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Super Locrian
Jul 3, 2003
Everything was beautiful and nothing hurt.
MBA veterans: I'm starting a program in the fall that recommends that I have two suits. I have one, a charcoal suit; is it really imperative for me to get a blue suit and a black suit as well?

On the topic of clothing, I know the expectation is to dress at least "business casual". Does that get more relaxed as the semester goes on? Will I ever get to go to class in flip flops and shorts? (I realize these are kind of dumb questions, but if I have to buy a totally new wardrobe, I want to know)

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Metashack
Oct 10, 2006

Super Locrian posted:

MBA veterans: I'm starting a program in the fall that recommends that I have two suits. I have one, a charcoal suit; is it really imperative for me to get a blue suit and a black suit as well?

On the topic of clothing, I know the expectation is to dress at least "business casual". Does that get more relaxed as the semester goes on? Will I ever get to go to class in flip flops and shorts? (I realize these are kind of dumb questions, but if I have to buy a totally new wardrobe, I want to know)

You should be fine with one well tailored suit. Once you get in and get your feet wet you can reassess.

Busy Bee
Jul 13, 2004

Carfax Report posted:

If you live in the US, unlike most grad schools, the MBA is not applied for from undergrad.

You typically need 4-5 years work experience before getting into an MBA program; the average age is 28-29. Of our class of 721 students at Columbia, there were only two who got in direct from undergrad, and they were the sons of CEOs.

There are some programs like Harvard's 2+2 but these are exceptions.

Thank you for your response. I am particularly interested in the Stanford MBA program which I believe does not require any work experience and undergrads can apply.

http://www.gsb.stanford.edu/mba/admission/

Don Wrigley
Jun 8, 2006

King O Frod

Busy Bee posted:

Thank you for your response. I am particularly interested in the Stanford MBA program which I believe does not require any work experience and undergrads can apply.

http://www.gsb.stanford.edu/mba/admission/

No school requires work experience, but good luck getting into a good school (let alone Stanford, hardest school in the country to get into) with just an undergrad degree.

Don Wrigley
Jun 8, 2006

King O Frod
New reply because totally unrelated...

My boss has been talking to me about going for a part-time MBA at Stern. I'm in my mid-30s and working as a software engineer at a large financial firm; i am a VP, but do not have direct reports. She actually brought it up--I'm a new VP and one of the younger ones, and she said the shortest path to MD and direct reports is an MBA.

Like I said, I'm in my mid-30s, so already have a pretty full plate with work, family, etc...but the Saturday part-time at Stern is relatively appealing to me, being that the day is over practically before my family wakes up, haha.

Question one, any experience going for an MBA part time this late in life? For one, how did you find it, and what's actually more important to me, is it really a shot in the career arm for a lifetime software engineer? It sounds appealing of course if it's a path to MD, but to be honest I'm not sold that it really is.

Second, more particular to Stern (and I guess part time programs in general), how hard is it to get in? From the info I've gathered, Stern has a 55% acceptance rate at the part time program, and this seems to be one of the LOWER acceptance rates (EXTREMELY different from full time programs, right?) I have about a 3.0 GPA, but that is over 10 years ago, and I'd assume I could get 700+ on the GMAT, plus obviously good career progression at a top financial firm.

Don Wrigley fucked around with this message at 04:40 on Jun 15, 2010

flyingfoggy
Jun 3, 2006

My fellow Obamas...

Busy Bee posted:

Thank you for your response. I am particularly interested in the Stanford MBA program which I believe does not require any work experience and undergrads can apply.

http://www.gsb.stanford.edu/mba/admission/

To get into Stanford out of undergrad you would need to be a senator's Olympic gold medalist son or something. You are going to need 2-4 years of work experience and really really good work experience at that (in addition to a killer GMAT + GPA + story). The most "reliable" (there are still a million variables and it is not guaranteed) way to get into these schools is banking or consulting at the top name-brand firms, come from a top name-brand school, and have great grades and scores. There are still plenty of army/nonprofit/tech/education/medicine/etc backgrounds though.

AndrewP
Apr 21, 2010

flyingfoggy posted:

To get into Stanford out of undergrad you would need to be a senator's Olympic gold medalist son or something. You are going to need 2-4 years of work experience and really really good work experience at that (in addition to a killer GMAT + GPA + story). The most "reliable" (there are still a million variables and it is not guaranteed) way to get into these schools is banking or consulting at the top name-brand firms, come from a top name-brand school, and have great grades and scores. There are still plenty of army/nonprofit/tech/education/medicine/etc backgrounds though.

