands of MBA colleges in the country. The lack of a standard parameter or universally accepted criteria in our country is making it more difficult for the students to select the right business school. Leading magazines and their millions of surveys are further adding to the confusions. The question here is what is the right parameter on which a b-school can be evaluated and compared with others. Maintaining an MBA journal helps student access various parameters and eventually come to a conclusion. Below are a few parameters on which one can evaluate one’s own goals as well as an MBA course.

The first and most crucial question a budding MBA student should himself or herself is ‘Why do you want to pursue MBA?’ Do you wish to change your current job role or are you seeking any particular direction for yourself post your graduation?  Different people have different priorities for doing an MBA course.  These priorities can act as an excellent compass for selecting an MBA course which best suits an individual.

The second parameter is your career goals. Almost every city in our country has an MBA college, so does most of the countries abroad. Considering the future prospects of the location of the MBA college is many a time missed by students, which should be taken into consideration for many reasons such growth opportunities within that particular region, local companies that visit campus for recruitment, language barrier, cultural change and many more.

The third parameter is finding the right focus. Whether the desire to become an entrepreneur drives you or working for a top-notch company. Doing an MBA from a reputed college, which specializes in those streams can help you fulfill your dreams and goals.

The fourth parameter is choosing between a full-time and a Part-time MBA course. If you wish to advance from your current career scenario, then a full-time MBA will be the ideal course for you, wherein you get ample time to study and stay focused. On the other hand, part-time MBA is ideal for those who do not wish to give up on their career yet strive for more success. This option is opted by professionals who want a complete advance career shift.

The fifth parameter is making an assessment on the basis of their ranks. It is advisable to make a list of colleges within the preferred location on the basis of the college’s ranking. A higher ranked college can give a head start to a student’s career in terms of better opportunities, companies, designation and remuneration.

The sixth parameter is assessing the Return on Investment. This parameter is similar to the above point. As a student, you need to know your or your family financial limitation while accessing a potential MBA institute. While some private high ranked MBA colleges charge extremely high fees, on the other hand, many other government colleges can provide the same level of education and exposure in the fraction of the cost. It is very important to examine this aspect because a student can spend as many as 5 – 10 years post their MBA repaying education loans.

The seventh parameter is contacting the shortlisted colleges to thoroughly understand their requirements, even if your shortlisted colleges falls in the top MBA institutes in India category. You should contact the college in advance to know in advance about their admission process so that you can submit your admission documents in accordance with the college’s requirement.

The last parameter is to examine all the above parameters and shortlist at least 2-3 colleges that you aspire to study in. It is always good to keep a few options open.

In order to gain maximum advantage and be able to select the right college, it is necessary to complete the above exercise and scrutinize the MBA college and their courses accordingly.