Harvard launched the world’s first M.B.A. program in 1908 with 80 students and 15 faculty. 104 years later: The class that graduated in 2012 had 903 students in it. Competition to attend HBS is fierce: 9,524 people applied for a spot in the ’12 Class, 11% were accepted.
When considering the size of college classes as you apply to schools, focus on your needs, not any preconceived notions of what class size is “best.”
5 Reasons to go to a small school
Small class size
Teaching generally done by professors not graduate assistants
More one on one contact with teachers
Greater opportunities to collaborate with teachers
Less bureaucracy
5 reasons why big schools might be better
More distinguished faculty (usually. Because of salaries)
Greater number of courses from which to choose
A wide variety of resources, such as a well stocked library
Name recognition: i.e. Babson vs. Harvard Business School or Wharton? Easier to get your foot into the door after graduation
More extracurricular opportunities both social and professional
Source: InternationalBusinessGuide.org
