Beat The GMAT

rbtch · Fri Nov 20, 2009 11:50 am

Hi, I'm a first time poster seeking some advice.

I just graduated from college with a 3.54 GPA. Originally, I wasn't planning on going to business school until much later in life (3-5 years work experience), but I'm thinking my plans might have to change. In the current economy, I can't seem to find a job and the outlook looks bleak. And even when it does go down, companies will most likely be looking to hire the next wave of college grads and not me.

One possible alternative I am considering is applying for an MBA right now and hopefully get in by next year. Now, I know most business schools don't take a large number of students without work experience, but I'm afraid I might not have any other alternative. I've done internships in the past, so I can get letters of recommendation.

I'm planning on taking the GMAT in three weeks (average CAT score is around 700.)

So far i have come up with these Pro's and Con's as far as going to business school right away.

Pro's:
-Escape from unemployment during the recession
-Get all my schooling done early on.

Con's:
-Probably won't get into as good of a school
-Peers will likely be a lot older and more experienced than me.
-Employers may be hesitant to hire an MBA with little work experience.

I'd really appreciate any input or advice, as this is a very tough decision for me.

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overtime · Sun Nov 22, 2009 9:05 am

Do realize that the MBA is also about peer-learning, so you might not be able to contribute as much about real life examples in class. Also, you might not fully appreciate some of the ideas being expressed without your work experience.

While I understand the circumstances, I really think you would really gain much more from the MBA after a few years of work.

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tmino · Tue Nov 24, 2009 10:29 am

You may want to consider a Masters in Management 1yr program. They are designed for those straight out of college and will be better at giving you an entry-level job post graduation.

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uzzy724 · Tue Nov 24, 2009 4:39 pm

Hey, I'm in the same position as you!!!

Don't be disheartened by the previous posts!!! I respect and understand their position on early MBA's but i honestly beleive there are many individuals like us that have alot to offer!! I am an undergraduate and am currently studing mathematics at university college London... I think I have a world of experience and beleive I can rival some of the best candidates that have experience!!

However I think your aiming for an MBA for all the wrong reasons though... You should really be sure your ready for the MBA and have clear cut plans on how your going to use the MBA!!

I wish it were easier for ppl like us to have the MBA opportunity... Work hard and hopefully we can pave the way to when young MBA students become a norm!!

Good luck!!

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overtime · Fri Nov 27, 2009 7:54 pm

uzzy724, not sure about your exact background, but most students straight out of university do not have much real life work experience to speak off, unless they did a sandwich year in industry (rare). Even then, many observations on what can happen in the working world only comes with a few years on the job.

Note that the MBA is a general degree that encompasses HR, Accounting, Finance, Operations, amongst others. It is meant to groom someone for leadership positions in a company. It was also originally meant for managers from an engineering background to get up to speed on the business side of running a company. I find it really unlikely that someone straight out of university would fully appreciate all the subtleties of this.

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tmino · Sat Nov 28, 2009 10:39 am

Great post overtime.

Totally agree that some business experience is valuable for both you as a student to enjoy all facets of the MBA and your peers who want to learn from your experiences as well. Also, remember that recruiters look for MBA graduates ready to take on leadership positions. Unless you have work experience, you will have a very hard time recruiting for the same jobs as your peers. Consequently, you may have to aim for more entry-level positions, and then what's the purpose of getting an MBA. Believe me, even with work experience, recruiting at b-schools can be tough and highly competitive (especially in this economy!) and without work ex you will be at a great disadvantage.

B-schools do admit students straight out of undergrad. However, those are exceptional students who often ran their business while in college or have some other sort of work experience.

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shaurya27 · Mon Jan 18, 2010 11:41 am

I am a engineering student and my scores in India are about 6.4 and i plan to increase them to about 6.8-6.9 till the time i complete my engineering(May 2011). I have had decent acads all my life and my extra curriculars aren't too bad either(I am a student placement co-ordinatior these days). I plan to go in for an MBA either from US or UK without work experience. What are the chances that i get into a decent B-school. I am very sure that i don't wanna go in for any work exp. I know this isn't the correct help to post this but i am desperate
Thank You

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