Here are some tips for selecting schools, based on an analysis comparing each school to all others across dozens of factors:
Schools Concentrating On Sales Managers
- Focus: For schools with a focus on this career area, look at Northern Virginia Community College, Tidewater Community College, J Sargeant Reynolds Community College, and Centura College.
Fastest Response From Schools
- Request Info: For the fastest information for prospective students, look at the Spotlight schools on this page.
Student Body
- Part-Time: For schools emphasizing part-time studies, consider James Madison, Regent University, Bluefield, and Virginia State.
- Female: For schools particularly welcoming to female students, consider Mary Baldwin and Centura College.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Virginia State, Hampton, Ferrum, and Longwood.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Regent University, Bluefield, Shenandoah University, and Virginia Western Community College.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Centura College, Washington and Lee University, University of Richmond, and Hampton.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of Ferrum, Emory and Henry, Bridgewater, and Lynchburg College.
Excellence
- SAT: For students with high SAT scores, look at Washington and Lee University, William and Mary, University of Virginia, and University of Richmond.
- % Accepted: For selective institutions, look at Washington and Lee University, University of Virginia, William and Mary, and University of Richmond.
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Washington and Lee University, University of Richmond, Emory and Henry, and William and Mary.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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University Of Virginia (McIntire School Of Commerce) • Charlottesville, VA
Studying Commerce With A Concentration In Marketing (completion in 1991)
• 7/13/2011
"I loved my experience at UVA and would recommend it to anyone. Both the academics and social atmosphere were amazing."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | My degree from UVA really helped me, so I would recommend it to others pursuing my career path. The networking alone with the alumni was invaluable. |
| Program Reputation | 9 | I feel that UVA has a great reputation in business. It is especially strong in Virginia when it comes to prestige. |
| Program Quality | 8 | The education I received has helped me quite a bit in my job today. The networking through the school also helped get me the job in the first place. |
| Instruction | 9 | The courses were tailored to my major and concentration from day one, so I feel I learned a lot. I still find much of it relevant in my job today. |
| How Difficult | 8 | The program I did at UVA was fairly difficult, but not impossible. I learned how to manage my time because of it. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The class was generally based around reading towards the beginning. It became more hands on in the upper level classes. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 4 | My classes at UVA were generally mapped out for me in terms of the general range of hours in which they took place. There were no online or night classes for my major. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | UVA has several amazing libraries and I never had trouble finding what I needed when I was there. The classrooms had just been renovated in many of my classes making them look very nice. |
| Social Life | 9 | There are a ton of social activities at UVA. I never had trouble finding something entertaining to do outside of the classroom. |
| Placement Services | 6 | The career services at UVA were good but not perfect. It is a large school so it is necessary to do a lot on your own to ensure success. |
| Alumni Network | 8 | The alumni network at UVA is great. I have met many important people in business through these contacts and even got my first job this way. |
JMU • Harrisonburg, VA
Studying English/Comm (completion in 1995)
• 7/19/2011
"The faculty and students were a good match for me. the school/town was a nice place to spend a few years."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | I am still not familiar with their business courses. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | It seems like they have a good reputation in most fields now. I don't know that schools really push their writing/reading credentials as much as some of the sciences, though. |
| Program Quality | 5 | I did not study business/management. I ended up working through the ranks to be a manager. |
| Instruction | 8 | The school had great classes and professors. There's also a good variety and schedule flexibility. |
| How Difficult | 5 | The material I studied came easy to me, but I had friends who were cramming books all the time and some courses were much more study intensive. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | I read and wrote lots of papers. We often worked in groups to critique and edit each others' work. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 9 | Evening classes were always available. I liked having the choice to meet once, twice, or three times per week for some of the courses. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | The library services were always strong. Academic advisors were available though I did not make much use of them. |
| Social Life | 8 | Good people in a nice town. The faculty was fairly friendly and was a good match with the student body. |
| Placement Services | 5 | I did not partake of these services. I moved out of the area and have been gone for years. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I do not take part in the alumni programs. They have sent me lots of mail over the years. |
Virginia Commonwealth University • Richmond, VA
Studying Theatre (completion in 2013)
• 7/31/2011
"The basketball team just went to the final four and I am enjoying that bump to my degree. VCU is a great school, I just wish I didn't have to live in Richmond to attend."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | It is a great campus, but Richmond is an awful city. My experience has been extremely mixed here. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | VCU is one of the top ten art schools in the country. The school has a lot of prestige. |
| Program Quality | 9 | I came to VCU specifically for my program. It is the best in the country. |
| Instruction | 10 | It is a very specialized field, and as such it is very challenging and selective with material. |
| How Difficult | 8 | I teach and take classes at the same time with little financial support. Balancing all of this is difficult. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | I take classes and teach. That's about as hands on and bookish as any program can be. It's a good mix. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | The theatre must have flexible class offerings to accommodate working professionals. VCU's program is no different than any other theatre program in this regard. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | It is a typical research institution. State of the art (or at least functioning) equipment in most classrooms and a very large library. |
