<p>If you have the time to read this and respond it will be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.</p>
<p>My ultimate goal is Harvard Business School.
What is the best track to reach this goal?
I have a few options that each have unique opportunity costs:</p>
<p>1] Go out-of-state to University of Illinois at Chicago.</p>
<p>This option is what I would like to do because it moves me into a setting where I am independant in my dream city. However this option also comes at great financial cost. I would most likely not be bringing in any additional revenue based on the strength of the courses and social life of this public university while maintaining a strong GPA.</p>
<p>2] Go in-state at Western Kentucky University or University of Kentucky.</p>
<p>This option allows me to enjoy the college experience (greek life, parties, etc) without paying the out-of-state tuition fees. However I would, most likely, not be working as the implications stated above with option 1.</p>
<p>3] Go to Owensboro Community College and then transferring to University of Kentucky after my associates degree.</p>
<p>Our community college has a 2+2 program that allows students to live at home and pay significantly lower tuition and then guarantees the same tuition of the community college at UK after obtaining your associates degree. This option allows optimal financial gain with the low cost of tuition and allows me to maintain my current 30 hour work week that nets (after taxes) approximately $9.000 yearly (1 month sick/leave included).</p>
<p>As I have stated each of these options are viable but they all have unique rewards at varying degrees. You might notice that option 1 is based on want while option 3 is based on financial need. Option 2 seems to be a good middleground, however it seems as if I am more financial secure with option 3.</p>
<p>I am curious to your input, please do not be shy in your response!</p>
<p>What are you planning on majoring in? - I will expect a response for this but will attempt to respond without it.</p>
<p>3) Your goal is an education: It's nice that you have the financial mind that would have you attempt to get one with as little debt as possible, however I feel trying to do so will undermind your primary goal. With your ultimate goal in mind I would not go with this option.</p>
<p>2) While both of these schools are great schools I wonder about their opportunities to get you into HBS. Have you thought about UNK?</p>
<p>3) Probably your best bet. The networking ability and business opportunities in Chicago will be awesome and the experience will help.</p>
<p>I like the idea of Chicago, mostly because there are merc exchanges, plenty of large companies that help finance education, and a lot of opportunities for ECs that can help you land a great job after graduation. I live in Cincinnati, and understand the appeal of Kentucky and staying there. However, you will grow a lot more by leaving then you will by staying.</p>
<p>I am not sure of what I am going to declare as my major.
However in response to your response I would like you to consider that going to UIC is going
to cost me $26,000 a year (before financial aid packages; average ~11k)!
As much as I would like to go to this school don't you think that being in-debt $60,000
after graduation (if I can even get the average financial aid package) is a little much?</p>
<p>If you think you have the ability to get into HBS, why not apply to Harvard, Princeton or Yale now? They meet 100% of need, in addition you will have access to the country's best jobs and will give you a big boost to your business school application.</p>
<p>I wouldn't want to force this on anyone but consider this...</p>
<p>Go to the best college that you can and join the Army National Guard for that state and enroll in ROTC/SMP program. The scholarships, stipend, and educational benefits are among the best. You also will be able to serve part-time as an officer in the military, which will give you great leadership experience.</p>
<p>I would say #2 or #3..choose based on your personal preference. Hopefully you will end up at UK rather than WKU though.</p>
<p>I wouldn't base too much of this decision on your current job. It really isn't bringing in that much money for you. If you do choose to keep a job, I'd recommend continually evaulating your employment situation (in order to land progressively better and higher paying jobs).</p>
<p>Lots of kids who don't do well in high school mature and do well in college.</p>
<p>I would have to agree with going to the best school you can get into and afford. There are solid colleges that meet need and are not top 25 like Grinnell. Why limit yourself to just these 3 choices? Even if you can't get into a top school, can you do better than these 3?</p>
<p>I think you will find a few kids at HBS that went to a CC, but very few. As someone who has hired MBAs for 25 years I can not recall seeing a CC on a resume except for one time. </p>
<p>There is no doubt that the majority of people at HBS went to a top college.</p>
I think you will find a few kids at HBS that went to a CC, but very few. As someone who has hired MBAs for 25 years I can not recall seeing a CC on a resume except for one time. </p>
<p>There is no doubt that the majority of people at HBS went to a top college.
