In praise of the small-class model
As you probably noticed, class size is not a consideration in the rankings of MBA programs. It must make some difference, right? But ask ten people about their opinion and you will get ten different answers. Here is a big cheer from the small class camp. In my experience, less is more.
On our side of border, Rotman and Schulich enroll over 250 full time MBA students per year, while McGill and Queens have classes of just above 60. But look at US and big seems to be the norm - Harvard and Wharton now accept more than 800 students each. Across the board, class sizes are growing driven by the pursuits of economies of scale and wider alumni networks.
In order to manage big classes, schools break them up into cohorts of 50-100 students. It is a bit like having a confederation of states - they all live functionally separate lives, but meet for career and social events. During my visit to one of the top Canadian schools, a student told me that she would love to get to know everyone, but barely has the time to meet the 50 in her group. This comment may not be far off the mark. The "Dunbar rule" suggests that humans have the mental capacity to maintain around 150 meaningful relationships at one time. When you take the family and friends out of that figure, how much do you have left?
During the course of an MBA, you are exposed to three classes - yours, one before yours, and the one after. Both your career and social life will benefit if you meet everyone and build relationships selectively with a mixed group that fits you well. At McGill, the grand total of three years was under 200 students, which made it feasible to pursue such path. For an ambitious person who wants to get the most from their program, this is a plus. Closely tied to that is the recent realization among the MBAs that building relationships is a more effective form of networking than maintaining a throng of Linkedin contacts. This topic was nicely covered by Pam Tallon in her article last week, and provides a counter-argument to the general opinion that large alumni networks (built on large classes) are an automatic advantage. I would add that the vast majority of your "network power" will come from your classmates rather than the VPs which you will be meeting at the career events. Build those relationships while you can...
Vladimir is a recent graduate of the MBA (Strategy) program at McGill University, Desautels School of Management. Prior to entering McGill, he worked as a project manager and engineering consultant in the utilities industry. Vladimir is passionate about the opportunities arising from globalization and competitive challenges created by the shift of innovation and manufacturing to emerging economies. Building on his MBA experience, he is currently pursuing a career in business development in the mining & metals industry.
Read full article: Financial Post, October 12, 2011