Does prestige matter more for undergrad or MBA?

<p>Hi,</p>

<p>I'm not a prospective student at Harvard but I hope one day to apply to HBS for an MBA. Not from an employment perspective, but purely in terms of "prestige", is it better to go to Harvard College or Ross/Stern/Haas + Harvard MBA?</p>

<p>Basically, which one of those possibilities brings the most wow factor?</p>

<p>Thanks</p>

<p>I’ll answer a slightly different question from the one you asked (because I don’t think it’s sensible to choose an undergraduate/graduate sequence based on maximizing prestige). If you’re planning an MBA, at Harvard or elsewhere, don’t do an undergraduate business major. Do liberal arts, social science, science or engineering at a strong undergraduate institution. You’ll broaden your thinking and range of expertise, which will make you more valuable to the world. You’ll also minimize overlap between college and graduate school. </p>

<p>The brand name on a degree is probably good for one job (or, if it’s an undergraduate degree, might help you get into graduate school), but that’s about it. Beyond that, business cares much more about what you can do than what sheepskin you have on your wall. Hard as it may be to believe, performance trumps prestige.</p>