From what I've heard, getting into Stanford/ Harvard / Wharton is a crapshoot. You can have the blue chippiest of blue chip pedigrees and you're still not "safe".

CaptainEO
Sep 24, 2007

Found Something Great Here
Pretty much yeah. Here's my personal take... There is a minimum bar you have to pass in terms of academics/GMAT but it's not too high. Once you're above that bar, the real factor that drives admission decisions is diversity. Not necessarily ethnic diversity (although that may play a part), but diversity in terms of career background and life experience.

I think the admissions committee looks at assembling a class like making a meal with lots of ingredients - some consultants and finance people for the meat & potatoes, a healthy side order of international students, some military for seasoning, a dash of nonprofit here, some high-tech for zest over there.

So having worked at Goldman Sachs is not a free admissions ticket if the school thinks it already has enough finance people for your class. I think the candidates most likely to be picked are the ones with a broad background that touches a lot of the key diversity areas, like having international experience working at a high-tech non-profit startup in clean energy (that's kind of an extreme example, but most people in my program seem to hit two or three areas). Of course, the committee will always be able to make exceptions for truly outstanding applicants, so don't be discouraged.

Busy Bee
Jul 13, 2004
So since going straight from undergrad to an MBA is out, what are some other paths I can take if I am interested in business? I've thought about going to Law school but I'm still not positive about that.

AreWeDrunkYet
Jul 8, 2006

Busy Bee posted:

So since going straight from undergrad to an MBA is out, what are some other paths I can take if I am interested in business? I've thought about going to Law school but I'm still not positive about that.

Business how exactly? Finance? The "typical" career path for that is a couple years at a bank or consulting, then the MBA, then whatever you're interested in. Most non-specialty finance firms hire undergrads, so get your foot in the door somewhere, then make the decision on more school once you're there.

Law school isn't necessarily a bad thing, but three years working will probably get you further and you'll be out a lot of money in the process. Stay away unless your heart is set on it for whatever reason.

Carfax Report
May 17, 2003

Ravage the land as never before, total destruction from mountain to shore!

Busy Bee posted:

So since going straight from undergrad to an MBA is out, what are some other paths I can take if I am interested in business? I've thought about going to Law school but I'm still not positive about that.

As AreWeDrunkYet noted, the usual path is busting your chops for a couple years in finance or consulting. If you're interested in business, Law School is probably not the right path.

If you're interested in the MBA but don't want to work in finance or consulting, I highly recommend getting international business experience. At least at my school, it was a pretty significant thing to the admissions department.

Omits-Bagels
Feb 13, 2001

Carfax Report posted:

As AreWeDrunkYet noted, the usual path is busting your chops for a couple years in finance or consulting. If you're interested in business, Law School is probably not the right path.

If you're interested in the MBA but don't want to work in finance or consulting, I highly recommend getting international business experience. At least at my school, it was a pretty significant thing to the admissions department.

how do people get international experience? No foreign companies want to hire Americans and I could never find any US companies willing to send new hires overseas.

Carfax Report
May 17, 2003

Ravage the land as never before, total destruction from mountain to shore!

Omits-Bagels posted:

how do people get international experience? No foreign companies want to hire Americans and I could never find any US companies willing to send new hires overseas.

In general the US firms want to train their new hire before sending them overseas, for at least a year.

Language experience is one of the best ways to get hired and at least my experience was different from your thoughts that foreign companies don't hire Americans and US companies don't send people overseas.

I studied Japanese as my language of choice in undergrad, worked in US-Japan business development before my MBA from a firm that sent me to Tokyo, and was hired by a major Japanese firm both during and after my MBA. It's possible with language abilities.

Carfax Report fucked around with this message at 00:21 on Jun 19, 2010

Don Wrigley
Jun 8, 2006

King O Frod

Busy Bee posted:

So since going straight from undergrad to an MBA is out, what are some other paths I can take if I am interested in business? I've thought about going to Law school but I'm still not positive about that.

I think you should do some more research, it sounds like you want to jump into grad school just to jump into grad school. What kind of logic is this, I can't get an MBA so I've thought about going to Law School...but I'm not sure?

Why don't you do some reading and find out what an MBA is and what it can do for you, too many people jump to grad school just because they don't know what else to do, and it rarely works out.

