BOONE – Appalachian State University’s Walker College of Business has been included in The Princeton Review’s “The Best 294 Business Schools: 2012 Edition” for its Master of Business Administration degree.

For its publication, the magazine collected the opinions of more than 19,000 students at the best AACSB-accredited MBA programs in the world and gathered statistical information on many more MBA programs in order to give readers the widest possible base of information for selecting the right business school.

“It is an honor for the Walker College of Business MBA program to be recognized again as one of the best in the nation,” said Dean Randy Edwards. “We have great students and faculty and The Princeton Review recognition is very appropriate. Our assistant dean for graduate programs, Dr. Joseph Cazier, has built an excellent program that includes a solid curriculum and also allows students to concentrate in areas like international business and sustainable business.”

Each school received a two-page program description with write-ups on academics, student life, and admissions, plus ratings for their academics, selectivity and career placement services.

The write-up also included a “Survey Says” section highlighting some of the topics students at each school most agree upon. Students noted the Walker College of Business’s MBA program for its “good social scene,” “happy students,” and “solid preparation in accounting, presentation skills and doing business in a global economy.”

The publication describes Appalachian as having a “small, efficient, and affordable MBA program.” The program enrolls about 20 to 25 students each year. Prospective students are evaluated based on their GMAT score, three letters of recommendation, undergraduate academic performance, and current resume. There are currently about 60 students in the program, 13 percent of whom are international students. The average age of students at entry is 31.

Additional comments from students included, “Being in a small town has been wonderful for my school experience,” and “In general, I wouldn’t have chosen anywhere else to go.”

“The Best 294 Business Schools: 2012 Edition” does not rank the schools hierarchically, but rather reports the top 10 schools in 11 categories. The rankings are tallied using data from student surveys as well as data reported by each school.

According to Robert Franek, Princeton Review Senior Vice President-Publisher, “We recommend Appalachian State University to readers of our book and users of our site, www.PrincetonReview.com, as one of the best institutions they could attend to earn an MBA. We chose the 294 business schools in this book based on our high opinion of their academic programs and offerings, as well as our review of institutional data we collect from the schools. We also strongly consider the candid opinions of students attending the schools who rate and report on their campus experiences at their schools on our survey for the book.”

For more information about the Walker College of Business’s MBA program, visit http://www.business.appstate.edu/mba/.

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