This post seems to be along time ago, but I really have something to say about this topic.
- Party School? It depends on whether you are a party person. I don't think if you don't like party, people can force you to go to one. If you like party, you can even party in the center of nowhere. So don't ask whether it is a party school, unless you want to go to one to make your party life easier. I got my undergraduate degree from Indiana University, which I have to say is literally a party school because of its relatively huge fraternity and Sorority population. However, in three and half years, I had never been to a party. Really don't worry about whether it is a party school. No one will party in library.
- Ranking? which is the best B-school? Is that the right way to get the answer you want to know? As long as the school has been added to the ranking, it should not be bad. What's the difference between #1 and #20? There are just so many good schools out there. Don't judge a school only by the ranking. Numbers can lie. When you see the stat saying that 90% of the graduates go to IB or have a start salary of 100K per year. Try to ask yourself whether you could work hard enough to get into that 90%. When you look at a B school, you should check how the recruiters and employers say about the school, coz ultimately you just try to at least find a decently-paid job with a B school degree. How satisfied your potential employers are with the students, to some degree, say about how the education is. ALSO, it seems that when people talk about B school, they only know investment banking. HOWEVER, finance is not the only major B school offers. There are operations, supply chain, management, accounting, entrepreneurship, information systems and lots lots. IB is just a kind of service, which relies on those real business, such as manufacturing, e-commerce business and all others.
- Fighting and defending when other people say bad things about your Alma Mater? Being arrogant is not the way you defend your Alma Mater. Also, don't simply say it is not a good school when one of its more than ten thousand students love and defend his school in a less acceptably way.
- I'm going to Notre Dame this August (2016). The reason I chose it over other schools like U Mich or USC or others is that I love their curriculum and its reputation of how its professors invest in its students. ND's idea of Ask More of Business is also what makes its B school unique. Also, ND has a lovely campus and decent football team. They are all good schools. Where you go is really based on your experience with the school and your preference.