3 yr Vs 4 yr undergrad degrees

[saloniarora]

Hi guys,

I am applying for the 2013 cycle and have recently had the chance to visit a few of my target b-schools in the US - the one thing I have been told everywhere is that students with a 4 year degree will be preferred over students with a 3 year degree.

I graduated from India where majority of the courses apart from Engineering/Medical courses are for 3 years and I never thought that would be something that might be held against my application.

Apart from the 3 year degree glitch, I believe I have a good, well-rounded story to tell and am not convinced about taking a year long degree course just to get a check in front of the '4-year degree' box in my application.

Does anyone have any information about how the duration of your grad program comes into play in the application? Any guidance on this will be SUPER helpful.

Thanks in advance,
Saloni

[Jim@StratusPrep]

The question is not how long it took you, but what degree you received... In the US there are a lot of 2 year colleges that are just not of the same standard; I am not sure if that is the case with you and a 1-year program is not going to change it unless you can transfer credit from your previous course work...

[saloniarora]

Hi Jim,

Thanks for your reply.

I have a degree in English literature from Delhi University - probably the biggest/most reputable university in India for all non-medical/non-Engineering courses.

Despite that, I have been told that all things kept the same, a person with a four year degree will have an edge over me in the application process.

Given this info, let me know what you think.

Thanks,
Saloni

[Jon@Admissionado]

Yeah.. the number of years doesn't really matter. I know folks who were so pumped up with AP courses and did summer school, that they finished their BA in the US in two years. Finishing quick can only look good. What matters is the degree at the end of the road.

[saloniarora]

Hi Jon,

In India things work a little differently - the 3 year degrees are not the same courses as 4 year degrees that people choose to finish faster. These are degrees designed as three year programs with a different curriculum.

For some reason, the admission committee clearly said that the 4 year degrees are considered more "competitive"

Let me know if you need more information.

Thanks for your help in advance.

Best,
Saloni

[ankitmisri]

Hi Saloni,

Since you have a 3 years Bachelor's degree from India, you will have to check the schools requirement about the no of years of education. Its generally 16 (12 + 4) years but some schools may accept 15 (12+3) years as well. If you have some specific target schools, look up the requirement on their website. If its not clear just send across an email to confirm the requirement.

Jon, Jim,

Kindly add in case I may have missed any detail.

Regards,
Ankit

[sagar@jk]

Yes, practically, for international MBA, a 4-year degree is preferred over a 3-year one. The differentiating factor is the 'time availability & utility.'

Ideally, a 4-years course leaves you with space for extracurricular as well as work assignments. The students can work part time, take summer internship, and can pick up a job during their final year. This helps enrich your work profile.

Extracurricular or community bonding is another advantageous front. You can join some social service group, student communities, etc. On the other hand, a 3-year course is considered comparatively fast track leaving the students little time to groom themselves with much 'extra.'

Therefore, the value addition of a 3-year course student is presumed to be lower than a 4-year old one. However, if you have valuable work experience, it can hugely discount your disadvantage. Work profile is the 'most' potential tool in International MBA admissions.

If you have bright professional & extracurricular profile and if you are convincing, you may be positioned fine.

Read more - 5-Step Plan to Improve your MBA Application Outcome.