<p>So let's say that you want to major in engineering and get an MBA afterwards from a top school, and eventually pursue consulting, I was wondering how hard it would be to get into a top MBA school. I've heard that MBA is primarily based on work experience and GMAT scores, and while you will be adequately (hopefully) prepared for the GMAT due to the intense nature of engineering, what type of work experience would you need to get into a top MBA field by majoring in engineering? Many MBAs from Wharton, I hear, have internships at MBB and such, but because engineering deflates your GPA greatly, and the MBB people still want a high GPA of like 3.8 or whatever even though you're in engineering, what if you can't get an internship like that, but have a high enough GPA to work for a prestigious engineering firm? Would working for a great engineering company be decent work experience, or would the MBA schools mostly want business ECs? Thus, my overall question is, if you don't get into MBB right out of undergrad, is it still possible to get into a top MBAwith an engineering degree, and no superb business ECs, but superb engineering ECs?</p>
<p>I would say it's possible. MBB schools look for a mix of people, they are not looking for a whole class of the same type of person. They are, however, looking for motivated leaders in any field with any type of background. If you can demonstrate that you are a motivated leader in EC then go for it, and if you can demonstrate you are a motivated leader elsewhere, then you'll probably have a good shot too.</p>
<p>Also, post this in the MBA forum and you might get better replies.</p>
<p>What's an MBB school?</p>
<p>Mckinsey, Bain, Boston Conslting Group.</p>
<p>it's three management consulting firms, not schools.</p>
<p>Indeed.</p>
<p>Those are the MBB firms.</p>
<p>Sry, meant to type MBA</p>
<p>I've been reading over the forums here for quite some time, California_Love8 your goals and interests seem to change on an hourly basis lol. If you don't mind I'd like to ask why you decide engineering? If you plan on going for MBA then consulting wouldn't it be feasible to study business management or something more relevant, your GPA would likely be higher which could help. Any engineering degree is great prep for graduate school, but it is a ton of work, surely studying something less intensive and using the spare time to gain some work experience would directly help on a path to MBA, am I right?</p>
<p>What is the first year pay at MBB firms around?</p>
<p>naboutboul, you're not completely right.</p>
<p>engineering happens to be a great major for MBB consulting firms. They actually prefer engineers for their problem solving skills(told this by an M associate).
imo out of MBA, most MBBs would prefer someone with an engineering bachelors than a BBA.</p>
<p>But its true that they are very 'elite'. Essentially consulting requires this. You have to LOOK intelligent because essentially you're telling successful corporations how to be successful! Part of the credibility can come from a top engineering degree (shows high intelligence) and a top MBA.</p>
<p>this is the opposite of other high paying jobs i.e. IBD where there may be more of a frat-boy environ where social skills are almost everything and the work itself may not require alot of critical problem solving.</p>
<p>but attending a engineering school merely to get into consulting? chances are he will fail miserably, I'm sorry but engineering is not a degree thats obtained easily, and I can't picture very many students excelling profusely at a top engineering program without some sort of interest in engineering. MBB firms go after engineers not after students who attempt engineering just to get a job in consulting, does it make sense for me to go to medical school because it demonstrates my skills as a network engineer? I'd hate to break it to you guys but engineering school is no walk in the park, many many students get weeded out the first year, and since california<em>love8 will be sitting in class dreaming about landing a consulting job, It is unfeasible to think he will succeed in an engineering school. Most engineering students get rewarded for all their hard work with the good jobs, you don't just go to engineering school and end up with fat pockets.
You kids need to learn a thing or two about the real world, a degree in engineering is not going to assure you a job, or even assist you in landing a job, your social skills, connections, and hard work have much more to do with how successful you will become then a piece of paper. Many other factors contribute much more to where your career will lead than the degree you get. That's just the way the real world works. You can dream about consulting all you want, if you don't have the skills necessary to gain people's full trust in you, as well as know a few people in the industry and do a few internships, your engineering degree is not going to do anything. It's just a piece of paper. An
An engineering degree may show high intelligence but when Bill Whorington II's father plays golf with a senior VP of the company you want to work for, you can pretty much guarantee yourself the job is his, not yours, whether your degree is in business, engineering, physics, or anything else. The degree is nowhere near as important as the contacts you establish while in school, keep that in mind. there's a reason engineering degrees are rare it's because it takes passion and persistence to obtain one. Judging by california</em>love8's hourly post about random high paying jobs and his plan to land them, he lacks both.</p>
<p>He's actually made 5 posts in the last 19 days or so. You've made more.</p>
<p>a simple search for threads started by him shows the majority of his posts are new threads, and taking into consideration that he is responding if most, if not all his threads proves my point. I am not making uneducated implication, just read his previous posts.
Listen I'm not looking to bash the kid, but if he is thinking about where he's going to be after graduate school, he is most likely doomed to fail miserably. College opens many doors for you my friend, he is worrying way too much about this, way way too much. There are many industries and jobs that will make you just as much money as "consulting" which is a very vast industry. Many different industries employ consultants. "consultant" is a bit broad and I believe that the best advice for the kid is to study something he enjoys, success will follow.