Harry
Jun 13, 2003

I do solemnly swear that in the year 2015 I will theorycraft my wallet as well as my WoW

Busy Bee posted:

So since going straight from undergrad to an MBA is out, what are some other paths I can take if I am interested in business? I've thought about going to Law school but I'm still not positive about that.

Are you afraid to get a real job or something?

Rrail
Nov 26, 2003

by Y Kant Ozma Post
I hope I'm not rehashing any previously asked questions. I intend to read this entire thread, but I'm doing some school planning stuff tonight and these questions have been burning up in my head for a while. For reference, I am working on my Business Admin degree (focus in Finance) currently.

I understand that it is exceedingly rare to go straight from undergrad to an MBA program. Here are my questions:

a) I assume that "work experience" for an MBA program needs to be business experience? Or at the very least, I'm assuming my 4 years as an intelligence analyst will mean nothing during the application process to an MBA program, especially since it was prior to my undergraduate degree. Is this correct?

b) As I'm just shy of two years in (so finally about to start real business courses, which I am thrilled about), I am unaware of what type of job opportunities I will be looking at immediately after graduation. I would expect myself to have a ~3.8 (hopefully higher) GPA at when finished (at the University of Washington). What type of jobs would be most competitive for an eventual MBA application?

c) When concerning the most competitive of the schools (Harvard, Columbia, Wharton, Booth), will a 3.8 undergrad GPA even be enough? What makes you competitive enough for these schools, where I assume everyone is pushing a great undergrad GPA, has very solid work experience, and so forth?

If these questions have already been answered repeatedly, just says so and I will go searching. :)

Agent Escalus
Oct 5, 2002

"I couldn't stop saying aloud how miscast Jim Carrey was!"

Rrail posted:


a) I assume that "work experience" for an MBA program needs to be business experience? Or at the very least, I'm assuming my 4 years as an intelligence analyst will mean nothing during the application process to an MBA program, especially since it was prior to my undergraduate degree. Is this correct?


c) When concerning the most competitive of the schools (Harvard, Columbia, Wharton, Booth), will a 3.8 undergrad GPA even be enough? What makes you competitive enough for these schools, where I assume everyone is pushing a great undergrad GPA, has very solid work experience, and so forth?


I visited NYU and Columbia last October in order to ask questions similar to these. Basically, they look at THE WHOLE PICTURE of a candidate's package. Everything you've done tells part of your story. Four years as an intelligence analyst? Hey, solid employment background! Bet you've got a great reference coming! (And if you don't, no worries; they're used to employers refusing and stonewalling on reference letters due to grudges and general petty dipshittery.)

Keep in mind it's not about being "competitive" in admissions as much as it is being a well-rounded candidate. Who's going to be a better student, then a graduate, then an alumni, then a school representative, and then a member of the business and scholastic community: a super-aggressive Type A who steps on throats and brags about it? Or a humble, honest person who's had a variety of life experiences? Yes, they're not going to admit every slackoff bozo who tries to apply, but at the same time they look for variety in their student body. No respectable school wants to have a majority-body consisting of one type of person from one type of background. Whatever advantage great GPA gives someone with no community service/activities/volunteer work is countered by the latter. Which leads to my next point:

Keep in mind GPA never tells the whole story about a person, in any scenario. You could have gotten straight A's in every course you ever took, but maybe you're also an antisocial rear end in a top hat who had all that time to study because your reclusive choices left you with no friends and no life outside of class. Now that's just to give an extreme example but even so: do you think they want that sort of person in their program? Hell no - business requires personal interaction, social skills, etc.

Really, the best thing you can do for yourself is to do well on the GMAT, try to get as good references as you can (most institutions want two "Professional" ones), and PUT EFFORT INTO YOUR ESSAYS. I gathered from my visits those can be deal makers or breakers (especially when lazy applicants use form essays for each application they make and overlook putting in the correct name of the place they're applying to!)

Have a spotty employment history? Explain it in the essay. Current or past employer won't write you a reference letter, or you can't track down an old boss? Write it down and be honest and professional. Spotty employment history recently? They know you're not the only one. (Believe me.)

Hey, I'm no expert, but you're looking fine on those two points regarding your history. What you need to do now is put effort into presenting yourself in those essays!

Rrail
Nov 26, 2003

by Y Kant Ozma Post
Wow, that's a lot of great information. I really appreciate that you took the time to answer those questions.

