Top 10 questions to ask during MBA campus visit

While choosing an MBA college, candidates generally base their decision on college rankings and reputation. However, with changing times, these should not be the only criteria to select a college.

Selecting a college is one of the most crucial and important decision in a student’s life. Candidates should base their final decision after thorough research.

Some of the parameters on which a candidate should select their college are curriculum, faculty, infrastructure, alumni reviews, placements, fees, campus location, and so forth.

Details of top colleges such as IIMs, XLRI, SP Jain and so on are readily available on web and other sources. But the same can’t be said of smaller MBA colleges. Limited information about other colleges is available online. We recently did an article on How to choose good but lesser-known MBA colleges? In this, we discussed that candidates should look at the following factors:

1. Quality of the Institute

2. Ranking / Reputation

3. Return of Investment (ROI)/ Placements

4. Talk to College Students

 

Campus Visits

Another crucial way to get first-hand information about a college is going for a campus visit. Campus visits gives a clear picture of everything. One can clarify their doubts and measure the MBA College fulfils the required parameters.

Candidates can interact directly with the administrative office, meet up with faculty members and current students, and take a look at campus facilities and infrastructure.

But what are the parameters on which you should ask questions?

Below, we have listed top ten questions which prospective students must ask during campus visit. Take a look:

 

 

1. Can I talk to the college faculty?

College faculty is a great way to determine a college. A good professor will guide the student, inspire them to take admission to the course. They’ll talk about the curriculum, expectations of student, and give a general understanding of how the academics are conducted throughout the year. So, go ahead, introduce yourself to the professor and get talking!

 

 

2. What specialisations are offered?

In MBA studies, specialisations are a core part of course selection. So during the campus visit, talk to both the admission department and academic personnel. Enquire about the specialisations offered. Also ask about which specialisation is taught better in the college.

 

 

3. What is all-inclusive fee for MBA studies?

Fee is a crucial aspect in college selection. Many colleges have hidden costs. So enquire about the complete fee structure and over expenses. This includes hostel expenses, material costs and so forth.

 

4. How good is this college? (Student’s perspective)

Try to locate a first or second year student in the college. Introduce yourself and inform them of your intention to take admission to college. Now go ahead seek advice from the student. Generally, students are the best ambassadors of a college – whether good or bad. Ask them about everything – faculty, placements, curriculum, etc. Just try to be discreet in case any administrative officer is around.

 

5. Which are the top recruiters during placements and what salary packages do they generally offer?

Don’t hesitate to ask about placements. Enquire about the top recruiters that visit the college regularly and ask how many students are recruited each year by these companies? Also ask about the highest, mean and median packages offered. You can ask the same questions to the first year and second year student representatives.

 

 

6. Are college facilities satisfactory?

How are the college facilities? For instance how are the tech labs on campus? If you are going to full-time residential programmes, check out the stay-on campus facilities. Do they follow the safety norms? Enquire all that you would want to know about the on-campus facilities.

 

7. Ask about college accreditation.

Enquire about the college affiliation and accreditation. Many colleges do not have proper affiliation. So, go back home and recheck the college’s claims. Also enquire if the college is providing a degree or diploma. You don’t wanna get into trouble later.

 

8. What is the average class size of the MBA class?

Average class size matters a lot. If a class has 1000 students, quality of teaching will suffer. Smaller the class, the better attention and focus you’ll receive.

 

9. How many students at the college get internships?

Internship is a crucial aspect of MBA studies. Internship exposes one to the realities of industrial and corporate world. It also helps students decide what they want to do in future.

 

10. What are the clubs and societies in the college?

Taking part in extra-curricular activities or being a part of college clubs such as debating club or marketing club also helps with MBA studies. Clubs, societies and workshops form an important part of the college culture. You can always judge a good college with the number of clubs it consists.