Researching business schools is akin to trying to find oneself. Reflecting on what one wants to get out of a degree and the type of business school experience desired is key. Admissions directors say it’s not too different from gazing into a crystal ball.

“Think about how the degree will advance your career, the job you’d like to have, and your lifestyle. Then consider your preferences of location, personality of the school, the kind of alumni it produces.”

After some introspection, an applicant can start talking to others. Informational interviews with those who have the jobs you’re seeking is a great way to confirm choices and find out about schools that specialize in those areas, says Edwards.

“Really explore your career goals,” she says. “It will help you in the application process, but also down the road in the job search.”

Job Placement Info

One mistake many applicants make is failing to look at the list of recruiters and job placement statistics of particular schools before applying. Then, when they enroll in the business school, they are disappointed by the job opportunities presented to them, says Scott Shrum, director of MBA admissions research at Veritas Prep, a Malibu (Calif.)-based provider of GMAT test prep and admissions consulting services. This is particularly hard on international applicants, who attend U.S. business schools in the hopes that the MBA program will help them land a job stateside and are disappointed when they wind up back home.

To get a handle on recruiting and job placement, applicants can consult the detailed information on many schools available at sites like MBA.com or the schools’ profiles on Businessweek.com, where a comparator tool allows applicants to compare placement stats, and even top recruiters, at various schools.Many schools also post placement data online, including Harvard Business School, but not everyone is as forthcoming.

Questions for Alumni

Another great source of information about prospective MBA programs is the program’s alumni. Most schools will connect applicants with alumni in their chosen fields, but there are other sources, including LinkedIn and similar social networks, that allow for sophisticated searches by industry, company, even job title.

When talking with MBA alumni, applicants should ask them about the recruiters they met on campus and how the school helped with the job search. These initial encounters with respected professionals will help applicants develop a network and could lead them to potential recommenders, says Sara E. Neher, assistant dean for MBA admissions at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business.

Once applicants have spoken with alumni and have a clearer sense of what they’d like their post-MBA life to look like, they should head to the Internet. Distinguishing between legitimate sources and garbage is more difficult than it seems, if for no other reason than the sheer amount of content.

Brand names are usually a safe bet. For example, organizations such as the National Society of Hispanic MBAs, the Graduate Management Admission Council, which administers the GMAT, internationally recognized publications, and the business schools themselves have built up their expertise and reputation.

Opinions on the Web

“Admissions officers are a great source of information for the admissions process, but not necessarily for the experience of the school,” says Shrum. “They’ll give you O.K. answers, but students and recent alumni are better for those questions.”

Still, students and alumni are sometimes trained by the school on what to say or write, says Neher. That is why, she says, it is best to ask sources if the business school is limiting what they share with prospective students in any way. It doesn’t hurt to ask pointed questions designed to elicit a negative answer—such as “What’s the biggest problem with the career services department?”—and to pursue alumni contacts who may be off the school’s radar and willing to offer another perspective, such as an unemployed graduate.

B-School Rankings

One of the biggest and most influential sources of business school information are the various business school rankings, such as those published by the Financial Times, The Economist, and Bloomberg Businessweek’s Best Business Schools. Although most admissions experts agree that the rankings are a good starting point, they want applicants to keep these lists in perspective.

Wise applicants, says DelMonico, use the rankings as one tool to get them started in making a broad list of attractive business schools and to determine what their chances are at each. As they continue their research, they should use the funnel approach to whittle down their list until they have the four to six programs to which they will apply. What applicants never want to do is limit their options or be close-minded to all the possibilities. Considering a wider set of schools, at least to start, is the best way to find the right business school.

Firsthand Experiences

Face-to-face meetings and school-sponsored events can help applicants better understand the nuances of each program. Most business schools host events in various regions and provide online videos and photos. These are suitable ways to bolster your business school research to make informed decisions about admissions, says Neher.

A campus visit allows for more opportunities to talk with students and administrators, to get a firsthand look at what everyday life would be, and to sit in on a class.Even though no school requires a visit, Shrum says admissions committees are impressed when applicants make the extra effort and incorporate in their application essays and interview answers specifics about the school’s culture or offerings that they gleaned from a visit.