I'm currently trying to use my analysis experience to get into an internship with a companies regional corporate finance segment (multinational construction/engineering, similar to Haliburton) but even nepotism couldn't defeat the fact that I wasn't far enough along in college. Maybe after this year finishes out I will be able to get it.

What you said, concerning "whole picture", makes a ton of sense. The competitive part of my personality forgets that things are often weighed as a whole instead of as a set of values, racked and stacked. I am definitely lacking in volunteer work. I am a (currently non-sitting, though I can change that) board member of a charitable foundation, but I'll need to change that and look for other opportunities.

As far as the GMAT is concerned, I will be honest, I have done absolutely no research into anything about the GMAT other than literally what it is, and I happened to see the scoring system for long enough to notice essays are involved. I think I'll be alright on that front, and I'll definitely study long and hard for them, but I have a while until that will be a concern.

My employment history is as follows: intelligence analyst for the military. I've never done anything else. Once I got out, I just went back to school and am purely a student. I'll be getting that internship in prior to the end of my undergraduate. It won't be for credit through my school because it is paid, which is a mixed bag.

Again, thanks a ton for all of the information. I'm getting close enough that it is time to start getting my ducks in a row. I also went out and bought "Ahead of the Curve" today based on someones recommendation in the thread.

Edit: Just got off the phone with my father, I'm meeting with the chairman to get a seat on the board of directors for that charity on Wednesday.

Rrail fucked around with this message at 07:48 on Jun 21, 2010

Garth Fader
Oct 8, 2008
I'm Very Stupid
gather ye round, and listen to my stupid

PS: This is me fellating capitalism:
:a2m:
Sorry if I missed this, but what's the deal with Canadians looking to do their MBA at a school in the states?

Does anyone have any experience doing this?

CaptainEO
Sep 24, 2007

Found Something Great Here
Rrail - sounds like you have a great plan. I have several classmates with 100% military backgrounds, including (I think) at least one intelligence analyst.

Note that the essays Agent Escalus is referring to are the application essays, not the GMAT essays. Doing well on the GMAT just makes sure that the admissions committee will read the rest of your application. The application essays (together with supporting work history and letters of recommendation) are what really make or break your chance of admission.

Every school has its own set of essay questions, but typically they boil down to asking 1) what did you do in the past and why, 2) what do you plan to do in the future and why, and 3) how will going through our MBA program help you achieve that plan (and how will you contribute to the class while you are here).

CaptainEO fucked around with this message at 18:59 on Jun 23, 2010

Rrail
Nov 26, 2003

by Y Kant Ozma Post

CaptainEO posted:

Rrail - sounds like you have a great plan. I have several classmates with 100% military backgrounds, including (I think) at least one intelligence analyst.

Note that the essays Agent Escalus is referring to are the application essays, not the GMAT essays. Doing well on the GMAT just makes sure that the admissions committee will read the rest of your application. The application essays (together with supporting work history and letters of recommendation) are what really make or break your chance of admission.

Every school has its own set of essay questions, but typically they boil down to asking 1) what did you do in the past and why, 2) what do you plan to do in the future and why, and 3) how will going through our MBA program help you achieve that plan (and how will you contribute to the class while you are here).

Oh, gotcha. Luckily one of my strong suits has always been talking about me, so that portion of the admissions process should go smoothly. Also, as far as letters of recommendation go, my former boss writes my letters of recommendation to whatever standard and application I want him to, which is really nice to have.

I'm reading "Ahead of the Curve" now based on someone in this threads recommendation. It's a great book so far, really interesting material, but weirdly (and simultaneously) depressing and inspiring. On the one hand, it's inspiring how far just getting admitted to (and completing) HBS can take you. On the other hand, it makes me feel like just getting into a local business school (University of Washington, for instance) will be of far less utility. Especially since he notes that HBS is not just an American brand, but is also known worldwide as being a prestigious institution. That part made me feel like "if you don't go to HBS, you're already in second place", especially if looking for employment abroad.

zmcnulty
Jul 26, 2003

Rrail posted:

especially if looking for employment abroad.

I have no MBA so can't speak with much authority, but I do work abroad. I think it really depends on where you want to go. "Harvard" does mean a lot to many overseas/global employers, but in countries where post-graduate degrees are usually only for scientists, doctors, and academics, they may not even know the difference between undergrad and MBA.

