<p>Hey slipper1234, thanks for all the great info. I'm really interested in international business. Would it be more beneficial to major in international business or in economics? What is so beneficial about majoring in economics?</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>Bestmiler, the top undergrad b schools are very similar to the top schools, they want leadership, good grades, and good scores. The big differentiators though are 1) if you started a business they love that and 2) they place high importance on HS calculus and economics. Internships and starting a business club totally help, but in an icing on the cake kinda way.</p>
<p>Young one, international business is great, but the thing is make sure you do it at a top school. The econ benefit is that all the top schools offer great econ, whereas international business is offered by only a few schools. Once again Michigan, UVA, UCBerekeley business is great, but in no way would I ever choose any business program at a place like babson, northeastern, or ohio state over an econ major at a place like emory or georgetown</p>
<p>hey slipper: what grad school do you go to?</p>
<p>Columbia .................</p>
<p>Slipper1234 I think you are wrong in the asumption that top companies only recruit from top schools. Also you are definetely wrong when saying that it is better to go to an ivy and major in history then it is to go to an undergraduate not as selective school and study business for business oppprtunities. Besides why do people worry so much about jobs why don't they start their own large companies.</p>
<p>Gee either getting hired to work for someone else and make millions or create your own and make billions. I'll take the create your own for billions please and for that your degree means didly sqaut because in the work place many many non-selective college grads have the top grads working under their watch.</p>
<p>Ummm...I know more about this than 99% of people beacuse I have lived it and work with these people. I have recruited with these firms. Do you know how powerful the alumni networks of the Ivies are? Trust me. Look at BGG, McKinsey, Bain, Mercer, Goldman Sachs, etc websites. They only recruit from the top schools. A P&G marketing job sure you can get from Ohio State, but for the cream of the crop they don't even look past the top 15 overall schools. </p>
<p>And the reason to go to work for one of these is 1) the pay really is insane. At Columbia, I-banking packages from B-school are 200K+ this year (consulting is 130K), and Managing directors (10-12 years post MBA) make 2-6 million annually. ALL OF THEM. 2) Many people take these jobs because they give as much credibility as the schools, i.e. after working at BCG you are a BCG 'alum' and you have access to some of the most powerful network in the world. When you start your business you are dealing at such a high level from the start because of your background. </p>
<p>I am entrepreneurially oriented myself, so I agree that in the end many top people never went to top schools or that starting your own business can make you own all these guys. Also, not everyone needs or wants to work at BCG, and that is why especially for marketing/ retail/ etc it is better to go to the lesser business programs. </p>
<p>The founders of McDonalds, Wendys, etc never went to college. But if you are smart and can hedge your best and get some of the best preperation in the world though, why not?</p>
<p>Here's my point in a nutshell. For the top services companies you want to be in the 'consideration set' of schools. This set includes all the top Ivies/ LACs through the top 25ish. Also, the top business schools are in this set, from Wharton to Indiana. But after that its rare. </p>
<p>For marketing/ entreprenerial stuff/ media obviously the better business school the better the opportunity, but you dont need to go to a top one.</p>
<p>Also if you want to see how good a school impacts recruitment look at MBA salaries. From the top 5 its over 100K, for the 50th school its 60K. 10 years later the top 5 guy will make 500K-1MM on average, the 50 guy less than 200K on average.</p>
<p>so slipper, if i had a choice to go to the university of minnesota - carlson school of management on a rull ride or go to penn and put myself in debt of about 100000 what should i do? couldnt i go to the u of m and then go to a more prestigious graduate school later on?</p>
<p>What percent of intitial IB hires actually make it to the MD level and what do they have to do to get there??</p>
<p>oh ya i was wondering about that too...if you had the choice of going to a state uni (like a low level UC) for cheaper, or a top so cal biz program (like USC Marshall) and risk over $100k in debt...what would you do?</p>
<p>Slipper1234 you know how crappy these starting jobs are at the top companies. Sure you make lots of money but what good is a lot of money if you can't enjoy it. Most investment banks make their new hires work 13 or even 15 hour days. I'm sure not alot of people want to do that. I don't get why people keep talking about working for the top companies when they sure aren't hired at the top. Why don't people ever think of becoming executives in small companies or founders of slightly smaller companies.</p>
<p>Why do people get so caught up on the top firms. When to get to the top of the top firms you're shots are probably one in 500 million. Even though going to a good school will give you a slightly better chance at the top companies you have so many people from Ivies at these top companies that the competition is so ridiculous.</p>
