Can any of the experts chime in on a question RE: non top 20

[Osirus@VeritasPrep]

MBA programs? I am interested in Simon, but it is outside of the top 20. From my research I am confident that I would be able to get a job after the MBA program, my question is how much would the lack of prestige that a non-top 20 program has affect my chances of getting good jobs with top firms after my first post MBA job?

[Scott@VeritasPrep]

Hey osirus,

I actually think really highly of the Simon School. It seems to be underrated by many applicants, but I think Simon gives a lot of students a "foot in the door" at many top companies. Especially if you're interested in finance/banking and if you're looking primarily in the Northeast, Simon gives you a shot at almost any "top" firm I can think of. The difference between Simon and a top-ten school is usually more in the number of jobs that those firms hand out on campus. For instance, Goldman may make 40+ offers at HBS, but more like half a dozen at Simon. (Of course, Simon's a much smaller program.) So, you may have to hustle to get one of those jobs, but I'm a firm believer that the cream usually rises to the top.

Beyond that, assuming you got your foot in the door and landed a job at a high-caliber firm, then the rest is really up to you. That's another thing that many applicants miss: How you'll do in your career over the long-term depends far more on how you perform and who you make connections with, rather than on what school name is on your resume. Of course, a "better" school gives you access to a "better" alumni network, which may always help, but even that matters less than what experiences you gain and what accomplishments you can start to rack up in the first several years out of business school.

In that respect, the working world and the admissions world are not radically different: What undergrad school you went to and what company you work for now certainly matter, but what's even more important is what impact you've had on the company and the community around you!

Scott

[Osirus@VeritasPrep]

Wow, amazing reply. Thanks so much for your insight. That makes a lot of sense. I think I will pursue the Simon option further and may rank it one on my consortium application this fall. Thanks again.

[Scott@VeritasPrep]

You're welcome! BTW, along the same lines, I saw this interesting article in the Wall Street Journal yesterday, providing more evidence that it's the person, not the school, that ultimately matters:

Before They Were Titans, Moguls and Newsmakers, These People Were...Rejected
https://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142 ... 95962.html

Scott