In any case I'm going to Harvard MBA's intro session here (in Tokyo) tomorrow night and plan on getting a response to this same point. So I'll report back.

dodatron
Dec 19, 2004

lambda equals h times c over E, bitches
Just wanted to vent abit- I've applied for a MBA in Canada, and applied with excellent references, experience and GMAT scores, the only issue is my CGPA from my undergrad in Physics 4 years ago.

I'm currently waiting on the graduate studies people to approve me to study at the university, while the admission person from the B-School is fighting to get me in. I hate waiting for this kind of stuff, a lot.

oye como va
Oct 25, 2005
:slick:
Is it necessary to work while getting a MBA? I would rather focus on school, volunteer, and intern than keep my current job.

Thoguh
Nov 8, 2002

College Slice

oye como va posted:

Is it necessary to work while getting a MBA? I would rather focus on school, volunteer, and intern than keep my current job.

Depends on what kind of program you are doing. If you are in a Evening or E-MBA program then they expect that you are working during the day. In a traditional program you are a full time student.

LofwyrSai
Jul 19, 2006

Le réalité et toi, vous ne vous entendez pas, n'est-ce pas?

Don Wrigley posted:

New reply because totally unrelated...

My boss has been talking to me about going for a part-time MBA at Stern. I'm in my mid-30s and working as a software engineer at a large financial firm; i am a VP, but do not have direct reports. She actually brought it up--I'm a new VP and one of the younger ones, and she said the shortest path to MD and direct reports is an MBA.


Somewhat off topic but I love how everyone in finance is a "VP" even without any directs. I'm a Director now in a large "industry" firm with a medium size staff and growing, the VP I report to has 200 people under management. Finance titles are so inflated.

Disgruntled Dan
Aug 3, 2004
Lurker Extraordinaire
This may be a question better suited for Goons in Platoons, but I figure since lots of you currently-matriculated types have former-military classmates, you may be able to help me out.

I am currently a junior officer in the Army but I am not planning on making a career out of it. I'd like to know the ideal time to exit the service as far as getting an MBA is concerned. Mostly this relates to the rank I'd have when exiting and the jobs performed prior to exiting. The options are basically these:

1. Exit as soon as my obligation is complete. I would likely be a first lieutenant, having spent time as a platoon leader and probably as XO and maybe staff or roughly similar.

2. Exit upon hitting captain. This would not be many months after my obligation is complete and would likely mean the same duties but with a greater chance (or length) of staff time.

3. Exit after doing command time. This would be the longest-term option, as most command slots seem to be about 6-8 years in and then last 18-24 months. However, this would also provide the greatest leadership opportunity, and the most obvious one after platoon leader time.

In essence, how much does rank or work experience matter once getting to the 3-4 year mark? Taking into mind the "total application" viewpoint, I had a 3.4 undergrad GPA, usually do well to very well on standardized tests, and assume my essays are at least average.

Piduloom
Jul 3, 2009

LofwyrSai posted:

Somewhat off topic but I love how everyone in finance is a "VP" even without any directs. I'm a Director now in a large "industry" firm with a medium size staff and growing, the VP I report to has 200 people under management. Finance titles are so inflated.

Well, in finance, the VP and Director titles are generally switched around. But when I worked at an investment bank, VPs certainly had people "below" them, although they weren't necessarily direct reports. The VPs and Directors (called MDs) would generally source the deals, while the associates and lowly analysts (of which I was one) were stuck in the office waiting for assignments. Who reported to the VP on a specific deal generally only had to do with who had room on their plate for more work. We didn't work on set teams.

Tyro
Nov 10, 2009

Disgruntled Dan posted:

This may be a question better suited for Goons in Platoons, but I figure since lots of you currently-matriculated types have former-military classmates, you may be able to help me out.

I am currently a junior officer in the Army but I am not planning on making a career out of it. I'd like to know the ideal time to exit the service as far as getting an MBA is concerned. Mostly this relates to the rank I'd have when exiting and the jobs performed prior to exiting. The options are basically these:

1. Exit as soon as my obligation is complete. I would likely be a first lieutenant, having spent time as a platoon leader and probably as XO and maybe staff or roughly similar.

2. Exit upon hitting captain. This would not be many months after my obligation is complete and would likely mean the same duties but with a greater chance (or length) of staff time.

3. Exit after doing command time. This would be the longest-term option, as most command slots seem to be about 6-8 years in and then last 18-24 months. However, this would also provide the greatest leadership opportunity, and the most obvious one after platoon leader time.

