You can get lots of information about schools through the formal channels, but sometimes informal sources can give you another point of view. Students and alumni can be a great resource. They can tell you what life is really like on campus and give you a perspective that the staff does not have. Because they do not usually represent their schools in an official capacity, their comments tend to be very candid.

Here are some examples of questions you might ask:

• “What is it really like getting an MBA?”
• “Does/did the program meet your expectations?”
• “What would you do differently if you were to start the MBA program all over again?”
• “What’s the student culture at your school like?”

You tend to have more access to students and alumni once you are an admitted applicant, but some schools provide access early in the application process. You might be able to make connections by inquiring whether any current students are from your undergraduate alma mater.