Does an MBA from a Top Tier School matter when you are just using it for better opportunities?

<p>I have a confession to make: I graduated 2 years ago from a lowly public Uni ranked on the US News at around 110. I also graduated with a even more miniscule 2.7 GPA. Most people would say that's fine, but from the perspective of these boards, I might as well commit seppuku. </p>

<p>The good news is I currently hold a position at a very prestigious media company (but without prestigious pay :( ) in Marketing, my managers love my work, and took a GMAT for funsicles (and being bored unemployed), and found out my score was a 710, which is a top 10 percentile score and 100 points better than my highest SAT score. </p>

<p>I am considering the quickest path to Management. In my short time at Full-Time so far (2 positions for a total of 13 months so far), I have noticed that I am very good at dissecting plans and managing people. Coming up with quick fixes for problems that arise with others, and having a good insight into consumer behavior. I think my calling is Management in Marketing, but getting through the conventional way may take decades. Besides, when searching for positions prior to my current role, my biggest obstacle was that although my experience was very competitive (internships and prior position), my educational background would hold me back. I think this may only worsen over time. </p>

<p>Sneaking into other people's Linkedin profiles, I notice that the fast-track to success in Marketing is by jump sharking as much as possible. I also noticed that several successful people have MBA degrees. Some do not, but many of those either graduated from a Top 15 School (Ivy League or similar), have High Honors and GPA, and/or had a ridiculously lucky break early on in positions (starting at a high-level role in Marketing right after college)</p>

<p>I think an MBA in Marketing (possibly in Consumer Behavior) would put me above competitive candidates and allow me in a few year’s time to sit in the Captain’s Chair. After all, it takes several years to complete an Part Time MBA/Online MBA regardless, so by time of completion, I should be set to compete for Managerial roles.</p>

<p>So, my main question is: If you dormed in college and don’t really want to revisit the “college experience” again (but enjoys learning), and are merely looking for your MBA to help you jumpstart your current career path rather than take on a new one, does it really matter if you attend a Top Tier MBA school? Obviously, the school still should be accredited and all that fuzz, but is all the pomp and circumstance of a Top Tier school truly essential in moving up the corporate ladder if you’re simply looking for something to elevate a lackluster Undergrad degree (or technically 2 in my case)? Not all the other BS pertaining to Networking, "College Experience", et al that I keep seeing regarding MBA's?</p>

<p>For specifics: I'm either looking into Baruch College Part-Time MBA or UND Online MBA. The only 2 schools that are really affordable that I could think of in the NYC area (my Undergrad college would be a bit far...).</p>

<p>I would do more research into where you want to be and how that world works. For certain competitive jobs, MBA pedigree matters a lot. Other jobs may not care about the school ranking or degree itself at all.</p>