I plan on going to business school, and I’m a firm believer in a liberal arts education and refining critical thinking, reading, and writing skills. Also, I understand that experience is key in the business world, so after undergrad, I hope to get a job.
With that being said, what schools best offer me both a liberal arts education as well as a strong alumni network and/or job/internship opportunities in the path to eventually go to business school? Can I go to say a LAC and be confident in going to business school (top-tier)? And if you can answer, what liberal arts majors do you suggest will be “steady” (I say that very loosely)?
A recent agreement between Harvard Business School’s online initiative and several liberal arts colleges probably reflects the strong relationships between top MBA programs and at least certain LACs. From an online article: “HBS says it has reached agreements with five elite liberal arts colleges . . . Hamilton, Williams, Wellesley, Grinnell and Carleton. The business school had previously formed a partnership with Amherst College, and the online program is already available to Harvard undergraduates.”
(Harvard Business School Expands Online Initiative to Liberal Arts Colleges; WGBH.)
You shouldn’t obsess too much. Pick the liberal arts college out of the top 50. Would the top 25 be better, sure why not.
Graduate school admissions committees don’t nitpick about schools as much as parents and high school students. There is very little differentiation between #1 and #25.
MBA admissions are not as competitive as they once were, keep that in mind as well.
I visited a number of LACs with my D and found that they each have a “personality” or “vibe”. Some are more pre-professional in that they help students who want to work get jobs after graduation more than others. That should be a big consideration and a question you ask a as you look at LACs. For example my D is at Lafayette College and they have an excellent placement office that students are encouraged to take advantage of. My nephew went to a different (and higher ranked) LAC (I won’t give name since I did not have first-hand experience there) and said that they had virtually no placement help. As you noted, the top MBA schools want applicants with 2-5 years of solid work experience so if that is you are gunning for those programs you will need to find meaningful work between your undergrad and grad years.
I think you need to visit schools and choose one that is a good fit for your academic statistics, goals, and personality because that is where you will ultimately be most successful.
You can study liberal arts at colleges that are not called liberal arts colleges. Their main distinction from other schools is more along the lines of class format, in that they tend to have smaller, (potentially) more interactive classes, particularly at the frosh/soph level (but check the class schedules for actual class sizes). They also tend to have fewer or no pre-professional majors, and may have less pre-professionally oriented students, but that varies by school.
@ucbalumnus completely agree but it’s been difficult finding schools with that liberal arts curriculum. For example, I wouldn’t want to go to MIT for a liberal arts degree in my opinion because it isn’t just worth it. I’ve looked at Dartmouth and Georgetown, both which seem to fit the bill—can you recommend to me other schools like this that are better known for their inclination for a liberal arts education? Thanks.
Actually, MIT does quite a bit to ensure that all of its undergraduates get a strong and broad liberal arts education, though its rather extensive general education requirements: http://web.mit.edu/catalog/overv.chap3-gir.html . Note that the humanities, arts, and social studies requirements are as extensive as the math and science requirements, and four courses (called “subjects” at MIT) emphasizing communication skills are required (two in humanities, arts, or social studies, and two more in one’s major – different lists for those whose major is in the humanities, arts, or social studies). Chicago, Columbia, Harvey Mudd, and UNC - Asheville also have extensive general education or core requirements covering a wide range of liberal arts subjects.
At the other end of the spectrum, schools like Brown, Amherst, and Evergreen State have no breadth subject requirements.
Note that both research universities and liberal arts colleges can be found at both ends of the spectrum and at all points in between.
CMC does not have an undergraduate business major, but it does have economics with a relatively heavy pre-professional flavor with courses in accounting and managerial economics.
However, MBA programs do not require any specific undergraduate major.
While some schools do have a more preprofessional focus, i would not say that this does not mean that all LACs do not have strong career counseling departments, or activities designed to promote a successful life beyond the college walls. It is not only what a school offers, but how much a student takes advantage of it. You sound like you would be a regular visitor to the Career Center wherever you attend, so that is half the battle.
For example, just speaking from my personal experience with Grinnell College - they bring alumni on campus to teach short courses on subjects including business leadership, etc., sponsor spring break trips to tour alumni business sites, provide internship funding, etc. etc.
I asked a similar question before, and BatesParent2016 replied with this for schools with good business job placement:
“BC, Lehigh, Bucknell, Wake Forest, William & Mary, Villanova, TCNJ, Richmond, Fordham and Northeastern for business programs. The selective Northeastern LACs have very strong Economics programs.”
Although it probably would not have affected their overall score, it should be noted that The Robert Day School of Economics and the Claremont McKenna College economics department are part of the same school: https://ideas.repec.org/top/top.uslacecon.html
My dad works in finance in New England and the LACs you’ll see in the roster at his workplace most often are Williams (by a long shot), Amherst, and Middlebury. There are a couple Bowdoin grads but not many.