[/quote]
Maybe you have not seen a CC on a resume because because your applicants did not feel the need to put it on the resume? There are quite a few people who transfer from a CC to a 4 year college afterwards and get a Bachelor's.</p>
<p>Unless they lie on their resume. Whenever I read a resume, I notice any time gaps. That means I would notice that they graduate from HS in 2000 and then attend UCLA from 2002-2004. What's happened during 200-2002?</p>
<p>
[quote]
There are quite a few people who transfer from a CC to a 4 year college afterwards and get a Bachelor's.
[/quote]
But the percentage of those who do so relative to those who went directly to a four year program (especially the elite ones) and then on to a top b-school is extremely small.</p>
<p>cbreeze, most people do not put colleges on their resume if they did not graduate from the school. It isn't liing. It is simply not worth the waste of space that it would take up on the resume. Also, many/most MBAs just put their graduation date, so there would be no gap to see anyways. Also, MBAs aren't putting their HS on their resume. </p>
<p>Obviously top schools are going to see transcripts of the schools attended and will see that a student attended a community college but it really doesn't mean a whole hell of a lot (maybe some grade inflation)..it's not like many MBA employers are going to see that the student attended community college nor will they likely care.</p>
<p>the suggestion to join the military is a good one. HBS (and its peer schools to a lesser degree) takes a good number of ex-military people on the basis of their demonstrated leadership abilities. some never went to college at all.</p>
<p>it's very very hard to get into HBS with any background. Your proposed backgrounds are no exception, in fact they would likely make the admissions officers question your analytical abilities. Your odds will be small either way but they may be somewhat less small with a military background.</p>
<p>that's all. it may not be an option you'd realistically consider but it is a realistic plan for getting into a top business school.</p>
<p>VictorWega, you are wrong. Many put the dates of the years they attended college.</p>
<p>
[quote]
it's not like many MBA employers are going to see that the student attended community college nor will they likely care.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>How do you know?
Depends whether those employers are recruiting at top schools or University of Phoenix.</p>
<p>Here is an example of a Wharton resume.
[quote]
</p>
<p>EDUCATION
THE WHARTON SCHOOL, University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA
MBA Candidate, Majors: Entrepreneurial Management and Finance 2001-2003
· Director’s List (top 10% in class) - Fall 2001 and Spring 2002. First Year Honors.
· Chairman - Wharton India Economic Forum.
· Co-Founder - Leadership Venture on Self-awareness.
· Semifinalist - Wharton Business Plan Competition. Developed business plan for design automation software company.
UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND College Park, MD
M. S. in Mechanical Engineering, GPA: 3.89 1994-1996
· Merit-based Graduate School Fellowship; Developed computer-aided design software which won $100,000 grant;
Published five research papers in leading product development journals.
INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (I.I.T) Delhi, India
Bachelor of Technology in Mechanical Engineering, GPA: 9.12/10.0 1990-1994
· Member - University Cricket team; Elected Treasurer - Mechanical Engineering Society; Member - Dean’s Council.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Here's another one.