<p>Slipper1234 you may have been a recruiter or worked with these top companies. Do you know how many people made it to the top 4 positions in these companies? Probably less then 200. Hmm.. how many people work for these companies? millions. How many other Ivy grads are there? Thousands.</p>
<p>People should be more concerned about how they can make smart investments such as real-estate or some other investment where they can gain money. People should also consider how to get hired by a small company get the work experience so they can go off in their own direction and start their own company.</p>
<p>Corporate America for the most part sucks. You can get laid off even if your 50. Chances are you won't be one of the top executives at these firms because even if you do go to Harvard you have way too many other people who went to Harvard so you look like average Joe.</p>
<p>Dunk--you are very smart. Invest wisely and make your own money. CorpUSA is not out for you.</p>
<p>hey dunkaroo: when you start your own company, you will have to work just as hard as would trying to make it big in corperate america. really, theres no easy (or more easy) way of getting rich than good old hard work.</p>
<p>yes Mr. TrojanMan ever think sometimes hard work's odds are nearly impossible. What are the odds that you will be the next CEO or top 5 guys of the top 20 investment banks? I'd bet a million dollars on it and would probably win the bet.</p>
<p>Do you realize that you have Harvard grads left and right at these top companies? Also did you ever notice twhat do all these Ivy grads want? The same damn thing you are after. That is becoming a top executive at these Fortune 500 companies.</p>
<p>Yes starting up your own little ocmpany is harder then it seems and it is numbers wise harder to start up your company and become successful then it is to get recruited by a top company and still reach that same level/. However, people don't realize that in Corporate America the cutoff is ever present. When you start your own company or work for a smaller company you have virtually no limit. Starting a company there is no limit. Working for a smaller company there is probably a limit but your odds of getting to the top of that small succesful company are higher.</p>
<p>Why?</p>
<p>Because there are less people after the same thing that you are after and not all of them went to an Ivy league school!</p>
<p>Also your job will be easier in the long run. Yes starting up a company is no easy task by any means and chances are you won't succeed. If you don't succeed go work at a smaller company and get some experience. After getting that experience from a non-top company you will still have experience needed to make money.</p>
<p>In Corporate America and at places like Goldman Sachs, Merril Lynch, etc... guess how many people there are in the top 2% tax bracket? A lot because you have the CEO's. Then ask yourself how many people in those same companies listed are not in the same bracket? A whole lot more.</p>
<p>People should think about working for smaller companies but making smart investments such as real estate and other things.</p>
<p>How about thinking about how you can invest your money in real-estate in a major city and over 10 years the price of that real-estate will triple?</p>
<p>That doesn't sound like a bad plan now does it. At the same time work for a smaller company or start up your own so you won't have the fear of loosing your pants by some other dumb corporate scandal or laid off along with hundreds of your co-workers who went to Ivies themselves. By working for smaller companies you will have the security of making good money to help you make these investments. </p>
<p>People get so hung up with going to the prestigious Ivy league schools and working for top companies. Little do they realize that corporate america is not for everyone and chances are that they won't go as high as they think their Ivy degree will take them.</p>
<p>I hear you HAVE to go to a top business school or college in order to be recruited by the top companies some of which I listed above.</p>
<p>You definetely DO NOT have to go a top business school to be recruited by a top firm and sometimes people miss the thin line between corporate america's hassles and all they see is $$$ and not the crap that goes into getting that $$$. They forget what their real chances are of getting that money and the risk that is involved with working in Corporate America. With that common belief they miss their potential for moving higher up the ladder in smaller companies that pay well enough to live like any other Fortune 500 CEO.</p>
<p>So any other non Top 10 business school graduate can be just as rich as any other top 10 business school grad all because they made a decision to do something else instead of entering Baine & Co., Goldman Sachs or any other so called top business firm.</p>
<p>All the Ivy hopefuls on this board and Wharton or other top business school dreamers I suggest you take a look at this to give yourself a different approach at Corporate America and how sometimes working for smaller companies or starting your own company can be the biggest success of your life beyond any college or university.</p>
<p>slipper, columbia doesn't have an undergrad business school... nice try though.</p>
<p>im sure slipper meant economics as a major, its stil a business major.</p>
<p>He is talking about the mba program. Someone asked him what grad school he goes to.</p>
<p>Going to an ivy or top 25 school will only get you a job. From there it is up to you to decide your own destiny. No one is going to care if you went to Harvard if you don't make the firm any money. Likewise, no one is going to care if you went to Blueberry State University if you make the firm millions of dollars. It all depends on the person once you actually get the job.</p>