| Social Life | 9 | VCU fosters an active social experience for students. I enjoy many get-togethers with various people from different fields of study. |
| Placement Services | 8 | My experience with the career services department has been great. They helped me edit my CV and resume. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I don't have any experience with the alumni network. |
Virginia Tech • Blacksburg, VA
Studying Marketing Education (completion in 1990)
• 9/15/2011
"VT offered an educational opportunity that was unmatched. I am very satisfied with the knowledge obtained and its practicality in the real world."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I believe that the educational and social growth opportunities are limitless. I also believe that the work ethic developed will foster lifetime accomplishments. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | VT;s Pamphlet College of Business is among world's highest rated. Acceptance requires high credentials. |
| Program Quality | 10 | The school has excellent and knowledgeable professors. Curriculum entails real-world applications. |
| Instruction | 10 | Well-trained and prepared instructors. Curriculum included real-world applications. |
| How Difficult | 7 | Extensive projects and challenging class work. The program also had lengthy study requirements. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Most business courses were book-related. Hands-on was limited to business study and writing business plans. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | Most classes had multiple time-slots. Many day classes were offered in the evening. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | Most resources were available 24 hours a day in multiple areas. Many opportunities for study-group support and tutoring. |
| Social Life | 6 | My social experience was limited to curriculum-based activities. I did attend some athletic events including such as football and basketball. |
| Placement Services | 7 | Many opportunities are created for interactions between students and potential employers. Support after graduation is not as effective. |
| Alumni Network | 8 | The alumni support is excellent for job search needs. Alumni support wanes as years pass. |
Richard Bland College • Petersburg, VA
Studying Liberal Arts (completion in 2001)
• 9/19/2011
"I did not attend Richard Bland to become a sales manager. However RBC did give me a good foundation for the future."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | As a school to attain my basic associates instruction, it was great. RBC does not offer sales classes or career instruction. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | While attending RBC I thought my program was good. Since I have left, I have not heard how that particular program is doing. |
| Program Quality | 5 | I did not attend RBC to become a sales manager. However, RBC did give me a good foundation to continue my education. |
| Instruction | 5 | I received high quality instruction from my RBC instructors. It was just not relevant to my current career. |
| How Difficult | 7 | The work load at RBC was not easy. The professors were willing to work with you and offer assistance. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Several teachers relied solely on the books. Many more teachers offered a more hands on, active approach to learning. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | At the time the majority of classes were offered only during normal office and school hours. At the time, online learning was virtually non-existent. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | The library was quite extensive. The teachers were more than happy to offer extra lab time and assistance. |
| Social Life | 9 | I was an officer with the SGA. We planned many social events for the students and the staff. |
| Placement Services | 2 | I received no assistance in finding a career. As far as I know there was no career services assistance. |
| Alumni Network | 3 | I rarely encountered any alumni in my time at RBC. Currently I do not receive updates from the school or keep in touch with other alumni. |
Old Dominion University • Norfolk, VA
Studying Mechanical Engineering Technology (completion in 2006)
• 11/4/2011
"I was very satisfied with my school. It let me stay in my home town, work, and get married all while completing my education."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | If someone wanted to go into engineering I would recommend the ODU program. I think my ability to move from engineering to a sales based position speaks highly of the wide range of topics I was exposed to in the program. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | ODU has a very good engineering program, but we are over shadowed by Virginia Tech and UVA. The program is just as good, but doesn't get the attention the other two programs do. |
| Program Quality | 10 | My program was a distance learning program through an accredited university. Even though it was distance, I believe that the education I received equaled a traditional education. |
| Instruction | 10 | ODU offers a fully accredited engineering program. I feel I was prepared to go into industry, especially looking in retrospect after several years of work. |
| How Difficult | 8 | In speaking with graduates of other engineering programs I think the ODU program was more difficult than other programs. We focused on real world applications that required deeper thought an insight rather than book based theory. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The ODU engineering program was a good mix of hands on and book learning. For every technical lecture class there was an associated lab. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | I placed this as average because of the way the distance program works. The classes are only offered at certain times and only a few are offered each semester, but they were all scheduled after working hours (4pm or later), so it all evened out. |
| Academic Facilities | I never used any of the facilities at the ODU campus. | |
| Social Life | I never took part in any of the social activities on the ODU campus. I can honestly say I think this is the one thing I missed out on the most. | |
| Placement Services | 5 | I really can't comment on ODU's job placement services. I never used any of the placement or career services. |
| Alumni Network | 3 | My only real disappointing experience is with the alumni network. it seems all they do is ask me for money. |
University Of Richmond • Richmond, VA
Studying Economics (completion in 2008)
• 11/25/2011
"I wouldn't trade my Richmond education for anything. I just wish it were a little closer to home."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | While I loved my college, I am definitely "overeducated" for my position. I think if someone knew they wanted to go into sales in my industry, they could probably get away with a much cheaper two-year degree and perform just as well on the job, if not better. Sales is all about relationships, not about your degree. In fact, I would recommend going somewhere local, where you could possibly get to know some future clients. That would be much more advantageous than some fancy four-year degree (like mine). |