Why MBA? Maybe you will enjoy what you are doing after graduating and will not find a need to even attend graduate school. An MBA is not the only way to become wealthy. In fact, most of the wealthy people I know are successful due to certain characteristics which happen to be very sought after in the field they are employed in.
There is plenty of time to "find yourself," maybe california love is spending too much time thinking about long term goals, without coming to the very realistic realization that whatever he decides to do now is most probably not what he will end up doing for employment upon graduation.
A simple analysis of any of his thread reveals that he is very concerned about becoming wealthy and is under the impression the only way to do so is consulting or investment banking, which is an absolutely terrible way to start out in college.</p>
<p>
[quote]
1. You kids need to learn a thing or two about the real world, a degree in engineering is not going to assure you a job, or even assist you in landing a job...2.if he is thinking about where he's going to be after graduate school, he is most likely doomed to fail miserably...3.A simple analysis of any of his thread reveals that he is very concerned about becoming wealthy
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Nabo & Uri:
The OP just asked a simple question. You can answer it without the emotions and moral musings. Don't forget you are in a business major forum.</p>
<p>1) Yes degrees aren't everthing. But I'm willing to guess you aren't say a classics major? It's definite that top Eng+top MBA is the best standard credential for MBB consulting</p>
<p>2) there's nothing wrong about thinking about the future. Plus that statement is so off that I have a hard time believing you're being altursitic. I know many people get upset/jealous when they see others "planning out" top careers.</p>
<p>3) there's nothing wrong with being greedy. If that leads to some sort of damaging abnormal behavior than it's his loss, not something for you to concern yourself with.</p>
<p>OP: I would agree with them though that an engineering major is difficult. To get a 3.8 would be nothing short of amazing. You don't want to leave with a 2.8 that would make MBB consulting impossible. I don't know you to judge your capabilities though. P.S.- consider industrial engineering- applied engineering to production models, optimization, efficiency, etc- perfect for management consulting.</p>
<p>since when is eng+top MBA the "best standard credential for MBB consulting"? definitely? says who?</p>
<p>UriA702, YOU'RE EITHER WACKED UP OR USING MULTIPLE SCREEN NAMES. USE ONE SCREEN NAME PLEASE.</p>
<p>
[quote]
but attending a engineering school merely to get into consulting? chances are he will fail miserably, I'm sorry but engineering is not a degree thats obtained easily, and I can't picture very many students excelling profusely at a top engineering program without some sort of interest in engineering. MBB firms go after engineers not after students who attempt engineering just to get a job in consulting, does it make sense for me to go to medical school because it demonstrates my skills as a network engineer? I'd hate to break it to you guys but engineering school is no walk in the park, many many students get weeded out the first year, and since california<em>love8 will be sitting in class dreaming about landing a consulting job, It is unfeasible to think he will succeed in an engineering school. Most engineering students get rewarded for all their hard work with the good jobs, you don't just go to engineering school and end up with fat pockets.
You kids need to learn a thing or two about the real world, a degree in engineering is not going to assure you a job, or even assist you in landing a job, your social skills, connections, and hard work have much more to do with how successful you will become then a piece of paper. Many other factors contribute much more to where your career will lead than the degree you get. That's just the way the real world works. You can dream about consulting all you want, if you don't have the skills necessary to gain people's full trust in you, as well as know a few people in the industry and do a few internships, your engineering degree is not going to do anything. It's just a piece of paper. An
An engineering degree may show high intelligence but when Bill Whorington II's father plays golf with a senior VP of the company you want to work for, you can pretty much guarantee yourself the job is his, not yours, whether your degree is in business, engineering, physics, or anything else. The degree is nowhere near as important as the contacts you establish while in school, keep that in mind. there's a reason engineering degrees are rare it's because it takes passion and persistence to obtain one. Judging by california</em>love8's hourly post about random high paying jobs and his plan to land them, he lacks both.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>OK, first of all, I don't know how many times I've said this, but I do legitimately have an interest in engineering believe it or not. I'm huge on math and science, love bio, physics, etc., and probably would have gone into engineering if there was more money in it. Call me shallow or what have you, but I don't care. I openly admit that I do care a little too much about money, and want to live a luxurious lifestyle quite a bit more than the average person. I'm very materialistic, and do enjoy having nice things, so you have me there, but please don't just assume I hate math and science (since you assume I hate engineering) because in my senior year I'm taking 2 math and 2 science courses (AP Stat, AP Calc BC, IB Bio, and AP physics) while most people who are into business are basically taking the year off. Thus, I do think that it is safe to say that:
a. I'm not going to just sit on my butt all day and expect to ace engineering. I work hard and even though I'm not the smartest person in the world, I'm not going to be some idiot kid who thinks that by getting by with a 3.0 that I can get into consulting. Hell, anyone who is in engineering that wants to do consulting know they need a high GPA, so I honestly don't see what your generalization means, unless you're implying that all people who are in engineering that want to be consultants are idiots. We know what's going on and will work towards it.
