Easy to get into MBA if you are undergraduate alumni?

[ninkorn]

I graduated from NYU Stern with BS in Accounting in 2005 with GPA of 3.5

I've been working as a CPA for a big 4 accounting firm for past 3 years and I scored 770 on GMAT.

If I apply for NYU Stern MBA, do you think I will have easier time getting in compared to others because I am an alumni? (Forget my GPA and GMAT score when answering this question)

[dayweelo]

I don't know about other schools, but I believe that at Stern, it's more difficult having attended there undergrad.

I graduated from Stern Undergrad myself in '07, and I had asked my academic advisor about going to Stern for my MBA. Her response was that it would be harder to get in particularly because many courses are largely the same.

But then again, who knows what the Adcom actually thinks?

[tmino]

Hey ninkorn, I think you posted this question on another forum and got the exact opposite reply, that NYU likes to keep it in the family?

Sorry if this is off-topic, but any reason why you want to apply to NYU if u already have a degree from there? Some of the advantages of applying to a new university are a new network and maybe moving "upstream", to schools ranked better than NYU (your profile seems to be quite solid!). Also, some employers might view it slightly more positive if you got your undergrad and MBA from two different institutions, though I'm not sure about this one. It is not common to see someone get his/her undergrad and MBA from the same institution. All the best.

[appmentor]

Hey,

Based on my personal experience, I think my status as an undergrad at Penn did help me get admitted into Wharton. Only an admissions office employee could tell us for sure, but I always had the impression that the school looked favorably on students that they know love the school community. There are probably some stats on it - if you go to the school for undergrad, then again for a graduate degree, you might be more likely to donate some of your big winnings in the future.

For me, being back in Philly now is an entirely different experience. I was in the engineering school as an undergrad, so Wharton is obviously a different feel. Also, grad students live in center city about 15 minutes away from campus - thus making student life markedly different. If you're evaluating the pros and cons of returning to your former school, be sure to weigh these types of factors in mind - it might be a very different experience.

Best of luck,