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what would be more beneficial, a double major or an mba?
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double major doesn't really matter, mba for sure
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... really?
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Hold on. How do you go to a top tier business school if its far away from you? For example i live in NC. How the heck would i go to Harvard if i got in?
You'd move?.
You go to Harvard full time.
I swear some of you guys need to do some SERIOUS researching and soul searching. To OP, most top tier B-schools won't even look at your resume without 2years of experiance and 4-5 is reccomended. I think Harvard has only taken a handfull of students straight from undergrad in recent years. Someone confirm mystatetment via Forbes, thats the source of my info.
Also, if you want an MBA I highly adivse you get one at a top 30 school. If you can't get into a top 30, don't bother getting one. The return on yourinvestment will not be worth it. Aim for a top 10 though. The exit opportunity and exity salary is really exponential and takes off in the top 5. OP, if youwant to get into a top B-school right out of undergrad you'd better have a 3.8+, internships, and possibly the cure for AIDs. Getting your masters in otherfields right out of undergrad is fine and actually the norm. For example in engineering, most people get their masters before entering the work force. I knowplenty of guys who did a 5 year program and simply rolled over a few senior level classes into masters class credits. B.S.-M.S. programs.
MBA is a different animal though.
This is the criteria used for admissions. Different schools weight each differently but all are generally considered.
I'll try and be breif:
GPA
GMAT (scores good for 5 years)
Interview ( some schools require, some by invitiation, some by option)
Personal Statements (Essays)
Work Experiance
Letters of Reccomendation
GPA:
Important but not as crucial as it is for Law School, Med/Opto/Denistry School, and otherPost-Grad schools
Aim for a 3.2+
Note: Major difficulty is taken into consideration
GMAT: Study and take prep classes till you go insane. GMAT can lessen the negative effect of a subpar GPA
Interview: If your school has the option, take it. Even if you have to pay for your own ticket and housing. If it's required or byrequest, obviously this is out of your control. Approach the interview like you would a job interview
Personal Statements: Do not copy and paste statements for different schools and simply change the school name and a few minordetails. The B-school admissions office reads through these alot more carefully than they would for undergrads. Also, they know what they otherschools statement questions are and can tell when you statement was derived from another schools prompt. It's reccomended you take a few MONTHS to writethis.Do an hour or two after work. Consult with your colleages and family.
Work Experiance:
Working in the real world has a few benefits:
* Build company loyalty and possibly have your firm pay for school
* Allow you to apply your current skill set to the industry and see if you really need/want and MBA and what specific concentraion
* Signifcant work experiance can negate a subpar GPA. The longer you are out of school, the less your GPA matters. Especially if you graduated from a top 50university.
* Gain possible management experiance pre-MBA or at the minimal work experiance period. Therefore, your exit opportunites will be greatly increased.
Therefore, you're MBA will be much more valuable.
Letters of Reccomendation: I personally reccomend you have your IMMEDIATE superivisors write one, professional metors, etc. People who saw youdaily. Don't make the mistake of having a VP write your letter if you met the guy once at a company picnic. His secretary will write it and it will be ageneric "insert name" type letter that she has probably sent 20 times to Wharton.
Again, I was very breif. What I posted is common knowledge and available EVERYWHERE. I'm just killing time at work.
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For that guy who asked how to get into a top tier MBA program, what you do with your job is much more important than your GPA or GMAT score. That's why theaverage undergraduate GPA for the best business schools is a lot lower than that for the best med schools or law schools. Your grades can't be bad, butthey want to see that you've demonstrated leadership, moved up the ranks of your company, etc.
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i don't think that guy should be trying to get into harvard if he is asking a question like that
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You'd move?
You go to Harvard full time.
I swear some of you guys need to do some SERIOUS researching and soul searching. To OP, most top tier B-schools won't even look at your resume without 2 years of experiance and 4-5 is reccomended. I think Harvard has only taken a handfull of students straight from undergrad in recent years. Someone confirm my statetment via Forbes, thats the source of my info.
Also, if you want an MBA I highly adivse you get one at a top 30 school. If you can't get into a top 30, don't bother getting one. The return on your investment will not be worth it. Aim for a top 10 though. The exit opportunity and exity salary is really exponential and takes off in the top 5. OP, if you want to get into a top B-school right out of undergrad you'd better have a 3.8+, internships, and possibly the cure for AIDs. Getting your masters in other fields right out of undergrad is fine and actually the norm. For example in engineering, most people get their masters before entering the work force. I know plenty of guys who did a 5 year program and simply rolled over a few senior level classes into masters class credits. B.S.-M.S. programs.
MBA is a different animal though.
This is the criteria used for admissions. Different schools weight each differently but all are generally considered.
