Ask an MBA Admissions Consultant

I need to decide soon whether to apply to an MBA program. I would like to know my chance of getting accepted in a decent MBA program.

My biggest setback is that I currently have no work experience.

I am a double major at the University of Texas at Austin at the McCombs business school and the school of liberal arts. I also have a supply chain minor at the McCombs business school. I have a GPA of about 3.9. I am a member of numerous honors societies. My GMAT is 710. I will be graduating young.

What are my chances of getting in to a top 20? Are there any things I should do that could make my application stronger? How much will lack of work experience weigh in the decision?

Although a few slip through the process every year, applicants without work experience are at a big disadvantage not only in the admissions process, but also in the job market afterwards. Depending on what you want to do, recruiters are generally looking for some fairly seasoned employees to fill their MBA level positions. If all you have ever done is learn from books, stepping in to manage a project, or even more likely, a group of professionals, may be viewed as a stretch for top companies. B-schools of course know this, and want to fill seats with highly employable people. All you will have coming out of b-school will be a 6-month internship under your belt. Additionally, schools want you to bring something to the table that you can contribute to your classmates. Generally what is valued most is unique, responsible, challenging work experience which will help you solve cases and add to the discussion. What you do have going for you is a good solid undergraduate business education, so in theory you could be of great value to your classmates who have no business training in their undergraduate experience. I would emphasize this for sure, as well as any leadership or part time work experience you might have beeen exposed to. Finally, I would say in order to get a seat at a top school, you will need to have a very compelling reason for why now is the best time for you to go to school. That and an inspiring, mature vision of what you want to do with the degree can sometimes sway a committee to give you a shot. Applications are indeed down this year over last year, so who knows, you may just find your way in. Good luck.

I agree with Bryant that your chances of attending a top program are slim without some sort of exceptional story to tell. Remember, you would be at a disadvantage in the classroom as well as after graduation. Even the networking opportunities would be reduced as your classmates would be significantly older and more experienced. The requirement for in-depth business experience is for the benefit of both the individual and the entire class.

Having said that, you may want to check out SMU. The Cox school does have a program designed especially for current college seniors. (See the link below.) Santa Clara also has an interesting "Emerging Professional' MBA program that puts recent graduates together in a cohort their first year and then merges them with the rest of the MBA program in the second year.

https://www.cox.smu.edu/web/full-time-mb ... e-seniors1