Howdy,
Just looking for some advice from alumni who may be able to help me make my decision.
I am a senior, 4.0 GPA. I've spent years considering whether or not to immediately enter the workforce. For those that have corporate expertise. Is the time investment for a top 20 MBA program worth it?

1)You don't want to attend a program that would let you in with no experience

2) without any experience to relate things to, you aren't going to be able to give or get much out of any in class discussions

3rd thing here

Winky face was an accident. This is a serious response

quote:

---

1)You don't want to attend a program that would let you in with no experience

2) without any experience to relate things to, you aren't going to be able to give or get much out of any in class discussions

3rd thing here

Winky face was an accident. This is a serious response

---

Agree.

Do not go to get an MBA without work experience.

quote:

---

Howdy,
Just looking for some advice from alumni who may be able to help me make my decision.
I am a senior, 4.0 GPA. I've spent years considering whether or not to immediately enter the workforce. For those that have corporate expertise. Is the time investment for a top 20 MBA program worth it?

---

unless you somehow get into harvard MBA straight outta undergrad, it's not worth it. Take 3-6 years in the workforce, and then apply again

I thought most programs required at least 2 years in the workforce prior to admissions

quote:

---

I thought most programs required at least 2 years in the workforce prior to admissions

---

Some exceptions are made. More of just guidelines.

That being said, listen to Duncan.

Agree with what everyone else said. I did the MBA program at UH and it was very obvious who had no work experience and who did. Even just a few years makes a world of difference in both what you take away from the discussion and what you add to the discussion

quote:

---

Howdy,
Just looking for some advice from alumni who may be able to help me make my decision.
I am a senior, 4.0 GPA. I've spent years considering whether or not to immediately enter the workforce. For those that have corporate expertise. Is the time investment for a top 20 MBA program worth it?

---

I'm a little late to the party, but unless you know somebody very influential, you're not getting into a top 20 MBA program without work experience. You would provide no value to the classroom atmosphere.

If your GMAT is good enough they will let you in regardless of your work experience. A&M had plenty of people straight out of college when I was there. It all comes down to rankings and if your scores are good enough that they pull then rankings up then welcome aboard.

Now as a student you will get more out of the classes if you have some work experience.

quote:

---

If your GMAT is good enough they will let you in regardless of your work experience. A&M had plenty of people straight out of college when I was there. It all comes down to rankings and if your scores are good enough that they pull then rankings up then welcome aboard.

Now as a student you will get more out of the classes if you have some work experience.

---

Wrong. We're talking about top 20 programs and you could have a near perfect score and still not get into many.

quote:

---

If your GMAT is good enough they will let you in regardless of your work experience. A&M had plenty of people straight out of college when I was there. It all comes down to rankings and if your scores are good enough that they pull then rankings up then welcome aboard.

Now as a student you will get more out of the classes if you have some work experience.

---

unless you're a legacy, extremely connected, or part of the harvard 2+2 program, your chances of going to a top 25 school's MBA program are extremely slim, even with an 800.

I'll agree with most posters here that not only will you most likely have a better shot of getting in, but you will also get more out of the program if you have 2-3 years of experience first...

Probably should have let you guys know that I have years of work experience in outside sales for an industrial automation company. I'm confident my job description and performance will be adequate for the application process.

are you a non-traditional student that worked for "years" before you went to college? Or are you talking about a job you had in college?

Keep in mind, your employment between your undergraduate and graduate programs is as important for corporate recruiting as it is for admission to school.

Graduating from a top program doesn't guarantee a job with a top salary or at a top company.

Yes. I am a non-traditional student. I am 26 years old and have a wife and son. I have worked for a company that manufactures remittance processing equipment and high capacity scanning equipment. I started with this company as a janitor my freshman year of high school and have worked my way to outside sales. The reason I initially started this thread is because the company offered me an inside sales position to manage sales for Houston, Dallas and Austin upon graduation. Good salary, 401k, and insurance. I am trying to decide whether to take the job, or to apply to a great MBA program.

Basrd off what you have postrd on this thread, I would take the job for a couple of years.


Granted the biggest danger of that route is the wife getting comfortable at the new standard of living and preventing you from going back to school.

Again, I feel the need to point out that all advice is presented in a "most likely route to get the gretest payout" mode. So i am sure there is someone that got their MBA from UNT-Laredo and is now the ceo of a fortune 5 company and thinks this is terrible advice.

Don't be afraid to reach out to the recruiting programs for the schools you think you would want to go to, their placement centers, and alumni at companies that you would want to work at.

But before you do, be ready to answer Duncan's 3 MBA admission questions

1) why an mba?
2) why now
And
3) why here?

If you don't have a solid, well thought out and truthful answer for those 3 questions, you are wasting everyone's time.

And 1)I want to make bank, 2)as soon as possible, 3)because this place would let me in, are not acceptable answers