Welcome! Check out our free B-School Guides to learn how you compare with other applicants.
Login or Register
 

MBA right after undergrad?

This topic has 3 expert replies and 3 member replies
Bookmark
Previous Topic Next Topic
Assolute Just gettin' started! Default Avatar
Joined
24 Apr 2012
Posted:
4 messages
MBA right after undergrad? Post Wed May 09, 2012 3:22 pm
Hey,

Just a few quick questions. I have heard mixed reviews about getting your MBA directly after undergrad. My situation is that I decided to go into business in the last year (whereas my undergrad degree is not business related at all - Sociology and Psychology), and I know with my undergrad degree I cannot get any relevant job experience. I have yet to write my GMAT test (am planning to this summer), but I am aiming to get into a mid-bschool.

Should I attempt to get some sort of work experience first? Or should I go for my MBA at a mid-level school and hope for the best there? A lot of people told me I should just go for my MBA as I will be better off. I am expecting a 3.3+ GPA in my final two years with a GMAT of 650+. I have 6 years of part time work experience.

Thanks for your time!

Need free GMAT or MBA advice from an expert? Register for Beat The GMAT now and post your question in these forums!

GMAT/MBA Expert

Jon@Admissionado MBA Admissions Consultant
Joined
01 Apr 2011
Posted:
1966 messages
Followed by:
208 members
Thanked:
377 times
Most Active Expert Most Responsive Expert Most Thanked Expert
Post Fri May 11, 2012 12:34 am
Even at a mid-level school, they will expect you to have some work. MBA programs are more or less designed with the idea of having students with some real hands on professional experience, whether it be in business or otherwise, and the average for many schools at matriculation is 4-5 years experience.

_________________
Jon Frank
Harvard MBA, 2005
Founder and CEO, Admissionado

Ask us a Question!
Get a Free Consultation!

GMAT/MBA Expert

money9111 GMAT Titan
Joined
19 Apr 2009
Posted:
1961 messages
Followed by:
47 members
Thanked:
91 times
Post Fri May 11, 2012 8:08 pm
Jon is right in that if you want to improve your chances, you should get relevant work experience. I will say that in my program and I'm sure many other programs there are a handful of students who, we at Johnson, refer to as straight-throughs. So while not impossible, usually not probable.

_________________
Blogged my way through the application process, and 1st year of school, now a 2nd yr at the Johnson School at Cornell University - Follow my MBA journey here @ www.money9111.blogspot.com | 2 New Posts on 3/5

Alumni networking app that shows you your alumni near you when you're on the go! http://www.MyAlumniApplication.com

Assolute Just gettin' started! Default Avatar
Joined
24 Apr 2012
Posted:
4 messages
Post Sat May 12, 2012 7:50 am
Thank you both for the reply and I will definitely take it into consideration Smile

Ashim88 Rising GMAT Star
Joined
13 Jun 2010
Posted:
73 messages
Thanked:
8 times
Target GMAT Score:
710
Post Sun May 27, 2012 9:58 am
As a PSY BA myself, I was looking to do the same thing right after graduation- but as others have said, it's very competitive when you don't have any work experience. As in, you better be a top student (3.8GPA/740 GMAT)

I got lucky and got into a money-making industry despite my degree- SEO. If you can teach yourself something valuable in the industry (marketing seems to be the best reach for Psych BAs)- then you CAN get some awesome work experience before getting your degree.

Don't worry about what everyone else tells you, that you can only be a case-worker etc... There ARE options.

Worst case scenario, you can always pick up some programming certificates and still get into SEO.

marissavessels Just gettin' started!
Joined
30 Jul 2012
Posted:
3 messages
Post Mon Jul 30, 2012 8:25 pm
money9111 wrote:
Jon is right in that if you want to improve your chances, you should get relevant work experience. I will say that in my program and I'm sure many other programs there are a handful of students who, we at Johnson, refer to as straight-throughs. So while not impossible, usually not probable.
If I'm wanting to get an MBA for the goal of nonprofit management and started a nonprofit when I was 16 (which gives me 6 years of running and growing my nonprofit) on top of a multitude of other high caliber, long-term internships, would that change my ability to be a straight-through?

GMAT/MBA Expert

Jon@Admissionado MBA Admissions Consultant
Joined
01 Apr 2011
Posted:
1966 messages
Followed by:
208 members
Thanked:
377 times
Most Active Expert Most Responsive Expert Most Thanked Expert
Post Tue Jul 31, 2012 2:34 am
It very well could. The two questions I (and the Adcom) would ask are: 1. how big? 2. how successful.

I mean if you started a "Greenpeace" at 16, then you will get in everywhere. If it's a small local effort with 2 employees, it still might not be enough. BUT you do have a few programs (HBS 2+2, Yale Silver Scholars, and MiM programs) that ARE designed for folks with no work experience... so you could look into those.

_________________
Jon Frank
Harvard MBA, 2005
Founder and CEO, Admissionado

Ask us a Question!
Get a Free Consultation!

Best Conversation Starters
1 varun289 42 topics
2 guerrero 21 topics
3 sana.noor 20 topics
4 killerdrummer 18 topics
5 sanaa.rizwan 14 topics
See More Top Beat The GMAT Members...

Most Active Experts
1 image description Brent@GMATPrepNow

GMAT Prep Now Teacher

 202 posts
2 image description GMATGuruNY

The Princeton Review Teacher

 140 posts
3 image description Anju@Gurome

Gurome

 113 posts
4 image description Jim@StratusPrep

Stratus Prep

 92 posts
5 image description Jon@Admissionado

Admissionado

 45 posts
See More Top Beat The GMAT Experts