[quote]
EDUCATION
THE WHARTON SCHOOL, UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA Philadelphia, PA
MBA Candidate, Dual Major in Finance and Strategic Management May 2003
• Director’s List for Fall Semester 2001, GMAT 760; Member of Finance, Technology clubs
• Wharton Business Plan Competition Committee, Mentor Relations Director; Milken Young Entrepreneurs Mentor
THE AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY Canberra, Australia
Bachelor of Science with Honours (First Class), Major in Physics Feb 1991 – Dec 1994
• National Undergraduate Scholar (awarded to twenty high school students annually for duration of ANU Honours degree)
• Research School of Physical Sciences and Engineering Honours Year Scholar
<p>Looking through a stack of resumes, I did find one candidate who attended two colleges and finally graduating over a span of 14 years. He was a student at a top 5 MBA school.</p>
<p>
[quote]
FISHER COLLEGE OF BUSINESS, The Ohio State University Columbus, OH
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Operations Management May 2001
l 3.96 GPA, Summa Cum Laude, Phi Kappa Phi Honors
l President’s and Dean’s List, all terms consecutively
l Committee Chair: Undergraduate Economics Society
OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY Stillwater, OK
Concentration: Architecture and Microbiology 1987 – 1994
[/quote]
</p>
<p>However, as his fellow students found jobs working as summer interns at Goldman Sachs,Bain and McKinsey, he was assisting a professor in research.</p>
<p>Here are some activities that may have helped him in gaining admission to this top school.</p>
<p>
[quote]
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
l Team USA Ice Hockey, Captain, European Tour Competition
l American Horse Show Association, Reserve National Champion, Morgan Park Harness
l Intramural Ice Hockey and Lacrosse; Certified Skydiver and SCUBA Diver
l Member: Central Florida CEO Organization
<p>
[quote]
How do you know?
Depends whether those employers are recruiting at top schools or University of Phoenix.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>True. If they recruit students from U of P, they probably expect their candidates to have very limited experience/credentials in which case the first two years of their undergrad could be considered very important. However, for an applicant with the type of experience/background necessary to attend a top MBA program, the first two years of undergrad are not all that important.</p>
<p>BTW, the vast majority of MBAs at Wharton attended either Ivy League or school oversees. This does not necessarily mean that Wharton shuns those who have attended community college. If I'm an employer, I want to hire super stars regardless of where they attended their first two years of undergrad. To me, this is not much more important than what one accomplished in high school (which only a select few employers will give any weight to)..which is important to kids, but not so much to those who have reached adulthood.</p>
<p>
[quote]
the suggestion to join the military is a good one. HBS (and its peer schools to a lesser degree) takes a good number of ex-military people on the basis of their demonstrated leadership abilities. some never went to college at all.
[/quote]
I disagree. Joining the military should not be used solely as a springboard to something else. That's not to say that one can't have goals for follow-on careers or opportunities and see military experience as a good primer but one should at least feel some kind of a connection or calling to serve in something larger than oneself. It's a long four years and if all you are is focused on getting out so you can do whatever it is you wanted to do originally, you'll be a pi$$ poor leader -- and that fact will be reflected in your developmental evaluations.<br>
As a vet who attended a top 5 MBA school, I can tell you that having military experience is absolutely NOT a check in the box to get in. When you apply, you will be competing against the cream of the crop from the military; it only makes sense that your work experience should be impressive. And as for not having college degrees -- the only instance I'm aware of at HBS is the guy who was a former personal assistant to President Bush -- and from friends who've attended class with him, he was pretty damn sharp. The overwhelming majority of military at top b-schools were commissioned officers, which is a position that requires a four year degree. My vet buddies at schools and other peer schools all came from service academies, top publics (Berkeley, Michigan, W&M, UCLA, etc.), top privates (MIT, Cornell, Stanford, Princeton, NU, U of C, Duke, Georgetown, etc.), and LACs (Amherst, Williams, Pomona, Middlebury, etc.)</p>
<p>
[quote]
Your odds will be small either way but they may be somewhat less small with a military background.
[/quote]
If that's even true (which I doubt), it would be immeasurably small and would likely manifest itself in the form of undergrad GPAs. Many vets at top MBA programs come from service academies where the core curriculum is engineering-based. This fact combined with the many extracurricular requirements they have, the average GPAs of graduates at these institutions can expected to be slightly lower than those of peer schools. However, the GMAT scores of the same vets at the leading b-schools usually more than offset their GPAs (think 720+), not to mention their extraordinary leadership experience/accomplishments -- relative to other applicants and even their military peers.</p>