Is work experience really necessary to get into a top MBA program?

<p>Hello Guys, I'm new to this discussion but I am very interested to get into a prestigious graduate program. I'm thinking of Harvard, Stanford, and maybe Berkeley. I don't know why but I'm trying to stay away from Wharton. But pertaining to work experience, for my undergraduate I'm applying myself in a US Academy, more specifically West Point. I will be serving 5 year after my 4 year graduation. Would 5 years in the military serve as a great example of work experience to get accepted to Harvard graduate school?</p>

<p>Also, this is a very simple, naive question. What type of business is the most successful? And what is the most successful business major? Success equating to $$, fame, lifestyle. </p>

<p>Thank you.</p>

<p>-kpsong87</p>

<p>There are a lot of mlitary veterans in business school. The military teaches great leadership skills. You will be fine.</p>

<p>Hey SAKKY, I see you everywhere...i mean in almost EVERY forum on this site. How do you do that? =]</p>

<p>What's a good major in business? And, if one does get an MBA from a prestigious graduate school, where does that led specifically, instead of just a well-paying corporation. Like what position, etc, etc?
Thanks </p>

<p>-kpsong87</p>

<p>kpsong87, you can major in anything. Business schools don't care as long as you have full-time work experience and leadership potential. To give you a breakdown of a typical entering MBA class at a prestigious university, it's 65% technology/engineering/business/finance majors and 35% other (social sciences, liberal arts, theatre).</p>

<p>Simon (U of R) is a top business school that has a program called "Early Leaders Initiative". Check it out. Simon</a> School Early Leaders Initiative : Simon Graduate School of Business</p>

<p>Please Evaluate.</p>

<p>I am Ram Sharmaa</p>

<p>I did my Btech from a reputed univ in electronics and communications.</p>

<p>I did numerous btech projects for which i was acclaimed and also internships of 6 months at bhabha atomic research center which is the most prestegious of all research centers in India.</p>

<p>During my btech only, i had 3 international journal publications in IEEE in my research areas.</p>

<p>Since i had inclination towards MBA,despite of having such gud core background,after my Btech I joined my family business in petro products.</p>

<p>I Worked 2 years fulltime as a sole authority.</p>

<p>side by side i got 15 certifications in Finance from National Stock Exchange Body of India.</p>

<p>I gave gmat scored 730 toefl ibt 105/120.
I think nobody does 15 certifications in finance.I have done it.</p>

<p>I want to do an MBA from harvard kellog wharton etc..</p>

<p>Please evaluate me???????</p>

<p>Check out Simon's Early Leaders Initiative (U of R). If you qualify, you can be accepted into the business school directly from undergrad. Here's another link you might want to look at.</p>

<p>Getting</a> Down to Business: Financial Implications M.B.A. NOW Versus Later</p>

<p>^ LMAO @ that study. A student that could only make $35k out of undergrad will not be able to get into a top school right out of undergrad and will not make $80k with an MBA and no work experience. More like they will make $35k out of school or $45k with MBA and no experience.</p>

<p>I wonder where they are assuming these students went to undergrad that they are only making 35k...Northeast Wyoming Technical State University?</p>

<p>WTSU is a better school than South Hampton Institute of Technology, but the acronym is much better. Besides, WTSU is at the hub of the cattle industry.</p>

<p>Vector-- </p>

<p>That may be unlikely but not necessarily true. Yes a 35k salary isn’t so great, but many smart people have limited connections or live in a more rural area and need to start somewhere. Making 35k a year in your first job is not an accurate predictor or indication of intelligence or ability to have success in the future.</p>

<p>In my first job out of college my base pay was only 36k (40s after extras), a year later I made >80k, and now (another year later) I’m about to go to a b-school where the average starting pay after graduation is >130K.</p>

<p>So, Leopard you are exactly right, Vector your assumptions are a bit off; and to anyone reading this that is starting out on the bottom, there is hope for the future
</p>

<p>Perhaps you didn’t understand my point, because it is 100% correct. If the best you can do is land a $35k job out of college, then you definitely aren’t the incredibly talented undergrad candidate that a top MBA program is going to want (with 0 yrs experience).</p>

<p>If you can only make $35k out of college, the type of MBA programs you can get into right out of undergrad won’t raise your profile so much that you can make $80k a year. Maybe you could manage a McDonald’s for $45k to $50k (provided you already have some fast food experience)</p>

<p>Vector;</p>

<p>It was your midly arrogant tone about pay and ability that I took issue with. Your McDonald’s reference is equally arrogant. The fact is that there are plently of people who start out with low paying jobs who will go on to do well.</p>

<p>That being said, I am willing to concede that if you can only make 35k right away you are probably not going to be able to jump into a top b-school with no experience.</p>

<p>so work experience is really neccessary

like experience working in a bank?
or just any job experience with manager level?</p>

<p>You don’t have to work in a bank and you don’t necessarily need to be a manager.</p>

<p>What business schools like to see is advancement within your chosen career, leadership roles (which is different than management), and a clear view of how the MBA will apply to you and your career. Getting an MBA because you want an MBA isn’t good enough. You need to be able to prove that you can take the knowledge from the education and apply it in your field. This is why a lot of people get the degree after they have found the glass ceiling, or some other barrier preventing further career advancement.</p>

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<p>I have no problem with McDonald’s. I’ve worked there myself.</p>

<p>This might be somewhat off-topic, but doing an MS in say finance or management doesn’t require work experience, unlike an MBA. So for people who don’t have the experience, and still want to do a course in management, would that be a viable option? I’m aware that the kind of coursework and the learning methods would vary, and so would the salary and possibly the job description, but I’d really like to know what the EXACT differences are, and to what degree the differences matter. An MBA is, of couse, the best option for anyone who really wants to get business from a practical perspective, but I’d like to understand how different these other options are before I say no to them.
Thanks, in advance.</p>

<p>I last posted here when I was applying as a college senior to business school.</p>

<p>In the end I applied (and got accepted) to only one school, where I am currently between my first and second years- the Wharton/Lauder MBA/MA programme.</p>

<p>I recently checked this site out again because someone evidently found my post, and sent me an email about college students applying directly to business school. I won’t have the time to check back here often, but if anyone has similar questions, feel free to send me a private message with your questions and your email address. The messages go straight to my email inbox so I should get them and will reply when I can.</p>

<p>Good luck everyone!</p>

<p>what if you have job experience at science lab?</p>