What if the work experience you can get with an undergraduate degree isn't applicable to what you want to do when you graduate? Wouldn't, from an opportunity cost standpoint, it make more sense to merely skip work experience that isn't applicable and go strait into an MBA?
Lets take my example: I am interested in portfolio management, I have experience with it with the University and I did quite well at it in school. I have yet to find any work experience due to a low gpa; which, was on purpose (I'm not going to pound theories in my head that are blatantly not applicable to the real world). Let's say I take the GMAT in a week and rock a 700+. Why would I go take work let's say being a manager at Wal-Mart when from an opportunity cost standpoint, it would be in my own self interest to go strait to school so that 1) my skills don't atrophy (I can't think of what Economists call this at the second but there is a good phrase for it) 2) From a salary standpoint it makes no sense (the least important bullet point) 3) The job that you would be taking isn't even what you are interested or what you want to do.
I mean are the skills that you get working at a Wal-mart really going to benefit my career? Don't you think TIME/ skills are more important than the wages/ skills being a manager at Wal-Mart offers?
Obviously this is a hypothetical situation, but I think you get my point.
-BP