In essence, how much does rank or work experience matter once getting to the 3-4 year mark? Taking into mind the "total application" viewpoint, I had a 3.4 undergrad GPA, usually do well to very well on standardized tests, and assume my essays are at least average.

Being a PL is more management experience than many MBA candidates have. Present yourself in terms of how many people you managed, how much $ worth of equipment and budget you were responsible for, the mission, etc. I'd choose option 1 or 2, especially if you've been Company XO or a position of similar responsibility.

CaptainEO
Sep 24, 2007

Found Something Great Here
Among my former-military classmates, I don't think anyone was ranked higher than captain. The two I know best were a Marine general's personal assistant and someone who worked in purchasing and maintenance of nuclear power equipment for the Navy. There is also an intelligence analyst who served in the Middle East.

Josh Lyman
May 24, 2009


Busy Bee posted:

So since going straight from undergrad to an MBA is out, what are some other paths I can take if I am interested in business? I've thought about going to Law school but I'm still not positive about that.
To echo what others have said, you need to spend some more time figuring out what exactly you want to do and why an MBA or JD would help you/not help you achieve that goal.

As someone who has taken MBA courses and taught investments to MBA students, I can tell you that the only, ONLY reason to go into an MBA straight out of undergrad is if you think you have a >50% chance of getting a Wall St job, and even then, it's suboptimal.

Just like marrying your first girlfriend is doing a disservice to both of you and buying the first car you test drive is a terrible idea because you won't be able to properly appreciate them in context, an MBA without work experience and context is inherently less valuable.

Neon Belly
Feb 12, 2008

I need something stronger.

Neon Belly fucked around with this message at 22:45 on Aug 1, 2016

bewbies
Sep 23, 2003

Fun Shoe

Disgruntled Dan posted:

This may be a question better suited for Goons in Platoons, but I figure since lots of you currently-matriculated types have former-military classmates, you may be able to help me out.

I am currently a junior officer in the Army but I am not planning on making a career out of it. I'd like to know the ideal time to exit the service as far as getting an MBA is concerned. Mostly this relates to the rank I'd have when exiting and the jobs performed prior to exiting. The options are basically these:

1. Exit as soon as my obligation is complete. I would likely be a first lieutenant, having spent time as a platoon leader and probably as XO and maybe staff or roughly similar.

2. Exit upon hitting captain. This would not be many months after my obligation is complete and would likely mean the same duties but with a greater chance (or length) of staff time.

3. Exit after doing command time. This would be the longest-term option, as most command slots seem to be about 6-8 years in and then last 18-24 months. However, this would also provide the greatest leadership opportunity, and the most obvious one after platoon leader time.

In essence, how much does rank or work experience matter once getting to the 3-4 year mark? Taking into mind the "total application" viewpoint, I had a 3.4 undergrad GPA, usually do well to very well on standardized tests, and assume my essays are at least average.

If you have no particular affinity to the military, I would look at leaving after serving a year or so as a captain.

In order to finish command, you'll be looking at a year waiting for CCC, 6 mos in CCC, some time afterwards waiting for command, and then 2 years in command. You'll be around the 8-10 year mark at that point, and it would be stupid not to just finish out your 20. The army knows this and that's why it is structured this way.

If you get out at 4 and go to school, you'll be able to put "captain" and whatnot on your resume. To most (non DoD contrator) civilian employers there isn't a shred of difference between platoon leader and company commander. In fact, your military experience is really not worth a great deal to top level employers, certainly not as much as you might think. Of the four former officers in the program I just graduated with, I'm the only one currently employed (and the job I took was available to me before grad school).

Incidentally I followed almost exactly the same track you did, if you want to discuss more feel free to send me a PM.

bewbies fucked around with this message at 19:42 on Jul 14, 2010

Cicero
Dec 17, 2003

Jumpjet, melta, jumpjet. Repeat for ten minutes or until victory is assured.
I'm currently interning at Goldman Sachs. I'm a CS major, so I'm on a software development team. So far, things seem to be going pretty well, and it seems fairly likely that I'll get a job offer. However, the long hours that everyone here seems to work gives me pause.

But, one possible upside to working for Goldman would be if it looked good on an business school application. So my question is, how much weight would having 2 or 3 years of experience at Goldman Sachs on an application carry?

CaptainEO
Sep 24, 2007

Found Something Great Here
What you do there and how well you do it are more important than the Goldman name. Schools like to see you taking a leadership role, mentoring peers, getting recognized and promoted, stuff like that. The employer's brand may be helpful for admission, but only as a secondary factor. It could come in really handy when you're looking for jobs after the MBA though.