I'll try and be breif:
GPA
GMAT (scores good for 5 years)
Interview ( some schools require, some by invitiation, some by option)
Personal Statements (Essays)
Work Experiance
Letters of Reccomendation
GPA:
Important but not as crucial as it is for Law School, Med/Opto/Denistry School, and otherPost-Grad schools
Aim for a 3.2+
Note: Major difficulty is taken into consideration
GMAT: Study and take prep classes till you go insane. GMAT can lessen the negative effect of a subpar GPA
Interview: If your school has the option, take it. Even if you have to pay for your own ticket and housing. If it's required or by request, obviously this is out of your control. Approach the interview like you would a job interview
Personal Statements: Do not copy and paste statements for different schools and simply change the school name and a few minor details. The B-school admissions office reads through these alot more carefully than they would for undergrads. Also, they know what they other schools statement questions are and can tell when you statement was derived from another schools prompt. It's reccomended you take a few MONTHS to write this.Do an hour or two after work. Consult with your colleages and family.
Work Experiance:
Working in the real world has a few benefits:
* Build company loyalty and possibly have your firm pay for school
* Allow you to apply your current skill set to the industry and see if you really need/want and MBA and what specific concentraion
* Signifcant work experiance can negate a subpar GPA. The longer you are out of school, the less your GPA matters. Especially if you graduated from a top 50 university.
* Gain possible management experiance pre-MBA or at the minimal work experiance period. Therefore, your exit opportunites will be greatly increased.
Therefore, you're MBA will be much more valuable.
Letters of Reccomendation: I personally reccomend you have your IMMEDIATE superivisors write one, professional metors, etc. People who saw you daily. Don't make the mistake of having a VP write your letter if you met the guy once at a company picnic. His secretary will write it and it will be a generic "insert name" type letter that she has probably sent 20 times to Wharton
Again, I was very breif. What I posted is common knowledge and available EVERYWHERE. I'm just killing time at work
Lol even though GA Tech aint known for Business, I`m still aiming to get in their MBA program, because for my Concentration they are in the top *Computer InfoSys*
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The best way to get an MBA IMO is get your BA go work for a few years and then go back and get your MBA while you already have a steady job and then getupgraded withing your company. that way you will already have experience and top qualifications.
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Originally Posted by LuckyLuchiano
You'd move?.
You go to Harvard full time.
I swear some of you guys need to do some SERIOUS researching and soul searching. To OP, most top tier B-schools won't even look at your resume without 2 years of experiance and 4-5 is reccomended. I think Harvard has only taken a handfull of students straight from undergrad in recent years. Someone confirm my statetment via Forbes, thats the source of my info.
Also, if you want an MBA I highly adivse you get one at a top 30 school. If you can't get into a top 30, don't bother getting one. The return on your investment will not be worth it. Aim for a top 10 though. The exit opportunity and exity salary is really exponential and takes off in the top 5. OP, if you want to get into a top B-school right out of undergrad you'd better have a 3.8+, internships, and possibly the cure for AIDs. Getting your masters in other fields right out of undergrad is fine and actually the norm. For example in engineering, most people get their masters before entering the work force. I know plenty of guys who did a 5 year program and simply rolled over a few senior level classes into masters class credits. B.S.-M.S. programs.
MBA is a different animal though.
This is the criteria used for admissions. Different schools weight each differently but all are generally considered.
I'll try and be breif:
GPA
GMAT (scores good for 5 years)
Interview ( some schools require, some by invitiation, some by option)
Personal Statements (Essays)
Work Experiance
Letters of Reccomendation
GPA:
Important but not as crucial as it is for Law School, Med/Opto/Denistry School, and otherPost-Grad schools
Aim for a 3.2+
Note: Major difficulty is taken into consideration
GMAT: Study and take prep classes till you go insane. GMAT can lessen the negative effect of a subpar GPA
Interview: If your school has the option, take it. Even if you have to pay for your own ticket and housing. If it's required or by request, obviously this is out of your control. Approach the interview like you would a job interview
Personal Statements: Do not copy and paste statements for different schools and simply change the school name and a few minor details. The B-school admissions office reads through these alot more carefully than they would for undergrads. Also, they know what they other schools statement questions are and can tell when you statement was derived from another schools prompt. It's reccomended you take a few MONTHS to write this.Do an hour or two after work. Consult with your colleages and family.
Work Experiance:
Working in the real world has a few benefits:
* Build company loyalty and possibly have your firm pay for school
* Allow you to apply your current skill set to the industry and see if you really need/want and MBA and what specific concentraion
* Signifcant work experiance can negate a subpar GPA. The longer you are out of school, the less your GPA matters. Especially if you graduated from a top 50 university.
* Gain possible management experiance pre-MBA or at the minimal work experiance period. Therefore, your exit opportunites will be greatly increased.
Therefore, you're MBA will be much more valuable.