b. I actually do have an interest in engineering. Secondly, we've talked about this, but just because you're interested in something doesn't mean you'll be more successful in it than someone who is smarter and is literally just there for the hell of it. You can try and prove me wrong with your idealism, but it does not apply in this world, and as a biz major, you should know that, so I don't know what you're trying to prove here.</p>
<p>Finally, I want to do engineering because I like math and science, and it's the most versatile degree (please, try and prove me wrong about that). You even mentioned that my interests keep shifting, and with engineering, here are some of the few things I can do:</p>
<ol>
<li>Engineering: this one should be obvious.</li>
<li>Medicine/Dentistry</li>
<li>Management of an engineering or other business after MBA.</li>
<li>Patent Law</li>
<li>Ibanking/consulting</li>
</ol>
<p>the list goes on. And since I am shallow I need to mention this, all of those jobs above are lucrative except for engineering, but even that is WAY above average, so pretty much with an eng degree, I can do almost anything that interests me, and make a very good amount doing it, except for actual engineering. Plus, even though it will be 4 years of hell, the fact that I like physics means that it will be interesting for me. </p>
<p>One more thing, the chances of getting into I-banking and consulting are extremely low. You can have everything going for you and still get rejected from these firms. At least if it fails, I have a great fall back in a field I'm interested in, unlike many biz majors that are more shallow than me, and are stuck with a job they hate if they don't make MBB. Besides, why major in business? Why not go to Cornell, major in english and still get in based on your raw talent? English is easier than some biz majors, so why not take that path instead?</p>
<p>Sorry if this post sounds angry, but I'm tired of repeating myself and being called shallow. At least appreciate the fact that I admit I'm shallow, and stop making assumptions about me just because of it.</p>
<p>I don't understand how you are under the impression that engineering is not a lucrative business, I am a structural engineering major and as I explained to you in the summer when you asked the same question, the engineers I know personally, who work in engineering are extremely successful. Engineering degrees are very rare making them worth their weight in gold. Engineers have some of the highest starting salaries in the country. an MBA is not the only way to achieve anything.
By no means am I preaching that greed is a bad thing, I could not care less if someone wants money, reading the 2006 reports, the top 1% of Americans with high incomes pay 40% of the taxes, it is a good thing for people to make money. What I am saying is simply you are really thinking about this way too much, you are still young and you should learn that most of the people on this board are young students who have no idea how things work in the real world.
Believe it or not california_love, there are a lot of people who work for small firms that excel profusely at their job, and make a tremendous amount of money. I am simply telling you what your college guidance counselor will soon tell you, not to worry about where you are going to be 10 years from now, as it will cause a lot of stress and a lot of other issues.
If you will be attending a good university, odds are you will be successful. I live in Manhattan on the upper east side, which is very lavish and upscale and I promise you, most of my neighbors make a tremendous amount of money annually, and guess what 99% of them aren't in consulting.
The best way to become successful is to open minded about all the career options available.
Setting goals for yourself is great, but when you are in your junior or senior year of college, you will see your peers involved in many different fields of employment, most of which can make very good money. A very small percentage of wealthy Americans are in investment banking or work for MBB firms. The wealthiest people I know have a net worth of 9 digits and aren't consultants for MBB firms. In fact their careers are very random. From owning clothing factories, to ticket resellers, to real estate developers, the list goes on and on.
From personal experience I am telling you that if you are hell bent on landing a specific job at a specific firm, you are not alone, it is competitive and statistically speaking you are likely not to get the job. There are millions of ways to make money in the United States and you should not worry about them yet, go to college and "find yourself" in four years you will come back to this board and post about other things.
GO to college find what you are good at, and that will lead you to the good job, that's how it works, not the other way around.</p>
<p>
[quote]
2) there's nothing wrong about thinking about the future. Plus that statement is so off that I have a hard time believing you're being altursitic. I know many people get upset/jealous when they see others "planning out" top careers.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Think about that for a second. Explain why I would be jealous? I couldn't care less about landing a job in consulting. I am interested in IT and small business IT management.
Top Careers? Define top careers. To most people a "top career" is not consulting. There are so many different career paths one can choose, to say people who are trying to give advice on how harsh the real world can be, and how everything you do can come back to bite you in the butt, is not defined as "jealous" in my dictionary.
Is a chemists idea of "top career" consulting for an MBB firm? What about an artists?
Any wealthy person will tell you being open minded and ready to take the road less traveled by is the key to success. If consulting is your goals by all means. It seems to me you are hell bent on it, which is the way to fail miserably.</p>
<p>From wikipedia, one of the richest man on earth.. </p>
<p>Mukesh Ambani holds a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering from the University Department of Chemical Technology (UDCT), which is now known as University of Mumbai, Institute of Chemical Technology (UICT). He began the MBA program at Stanford Business School, but dropped out after his first year in order to assist in his father's ongoing efforts to build the Patalganga petrochemical Plant.</p>
<p>California Love, I recommend that you just become a career student. Do an MD/JD/MBA after doing your Engineering and MIS undergrad. Then, you should of course become a PHD (Economics/Biology/Statistics/History).</p>