<p>This is what I was thinking... (I'm going to try and make this as simple as possible)</p>
<p>I'm a senior in high school now, about to wrap it up. I want to go into human resources.</p>
<p>I want to go to a university and get a BA in Business Administration in 2-3 years. This may sound crazy, but I know exactly what I want to do, and so this will save time and money. I plan on taking classes over summer break and winter break in college.</p>
<p>And then I'm thinking of going straight into Grad School. </p>
<p>So hypothetically, if I get a 3.7+ GPA from my university and then do exceptionally well on my GMATs, will this be a good idea? </p>
<p>And if I get my MBA, is it a good idea to still just get an entry level job in human resources and work my way up? I know for a fact that employers won't take me in higher positions because of my lack of work experience. But by doing this, I can climb up in my career faster right?</p>
<p>Ordinary college grads (4 years in school) that go straight into an MBA program have a few disadvantages. </p>
<ol>
<li><p>Employers (especially Fortune 500 types) view the graduate as a super senior and they end up with lower entry jobs than the MBA grad with prior work experience. They may enter somewhat higher than a regular bachelor graduate, but not as high as an MBA with 2-5 years work experience.</p></li>
<li><p>These students have no work experiences to draw on in the classroom. A big part of business school is having input from many perspectives, functions, and industries. No work experience means less input into that conversation, and therefore less learning from it too.</p></li>
<li><p>Students going straight into an MBA are likely to do so at schools with ok, but not powerhouse reputations. This translates into a quality education, but at a school where the employment reach is more likely to be local or regional. That further limits the employment potential.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Your reasons of time and financial savings are quite valid, but recognize there are important trade-offs out there too. If you race through undergrad, you will give up summer internship periods which would have helped your MBA applications, therefore exacerbating your postion as someone with no experience. </p>
<p>In my opinion, two better choices would be
- Finish the bachelor’s fast, but then work before an MBA (preserves your options for all quality schools).
- Do the bachelor’s on a 4 year schedule so you can do meaningful summer internships and establish a track record of leadership. Then apply for an MBA straight away. This gives the admissions committee something to evaluate you on besides the single accomplishment of having finished fast. </p>
<p>I’m sure there are other possibilities, but this would be my advice if you came into the admissions office to chat.</p>
<p>Excellent advice above! Many graduate business schools require or at least strongly prefer candidates have work experience for even the top undergrad students.</p>
<p>When deciding on BA, see if any of your schools have well-regarded undergraduate business schools. Note that some (UVA Commerce) are competitive entry during your 2nd (sophomore) year. Also check policies on transfer credits. As a general rule, easier for meeting general requirements and non-major electives, harder-to-impossible for core in-major courses.</p>
<p>Consider it likely that you will change focus and career interest based on experience now and in college. (Another reason MBA programs prefer students have work experience.) One data point: My wife’s dream job in college was HR. Then she saw the gritty side of it in an internship. Switched to recruiting, then moved into inside sales (IT) and has a very successful career in marketing. </p>
<p>Also, many companies that hire new grads into HR support earning a MS or MBA part-time, especially for star employees marked for advancement. Takes longer, but you’re getting paid and building a track record while earning the degree. In many (most) employment situations, having the experience and degree is more important than where you earned the degree (obviously a different story at firms where the culture is ti hire direct from top full-time programs). Hope this helps.</p>