Is it worth it to attend an Ivy League (or Top 20 BSchools) for MBA? My school (small college) has 3 accelerated pathways: MBA, MSIS, and MTax. After a few searches, I like to put things into a pros and cons list (I apologize if I left any obvious ones out). I’m leaning towards MSIS because the future is going to be more technology-focused and careers like chief information/technology officers make as much as those who graduate with an MBA from top schools over time.
Ivy League/Top 20
Pros:
prestigious
more connections
better job placement (into management positions)
at least ~$110,000 salary
richer experience
state-of-the-art facilities
Cons:
acceptance rates
interview (my school doesn’t require it)
GMAT (not required for my school unless I have >3.3 GPA)
high student debt
stress
My school
Pros:
GMAT (listed above)
tuition costs (estimated total ~$30,000)
commuting
graduate earlier (bachelors + masters = at least 4 1/2 years, unless I want to double major in finance then 5 years)
less stress
Cons:
less prestigious
less connections
job placement rate
I’m trying to think from the top of my head so I probably missed some things. At this point and after writing this discussion, I think I might continue to stay at my school for the next 4 years. I’d love to hear any advice and/or experiences!
First, top MBA programs do not accept students straight out of undergrad. You are expected to have at least two years of strong work experience first, and many students have more. So the question in front if you right now is whether to stay at your current school to get an MBA or to enter the workforce.
Second, an MBA from a top school is not the same as an MBA from a small college that has easy acceptance. An MBA from a top school will put you on an entirely different level in the workforce in terms of opportunities and salary. It’s not even close. If you want to go into investment banking or consulting, you want a top MBA.
So why do you want an MBA? What is your goal? Do you really have what it takes to get into a top program? Is it really an option for you? The answer to those questions will help you decide which type of MBA is better for you.
OP: Need more info. What is MSIS ? Masters of Science in Information Science ? If so, need to know the school (Bentley ?) and your career goals.
Obviously a Masters in Taxation is targeted toward a very specific career while an MBA is a more general, broad-based degree. Depending upon the MSIS curriculum it also may be a narrow field.
In short, need more information about your specific school & about your career goals.
P.S. If an undergraduate business major, an MBA is somewhat redundant–especially at this point in your life. Better to limit your choices to tax or information sciences.