Your MBA experience will encompass many factors beyond academic life. As you find schools that seem to suit your academic and career goals, question their fit with regard to your desired lifestyle and your preference of environment in which to live and study. If your choice of a graduate management program is a family decision rather than an individual one, make sure you think about how your choice will affect those closest to you.

The student culture within a program is also an important consideration as you decide where to apply. You will learn as much from your fellow students as you will from faculty members, because your classmates will represent a wide range of work and cultural backgrounds. Assess how you can best capitalize on the school’s diversity in its broadest sense. Participation in student-run organizations, community programs, and international field trips can greatly enhance your experience.

As you evaluate how well a school meets your expectations for lifestyle and environment, consider the following questions.

• Do you want to stay in your home country or travel abroad?
• Would you prefer a college town or a city? How important are convenience, access to services, safety, and cost of living?
• How might the local business community be an advantage or disadvantage?
• What is the prevailing culture of the student body? Determine to what extent the environment fosters competition as opposed to collaborative behavior. Keep in mind that MBAs, like all high achievers, are competitive. This can certainly affect the atmosphere of a school.