Agent Escalus
Oct 5, 2002

"I couldn't stop saying aloud how miscast Jim Carrey was!"
Any current MBA students care to comment on the internship scene? I keep seeing articles on how scare internships are these days for college students due to the recession crippling normal workloads for regular employees (similar to how underworked lawyers are doing menial things these days they used to give to articling students), for someone who wants to emmigrate to the USA, an internship inbetween years is a key aspect for post-grad employment.

With all the stuff I hear, I'm thinking of holding off on applying this fall for 2011 until I hear about things getting better. Thoughts?

Omne
Jul 12, 2003

Orangedude Forever

Agent Escalus posted:

Any current MBA students care to comment on the internship scene? I keep seeing articles on how scare internships are these days for college students due to the recession crippling normal workloads for regular employees (similar to how underworked lawyers are doing menial things these days they used to give to articling students), for someone who wants to emmigrate to the USA, an internship inbetween years is a key aspect for post-grad employment.

With all the stuff I hear, I'm thinking of holding off on applying this fall for 2011 until I hear about things getting better. Thoughts?

Honestly, I think the situation isn't nearly as bad as it sounds. What it really boils down to is flexibility, interviewing and networking skills. There were people in my class who went in to school with the mentality that they wanted THIS job at THIS company and focused solely on that. Well, they ended up with nothing until late June. I went in wanting an internship in marketing, preferably with a CPG company. I applied to all I could find, networked the hell out of them, and ended up with three offers, accepting my number one choice.

I think the days of every MBA student getting multiple offers, bidding wars and insane signing bonuses are behind us for the time being. I don't think you need to hold off for another year; if you're ready to apply, you're ready to apply. There are plenty of internships and plenty of money going around, you just have to work for it and be flexible and realistic

Hired Gun
Nov 25, 2006

by Ozma
Trying to figure out whether I should go for an MBA after finishing undergrad next spring. I'll be 26 with about 7 years of solid work experience.

Backstory: I went to community college for a year after high school, dropped out, and got an internship job with a small, 20 employee IT company. I moved up in the company and they hired me as a full-time network engineer, but I soon realized that wasn't my passion. I didn't tell the company that, but in the fall of 08 they did allow me go part-time to complete my degree. Fortunately, there is a major state university in my city which I enrolled in. I'm majoring in management at my university's business school and I really like it. I love being in school, meeting people, etc. I have great relationships with my professors, a 3.9 GPA, and some of my professors have mentioned that I should look into getting an MBA.

Now, I have a few options here after I get my undergrad degree. I can go back to being a full-time network engineer at my current company. It's a great place to work but I'm not sure about the company's long-term viability and there's zero room for promotion or advancement. But, it's pretty much a guaranteed job in a bad economy.

I could try to get a job elsewhere that fits more with what I'm interested in, which is operations management and strategic management. I want a lot of room for growth since I have a lot of ambition. I haven't started looking for jobs yet so I'm not sure what's out there, but this is what I'm leaning towards.

Or I could go get an MBA. This'll probably help me rise to the level I want to be at, but I'd have to go into debt and sacrifice a couple years of earnings. Plus, I'd be 28 (almost 29) by the time I finished and that seems pretty late to start a career, even with the work experience I already have.

Hired Gun fucked around with this message at 01:37 on Aug 1, 2010

Tyro
Nov 10, 2009

Hired Gun posted:

I could try to get a job elsewhere that fits more with what I'm interested in, which is operations management and strategic management. I want a lot of room for growth since I have a lot of ambition. I haven't started looking for jobs yet so I'm not sure what's out there, but this is what I'm leaning towards.

I would try to do this and after a few years try to get your new company to pay for the MBA. But that's just me.

Also being 28/29 is the average age to finish an MBA. You're not too old.

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Hired Gun
Nov 25, 2006

by Ozma

Tyro posted:

I would try to do this and after a few years try to get your new company to pay for the MBA. But that's just me.

Also being 28/29 is the average age to finish an MBA. You're not too old.
Would companies pay for a traditional, full-time MBA? Or only the executive/evening variety? If I'm going to do an MBA I want to do it at the best possible school, not just one that happens to be in the area. I feel like I could probably get into some top schools, so I don't want to be limited.

Hired Gun fucked around with this message at 02:30 on Aug 1, 2010

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