<p>Hello, I am currently a UC Irvine undergraduate who changed from electrical engineering to economics two quarters ago. My GPA as an electrical engineer has been miserable (I had a 2.8), but I've gotten 4.0 the last two quarters in my economics classes. Assuming that I can keep up a high GPA, I've calculated that my overall GPA when I graduate will be around a 3.35-3.4... also keep in mind that our economics program is very quantitative, requiring a lot of calculus and I am in the Business Economics program, which requires several challenging upper-division classes in business descision-making. My extra curriculars involve an engineering outreach program, for which I was the chair, and next year I plan on doing economics research involving industry analysis. </p>
<p>That being said, what are my chances of getting into a Top 25 MBA program? I realise that I will not land a job in a top firm upon graduation, but with several years of experience at a smaller financial firm and good GMATS (I'm a good standardized test taker), what are my chances at a b-school like USC or Emory?</p>
<p>To put yourself in the ballpark for schools like those is going to require around a 700 on the GMAT. I'm not sure what the average GPA is at those schools, but the admit rates are still pretty low (<40%), so I'd guess average GPA would be pretty high.</p>
<p>Your GPA would probably be on par or above par. GPA is only one of many components though. You need to have a good GMAT, essays, interview, and solid work experience (showing progressive growth).</p>
<p>Thanks for the replies! I was also looking into getting a masters degree in finance (called Masters in Finance, Masters in Financial Analysis, Masters in Financial Engineering, etc.). Is getting a degree like this worthwhile (say from a lesser known school like the University of San Francisco)? I ask this because I would eventually like to gain the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation, and I know that the masters in finance at USF covers a lot of the CFA exam topics in its curriculum. </p>
<p>So if anyone knows, is a Masters in Finance from a lesser known school valuable for someone looking for buyside firm type carreer, and will it help my resume when I apply for a top 25 MBA school?</p>
<p>No, getting a degree at U of San Francisco will not help. I would recommend a masters in financial engineering at a top program like Haas.</p>