‘m graduating this semester with 3.36 GPA. My school is ranked around the 80s by the US News for its undergraduate business program. I double majored in Accounting and Finance. My goal is to get into a top MBA program (not necessarily HBS or Stanford, but the likes of Kellogg, Columbia, UCLA, or even Stern and USC would be just great).
Now, assuming I get a high GMAT score (670+), which I would invest alot of time to attain, what kind of work experience would help me the most to get into a top MBA?
I have two options, either to work for 1) a Sovereign Wealth Fund; or for 2) PwC on the financial advisory side. I intend to work there for about 2 – 3 years. Many people told me that a Sovereign Wealth Fund work experience would be prestigious, unique, and surely differentiate you from other applicants as admission committees are looking for diversity in backgrounds to bring in a different perspective in class (what are the odds that there is another international applicant having the same background in an SWF?). However, others told me that PriceWaterHouseCoopers is very prestigious and highly reputable firm in financial advisory (and big 4 in actg), and admission committees at the top schools still hold notions that working for a big consulting firm is the best you can bring to the table along with I-banking.
So, which of these backgrounds would help me the most (taking into consideration my undergrad) to get into to a top MBA? What might impress an admission committee more?
With a 3. 36 undergrad GPA, a 670 GMAT score, and 2-3 years of experience? Neither of ‘em. Try a 700+ and 3-5 years if you’re hoping for top-tier programs.
That aside, both options have advantages and disadvantages, which you’ve summarized admirably. The question is, what do you want to do once you’ve finished your MBA, and what skills and/or connections do you see as more valuable to you now in terms of getting there? Your ability to explain that will matter a lot more to the admissions committee than the company name on your resume.
Either firm will give you excellent work experience. Instead of worrying which will get you into a good MBA program, you should take the job that suits you best and most appeals to you.
Consult the Official MBA Guide. It’s a comprehensive free public service with more than 2,000 MBA programs listed worldwide. It allows you to search for programs by location (US, Europe, Far East, etc. ), by concentration (finance, marketing, aviation management, health management, accounting, etc. ), by type of program (full-time, distance learning, part-time, etc), and by listing your own criteria and preferences to get a list of universities that satisfy your needs. Schools report their accreditation status, tuition cost, number of students, class sizes, program length, and a lot of other data. Schools provide data on entrance requirements, program costs, program characteristics, and much more. You can use the Guide to contact schools of your choice, examine their data, visit their web site, and send them pre applications. You can see lists of top 40 schools ranked by starting salaries of graduates, GMAT scores, and other criteria. It’s the best service available at http://officialmbaguide. org.
I think i answered this question once before.