Letters of Reccomendation: I personally reccomend you have your IMMEDIATE superivisors write one, professional metors, etc. People who saw you daily. Don't make the mistake of having a VP write your letter if you met the guy once at a company picnic. His secretary will write it and it will be a generic "insert name" type letter that she has probably sent 20 times to Wharton.
Again, I was very breif. What I posted is common knowledge and available EVERYWHERE. I'm just killing time at work.
Lol even though GA Tech aint known for Business, I`m still aiming to get in their MBA program, because for my Concentration they are in the top *Computer Info Sys*
We moved up. GA Tech is now in the top 30 for MBA.
However, I'm personally looking elsewhere. This school has sucked the life out of me.
One big misconception especially at my job is that you need an MBA to be a manager. MBA = corporate management. This is false. I know atindustrial firms, technology firms, and firms that provide engineering contracting and consulting, and MBA does not mean as much as it would in a Bank. Youdon't need an MBA to be a manager, VP, or CEO at ExxonMobil or Intel.
An MBA holds much more merit in the Finance world, especially at Investment Banks. An MBA is basically required at the associate level or higher at aConsulting firm such as McKinsey and Deloitte. Most people that I know who are pursuing MBAs are going into consulting or finance. Thats where the biggestreturns on your investment will be.
Don't get an MBA for the sake of learning how to run your own business unless you're already rich. Again, this is business. It's all aboutinvestment returns.
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You'd move?
You go to Harvard full time.
I swear some of you guys need to do some SERIOUS researching and soul searching. To OP,
on another note, yall are some tools. if some of yall spent as much time and effort into doing your own thing as you do to work for another"company" you would probably be aiming at a millie. i mean everybody can't do it and you need to start somewhere, but jeez. find a way tomaximize your personal capital
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I'd work first, then go for it. I'm an Electrical engineering major, according to one of my professors an MBA boosts salaries at least 30k so I'mdefinitely looking forward to it. Only downside/difficulty is trying to maintain that 3.0 so i can get into a program, gotta step my game up
I've also heard some companies will actually help pay for school?
I've also heard some companies will actually help pay for school?
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Listen gentlemen, there's a lot of bad advice being thrown around here, mostly from 'he said, she said' sources. I graduated last summer from Miami(OH) and am currently finishing my Master's in International Management right now. I don't feel like posting all the details of the pros and cons, butif you guys want info just PM me...
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Couple things...
1. As has been stated numerous times, you need work experience for almost all good business schools. The schools want you to contribute to your classes, andthe only way to be able to do that is to have experience to be able to say, "this worked," "this didn't work," etc. etc. Almost anybusiness school that lets you into the school right out of undergrad is not very good, and should probably not be pursued. A lot of schools use case studies,in which the class looks at a business report or account, and they collaborate on how to improve the business, and the best way for the students to be able toapproach these kinds of problems is using their own real world experience. Theory and practice are two very different animals.
1a. The exception to this rule is Harvard. They have a new program, which I forget the name of, that invites students to apply in their junior year of collegefor Harvard Business School. You better be able to knock their damn socks off though. I think the name of the program is the 2+2 program, Google it for moreinfo.
2. Another advantage of having work experience is that it allows you to have a better idea of what you want to study in graduate school. Most schools (andagain, HBS is a top tier school that is an exception), give MBAs in specialized fields, while HBS only has one MBA degree, for "Business Management"I believe, but don't quote me on that. Therefore, you want to know what aspect of a business you are interested in before you apply.
3. I wouldn't recommend going to get an MBA simply for more money, its a big enough financial and time commitment that you should truly be interested inthe material and the education.
4. If you work for a big business, and I would guess that investment banks are the best companies for this, they will help you pay for grad school, or perhapswill even pay it off for you. Of course, there is usually some promise of returning to work for them for X years.
5. Don't half !$! the GMATs. I would say order of importance for acceptance to graduate schools is: GMAT, work experience,........GPA/undergrad school...interview.. recommendations
1. As has been stated numerous times, you need work experience for almost all good business schools. The schools want you to contribute to your classes, andthe only way to be able to do that is to have experience to be able to say, "this worked," "this didn't work," etc. etc. Almost anybusiness school that lets you into the school right out of undergrad is not very good, and should probably not be pursued. A lot of schools use case studies,in which the class looks at a business report or account, and they collaborate on how to improve the business, and the best way for the students to be able toapproach these kinds of problems is using their own real world experience. Theory and practice are two very different animals.
1a. The exception to this rule is Harvard. They have a new program, which I forget the name of, that invites students to apply in their junior year of collegefor Harvard Business School. You better be able to knock their damn socks off though. I think the name of the program is the 2+2 program, Google it for moreinfo.
