<p>
[quote]
it still offers access to networking
[/quote]
The majority of jobs that MBAs accept are offered through the formal recruiting process, not networking.</p>
<p>That varies school to school actually. Please compare the possibilities at CGU with another school of similar admissions difficulty. There are some great boutique banks in Los Angeles that do not have a formal recruiting process for undergrad or mba, but you have access to a network that will get you into contact with those people. Same goes for smaller consulting companies, economic think tanks, etc.</p>
<p>calicartel ,</p>
<p>OK, I thohght you would question the validity of ANY 1 year program. Florida requirs work, as well.</p>
<p>Also, Kellogg's "1 yr program" requires more than 1 academic year--you need to be there the summer quarter before joining other Y2 students in the fall (your classmates would be mostly the 2nd-yr students and you would graduate with them at the same time). The tuition probably won't be just half of that for the standard one. It's not an accelerated program; nothing is squeezed or crammed. They require you to have bunch of pre-reqs. When the fall starts, you should have about the same finance/accounting background as other 2nd-yr students.</p>
<p>so many of you are talking like you are authorities on a 5 year program but none of you state your credentials about how you would know. Seems to me many of you read stuff on the internet and profess yourselves to be experts. I got my MBA immediately after my BS in Business. It was called a 1 year program and it consisted of 20 classes. As I had the first 10 classes waived (I took them as an undergrad), it only took me 1 year. One of you morons stated that an MBA should make at least $70k starting. Where do you get your info??? It depends on your industry and the function, and your experience. If you take the CEO of a mid size company already making 200k and then he/she gets an executive MBA then that gets averaged into the class. Was it the degree that got them a high salary?? No. Did the degree help with the business and his/her knowledge? Likely. And yes...it was in CA. </p>
<p>I too had experience from internships and my first job was 35k (11 years ago) which is equivalent to about 48-49k today (using 3% inflation annually). I took the job because I wanted to work in finance. I could have gotten a higher paying job in something else. My plan was to start/run my own company one day and the MBA experience taught me a lot. BTW, my first job was 35k, 1 year later I took a job making 45k, 1.5 years later I had a job making 50, 3 years later I was at 80k. Currently I run 2 businesses (one with revenues of $2.5 Million the other with revenues of $300K) and I am on the executive management of a 3rd company that does $12 Million in revenue. My personal income is in the $250-300k range and that was made possible by my 4+1 MBA. So, yes, real work experience counts but the MBA will give you a leg up. If you are not bringing your personal experience here then don't comment all you do is provide others with a disservice.</p>
<p>^ LMAO @ bringing antecdotal evidence to the discussion and professing that as the gospel. There are successful people from all walks of life and all sorts of educational backgrounds. Hell, Dave Thomas, founder of Wendy's, didn't even receive his GED until he was about 60 yrs old. Bill Gates dropped out of Harvard, and Michael Dell dropped out of UTexas after his Freshman year. These people were all successful either inspite of or because of their educational background. However, do you think they would recommend such paths for the masses? I doubt the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation recommends that students get a full ride to a university like Stanford and then drop out after a few years to become the next great billionaire.</p>
<p>In regards to the value of your degree, you pretty much nailed it on the head. The value of a degree such as yours is mainly derived from what you learned and what you can apply in the future. Although, I would argue that is still lesser than that of a top university for several reasons. 1: Some MBA courses are primarily discussion based. Students with limited experience have little to bring to the discussions, and the lack of experience really limits their ability to understand the application of the concepts. 2: The value of the students around you extends beyond the classroom. Being around other elite students can be a driving force to achieve greater things. Furthermore, having peers who are former investment bankers, mgt consultants, real estate developers, CPAs, entrepreneurs, etc etc etc really helps one define their desired career path. Perhaps you knew what you wanted, but most students don't. 3: The quality of teaching</p>
<p>Regardless of all of those points though, the value of a top MBA is not simply what one learns in the classroom or from fellow students. It also includes the alumni network/connections the student receives and also the initial jobs that are offered to students of that school. While I don't think anyone at this board will scoff at 250/300k a year. It is certainly a noteworthy accomplishment and one for which you should be applauded. However, at the same time, I doubt the average Top MBA Graduate turned McKinsey new hire is dreaming of a 250 to 300k payday sometime. Most of them should be thinking much much bigger than that.</p>