<p>So, let's say that you want to get a great job in business, but consulting, investment banking, hudge funds, and all that stuff aren't your main interest. Is it still paramount that you go to the absolute (and I mean absolute) best MBA schools? I know a lot of people go to these schools to move on to bigger and better things than investment banking, but what if you are more interested in F500 jobs and just being a senior person for a company? Is it still virtually required that you go to HBS and the like? I know you'd want to go to a really good program (as in T20-T25 max), but how much worse are your prospects if you go to UNC instead of Wharton or Stanford GSB?</p>
<p>bump bump 10</p>
<p>Personally, I think it’s still very important. I’m of the opinion that why go to b-school at all, if you’re not going to a top-ranked program? Of course it’s not an absolute requirement, and I’m sure there’re many successful people who have never gone to business school; however, if you’ve already decided to go to b-school, I think you will get more bang from the buck if you went to a top school. I’m planning to go into marketing, and I’m hoping to utilize the alumni network and the relationships I’ve built during b-school after I graduate. Anyway, just my $0.02.</p>
<p>UNC Kenan-Flagler is a top 20 school and highly reputable. You can do well with a degree from that school.</p>
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<p>thanks for the reply. I understand what you’re saying, but my question is HOW TOP do you have to go. For example, I’ve talked to a few people in the i-banking industry, and one guy, despite the fact that he got into Darden (a good school IMO) decided to try again because he wouldn’t have the proper alumni to get into Hedge Funds and whatnot that he desired. Well, let’s say that his ultimate goal was instead to just move up the corporate ladder and not HF. Would he have been severely hindered by going to a good program, or would going to a very solid, but not incredible (when I say incredible, I mean the T7 schools) school for his MBA? </p>
<p>I’m not talking about going to some program in North Dakota ranked 50th in the nation, and obviously going to Stanford GSB wouldn’t hurt your corporate finance career, but I’m talking about good, but not elite T25 programs.</p>
<p>the purpose in getting your MBA is to enrich your experience. If you have experience in corporate finance, and want to learn more so you can become a manager, just go to a school that is famous for corporate finance or has the curriculum you want. Don’t apply to a MBA the same way you apply to college, you go so you can gain contacts, and add knowledge to your experience, not because it sounds good to have a MBA from harvard.</p>
<p>^really? I’ve heard that having a top school for your resume is quite important because it gives you that pedigree factor. Plus, wouldn’t going to a top MBA give you better connections in general anyways?</p>
<p>the better the MBA, the better the people in the program. If you attend the best schools, theoretically you build the best contacts. Its always “good” to have a HBS degree but it isn’t necessary. If you are the type of person who isn’t ambitious enough to start your own company or start your own business and plan to work for a corporation, hopefully becoming a managing director or SVP, a MBA helps a lot. If you want to start your own business, an MBA probably won’t be that big a factor in how much business traffic you have and it boils down to how well you can build a relationship with your customers and clients.</p>
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<p>Yeah that definitely sounds like me, although I don’t think it’s fair to call me unambitious because I don’t want to start my own company haha. I’m definitely somewhat competitive and want to be as high on the corporate ladder as I can, but I’m definitely not your typical ivy leaguer that dreams of making millions and will do whatever it takes to get there.</p>
<p>But you mentioned that an MBA helps, but my question still remains that how good does my MBA have to be for it to be of use? Is having one that’s from a decent (as I mentioned earlier a T20 but not T7 program) school good enough? Is just having an MBA no matter where it’s from good enough to improve your knowledge? </p>
<p>Sorry for all the questions, but I’m still a bit confused.</p>
<p>fastest up the corporate field is to build good relationships and get your MBA</p>
<p>rank 20-25 average salary pre and post MBA</p>
<p>20) Indiana (Kelley) pre MBA salary $42,000 Post MBA salary $114,000
21) USC (Marshall) pre MBA salary $45,000 Post MBA salary $112,000
22) Purdue (Krannert) pre MBA salary $35,000 Post MBA salary $101,500
23) Rochester (Simon) pre MBA salary $40,000 Post MBA salary $110,000
24) Georgetown (McDonough) pre MBA salary $45,000 Post MBA salary $116,000
25) Washington U. (Olin) pre MBA salary $42,000 Post MBA salary $109,000</p>
<p>After you graduate and start working, you’ll realize you can only learn so much from books and everything else is just about experiencing it live.</p>
<p>For some reason, these seem to be rather unrealistic numbers, as far as the jump in salary is concerned. From what I understand, the pre-MBA salaries tend to be higher than the 40k range.</p>
<p>My uncle is the COO for a top east coast law firm. He went to a no-name undergrad school, doesn’t have a JD, but as he rose through the ranks he did a night-school part-time MBA at Rutgers. That gave him the training he wanted to have (and the firm wanted him to have), and he’s done very well for himself at age 43.</p>
<p>A better MBA will give you access to a greater variety of recruiting options and will set you apart from other people seeking to climb the ladder in a larger corporate environment. Every year, from each top business school, a handful of people go into general management for “industry” rather than all the sectors of finance, consulting, or marketing functions within those industries. And the career development offices of each of those schools help them get the jobs they want and ensure that they’re put on a track for success in whatever it is they want to do.</p>
<p>These schools aren’t finance factories. They respond to what it is their students want to go into. Same goes for programs other than the very top ones.</p>
<p>Although it has been said before, I will repeat that it my be beneficial to attend a school that is well-known regionally if it is in the area where you want to live. Local employers and businesses will know and possibly favor that school, their programs and graduates. Sometimes corporations even have a cooperative relationship with a nearby MBA program.</p>