| Program Reputation | 10 | UR's economics program is ranked in the top 5 nationally among business schools in the US, according to one of the magazines that ranks the programs. I am very proud do have completed my degree here. |
| Program Quality | 10 | I loved my professors and received a great education. I wish I were doing more with my degree, but right now, I'm staying where I am for the money. |
| Instruction | 7 | While the quality of instruction was excellent overall, the degree was more theoretical than applicable. I did a lot of learning on the job, which I think is necessary in any sales position. |
| How Difficult | 8 | The curriculum at UR is extremely rigorous, and the economics program is known to be especially hard work. While I put a lot of hard work into my degree, it was definitely worth it, and I'm glad I succeeded. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Everything was learned from books and lectures. I wish there would have been more experiential learning. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | It's been a while, so I don't know if online offerings have increased. I took some evening courses when I was enrolled, and I know there were three different summer sessions available for summer courses. I also took a course at another institution over the summer and transferred the credits back to UR. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | Large library with plenty of quiet, individual study spaces, as well as group study spaces available. The library had great resources for business students, including CapitalIQ and Thompson One Banker. |
| Social Life | 6 | While the parties and social events were great, the athletics programs were pretty lame while I was there. The school finally made the NCAA basketball tournament 2 years after I left, and they won the CFS I-AA national title the year after I left. Too bad they didn't win anything while I was there. |
| Placement Services | 3 | I did not use career services to find my position. I have heard from others that they were not extremely helpful if you were seeking a job outside the Richmond area. |
| Alumni Network | I chose not to use alumni to find my job, so this is difficult for me to judge. There is not a ton of UR alums in my area, though there is a restaurant I go to watch games at that is owned by an alum. |
Virginia Tech • Blacksburg, VA
Studying Political Science (completion in 2005)
• 12/14/2011
"It would depend on what you went to the school to do, I suppose. I was there more for the college experience, of which Virginia Tech wouldn't be topped. The academic experience was a wonderful bonus."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Sales managers need social skills as well as people skills. Virginia Tech prepared me for a career of any magnitude, but especially sales. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | Virginia Tech has a wonderful political science program, but being it isn't even the best in the state, I would have to say it's an average reputation. However, I learned lots and enjoyed my major while I was present. |
| Program Quality | 8 | I love Virginia Tech as a school and a community. I did not study business while I was there; I studied political science, which I really enjoyed, but the overall college experience helped me gain the people skills needed to make it in sales. |
| Instruction | 7 | The instruction was good and thoughtful all four years. The staff seems to really care and provide extra time if needed. The drawback would be the class size sometimes, and feeling like a number. |
| How Difficult | 6 | Political science has a ton of research and writing involved, but that is mainly time. The real experience comes from the thought process and having your political beliefs challenged daily. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The size of the school and the size of the classroom determined if it was hands-on learning or book learning. I would say half of the classes were very hands on and half of them were more geared towards the book. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | Virginia Tech is a very large school of 30,000 students. Therefore, there are a ton of options as far as class schedule goes. You can take a lot of out-of-major classes online and at various times on campus. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | All the facilities I needed to have for a successful education were available at Virginia Tech. The library was always well stocked with multiple copies of textbooks, however empty it may have been sometimes. |
| Social Life | 10 | There is a great feel of community. Also, the school seems to be larger than the town of Blacksburg, so it feels like you pretty much run the town. |
| Placement Services | 5 | What I always heard from Virginia Tech was that it depends on the department. I already had a job before my senior year, but that was my own doing and not the doing of the school. |
| Alumni Network | 9 | Virginia Tech is a very tight community, in and out of the campus. The school provides a sense of pride and community that is tough to explain to other people. |
John Tyler Community College • Chesterfield, VA
Studying Business Management (completion in 2010)
• 2/5/2012
"I am happy I received a degree and that I have a job because of it. I wish I had attended a four-year university."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | I would tell others to try all other avenues before deciding on John Tyler. It is a last resort place to get a degree. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | John Tyler is known as a last choice school. They aren't recognized for any one program. |
| Program Quality | 5 | John Tyler is an okay school, but it is filled with students who bring you down. The professors are completely hit or miss. |
| Instruction | 5 | The quality of curriculum at John Tyler is very low; it seems as though they only offer certain classes because Virginia requires them to. I didn't learn as much as I thought I would due to the lack of enthusiasm from professors. |
| How Difficult | 7 | The only reason it was difficult was because of the amount of reading. The actual material was not that hard to grasp. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | My program was very book-oriented. Almost all my assignments were tests based on what I had to read. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | They have a wide variety of class times. I was always able to easily work around my other commitments. |
| Academic Facilities | 6 | The computer lab is great. The academic advisers are absolutely horrible and offer no advice. |
| Social Life | 3 | School spirit is horrible as nobody wants to admit they go to John Tyler. I was never invited to any parties. |
| Placement Services | 4 | They didn't offer any job placement programs. I have my current job because I went out and found it. |
| Alumni Network | 2 | They don't offer any alumni programs. I haven't received any notification of alumni events. |
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