This post goes against the ethos of College Confidential (get to the best schools, no matter the consequences), but i don’t want to leave the workforce for 2 years to pursue a degree, and I don’t want to spend a fortune doing it.
However, I really want to get into Brand Management. Dealing with the biggest products and managing them would be such a dream!
So, is it possible to get into BM without an amazing MBA program?
Currently considering 2 schools: Baruch and Rutgers.
Baruch is cheaper. Takes 12 Credits less to complete. Way more convenient. Requires 0 lifestyle changes on my end. Can start this Fall.
Rutgers has a better rep and links to companies, but is more expensive. Didn’t make deadline so start in Spring next year. Requires me to move to Jersey. Takes 12 more credits to complete (so an additional year). Have a harsher and more expensive commute.
I’d rather just go to Baruch, but if the difference is impossible to possible (and not just easier) then I would do Rutgers (or maybe a Full Time somewhere else).
About me: Marketing professional with 4 years experience.
Thanks!
Yes. Most of the brand managers in industry did not come out of the elite MBA programs. Most - including most in the NYC metro/NJ area - are out of places like Fordham, Baruch, and Rutgers.
There are some employers which are education sensitive and will only hire out of the elites for specific programs. I did work for one of those, but even there, the majority of their MBAs were from places like Babson, BU and Bentley, not from Harvard.
Would you need to move to NJ if you did your MBA at Rutgers Newark? Couldn’t you just take the train over? I think it’s only like 30 minutes, if that.
If you want elite and part-time, look at NYU. For the others, if you want schools that people in this region look at and say, “good school”, and offer part time then Rutgers, Fordham, Baruch. Maybe Seton Hall as well.
But if Baruch is in-state for you, and you’re in NYC, it should be on your hot list.
Thanks for the response! Can’t say how much your post relieved me. Been going through LinkedIn profiles and saw lots of Wharton/Kelly/Kellogg/Ross Brand Managers on LinkedIn with only the occasional Rutgers MBA graduate (and literally just 3 Baruch grads) Got me really discouraged.
I live in NYC but Rutgers has a exception to pay instate tuition if you move to Jersey. Since I live in deep Brooklyn anyway, I’d likely have to move to Jersey if I go to Rutgers as it’s too far. Compared to Baruch, Rutgers is more credits (48 vs 54), more expensive per credit ($670 vs $1095), and I’d have to get my own apartment vs living at home with parents (and just paying electric/utilities).
My options are Rutgers and Baruch in NYC. Which one is better for getting into BM at a CPG? Also, I don’t know if it’s a better option but Buffalo (UB) is also affordable and I actually prefer WNY over NYC (just not a lot of marketing positions, but I have connections to help me relocate back).
Would I need an internship as well to get into these companies? If so, is 1 sufficient or should I aim for 2? As an intern, can you apply for places that are far and simply relocate temporarily? What’s the protocol for a part time student doing an internship (ie: work then quit their job)?