2. Another advantage of having work experience is that it allows you to have a better idea of what you want to study in graduate school. Most schools (andagain, HBS is a top tier school that is an exception), give MBAs in specialized fields, while HBS only has one MBA degree, for "Business Management"I believe, but don't quote me on that. Therefore, you want to know what aspect of a business you are interested in before you apply.
3. I wouldn't recommend going to get an MBA simply for more money, its a big enough financial and time commitment that you should truly be interested inthe material and the education.
4. If you work for a big business, and I would guess that investment banks are the best companies for this, they will help you pay for grad school, or perhapswill even pay it off for you. Of course, there is usually some promise of returning to work for them for X years.
5. Don't half !$! the GMATs. I would say order of importance for acceptance to graduate schools is: GMAT, work experience,........GPA/undergrad school...interview.. recommendations
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Originally Posted by shortydoowopp
I dunno man that's a pretty long commute.
If you have to ask that question, you're NOT getting into Harvard...
...
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I didn't read the other posts but I recently got my BBA in Corporate Financial Management & Financial Service/Risk Management. I got a job out ofschool with a corporation that looks to help you complete your MBA and will pay for you to obtain it.
I wanted to get everything done at once so that things were fresh on my mind and I would have an easier time in graduate school. Well, I kept getting advicefrom those in the industry that your MBA will usually be paid for with a large corporation... That's the route I look to take. If you have any questions,just hit me up. I'm sure other people on here know what they're doing too but I'm fresh out and just made the same decision you're looking tomake soon.
I wanted to get everything done at once so that things were fresh on my mind and I would have an easier time in graduate school. Well, I kept getting advicefrom those in the industry that your MBA will usually be paid for with a large corporation... That's the route I look to take. If you have any questions,just hit me up. I'm sure other people on here know what they're doing too but I'm fresh out and just made the same decision you're looking tomake soon.
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Depend what you're double major, if you're doing double in Accounting and Finance, then that'll be more beneficial and will get youthat push into a good MBA program. If you're doing a double in Finance and History, than the MBA is obviously better.
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I'm enrolled for the Booth School (look it up) this coming fall. Don't sleep on your GMAT's, they'll definitely help you get in. I alsorecommend working a few years after UG before attending an MBA program, it'll definitely help. And as some people have noted, if it isn't a top 30school, don't even bother, you're just wasting your money.
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Originally Posted by SuperAntigen
Originally Posted by shortydoowopp
I dunno man that's a pretty long commute.
If you have to ask that question, you're NOT getting into Harvard...
...
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I'm getting my MBA now, and took a strang path IMO. I graduated in 06, got my Master's in Sport Management, then decided the best thing would be to getmy MBA in Marketing. I was lucky enough to get a good internship that I started Monday. Some thoughts:
- Do well on the GMAT!! Admissions will take lots of things into consideration, but a bad GMAT score tells them you can't handle the work. Obviouslythat's not good for your chances.
- Definitely aim for a top 25-30 school. My school (IU!!) is in a pretty good spot in most rankings, and we have a great list of companies that come on campusto recruit (from a Marketing perspective). That said, there are companies I've spoken to that only go to Harvard/Stanford/Wharton...point being the higheryou move up in the rankings, the less barriers you have to access the company you want to work for.
- To me, work experience is overrated in class. I had to play up my internships and assistanships to get into school, and i was honestly shook when i got therebecause i didn't have the traditional 3-5 years of experience. i found that EVERYONE there is learning and if you read the material and can thinkcritically you can contribute in any class. And truthfully, the people who started every answer with 'Well, when i was in the workforce...' annoyedeveryone.
I'll stop there i guess...if you have any other questions I'll answer anything you want to PM.
- Do well on the GMAT!! Admissions will take lots of things into consideration, but a bad GMAT score tells them you can't handle the work. Obviouslythat's not good for your chances.
- Definitely aim for a top 25-30 school. My school (IU!!) is in a pretty good spot in most rankings, and we have a great list of companies that come on campusto recruit (from a Marketing perspective). That said, there are companies I've spoken to that only go to Harvard/Stanford/Wharton...point being the higheryou move up in the rankings, the less barriers you have to access the company you want to work for.
- To me, work experience is overrated in class. I had to play up my internships and assistanships to get into school, and i was honestly shook when i got therebecause i didn't have the traditional 3-5 years of experience. i found that EVERYONE there is learning and if you read the material and can thinkcritically you can contribute in any class. And truthfully, the people who started every answer with 'Well, when i was in the workforce...' annoyedeveryone.
I'll stop there i guess...if you have any other questions I'll answer anything you want to PM.
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I don't recommend going straight to Grad school, bad call imo, there are exceptions though.Originally Posted by LifeLessons
same here....i'm going to grad school for Mathematical Finance...but ima be interning through grad school....
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Also I think Wharton has this and some others probably do, there are joint BS/MBA programs where you graduate undergrad in 5 years with an MBA. Obviously veryrigorous and probably very selective.
