<p>This may be a little long winded so please bear with me. I will be graduating from San Jose State in May and I would like to go for my MBA in the spring. If I don't do it now I probably never will. I am having difficulty deciding which schools to apply to in California. My main issue is where I could be accepted. Assume I get a 650 to 700 on the GMAT. Here are some stats and things I have done:</p>
<p>Majoring in Finance and Minoring in Economics
GPA when I graduate - About 3.16 overall and 3.67 major.
Dean Scholar
Completed the honors Humanities program at San Jose State
Former member of Financial Managers Assocation
Helped prepare a market research project for Palm Source Corp. (not a school project, actually did it for the company)
Interned 9 months at a major high tech company
Currently a tutor for the San Jose State College of Business
Completed 3 more accounting courses than required for major.</p>
<p>I was actually looking at San Diego State simply because they have an MSBA program in Finance. It is not terribly difficult to get into, but it is the most challenging out of the CSU's. I would like to know what other schools I should apply to in California. Maybe I could get into some UC's.</p>
<p>The top MBA programs in California that you would want to attend would probably be Stanford, Berkeley Haas, UCLA Anderson, USC Marshall, UC Davis, and UCI Merage, in that order. All of the other programs are outside the top 50 and might not be worth the time and money. If you've got no work experience (no, internships don't really count to them), then it'll be difficult to get in to those schools. If you've really got your heart set on going right now, then I guess a Cal State will suffice. You might also think about the Rady School at UCSD, since they're brand new and seem more willing to take people directly out of undergrad. Over time, the Rady School will improve and having the UCSD name on your resume will help more than having a CSU school on your resume.</p>
<p>Also, it will be difficult to get into a top CA school with a 3.16 GPA. You'll need a solid GMAT and solid essays. They have to be something special, since you really don't have any full time work experience.</p>
<p>Not really looking for a top school like Stanford or Berkeley. I know they are out of my league. But maybe schools like Irvine, Davis, Riverside, Cal Poly Pomona, and the likes.</p>
<p>alicante has a solid grasp of the elite schools but as stated your numbers won't support any of those other than a midrange UC (ie, Davis and Irvine) as a bit of a reach. i surely would give UCSD a shot as the university in some circles is now placed in the top three or even top two among the ten UCs but consider an admit there lucky. yet another place to peek is UC Merced to see if it too is ready for you. it already is attracting rave reviews for its infrastructure and new faculty hires.</p>
<p>on the CSU side i would limit myself to the elite of the system: Cal Poly SLO, Cal Poly Pomona, San Diego State, and then perhaps pick one or two from a safety list of still excellent MBA programs among Fullerton, Long Beach, San Jose and possibly Chico. please remember the price tag for all the UCs is significantly higher if that is a factor....good luck!</p>
<p>Price is really not an issue. One of my first choices was Pepperdine, but they actually require one year work experience. I was thinking of applying to Santa Clara University, but its not that great of a school and the cost is ridiculous. Just not worth it.</p>
<p>Personally, I think that you would be better off just getting a job and getting an MBA part-time, ideally paid (at least in part) by your employer. </p>
<p>My take is, if you can get into an elite daytime B-school right after undergrad, you should take it. If not, you are probably better off going part-time.</p>
<p>I agree with Sakky. All of the studies show that a low end MBA following undergrad is not likely to do much for you in terms of job opportunities or salary. Work for a few years, do well, and aim for a better program.</p>
<p>yes, virtually all business faculty will suggest you get several years of business experience and then return for grad school. the real good news about that option is that many employers PAY for your education! sometimes you can AP out of basic grad classes if taken within five years, so the two to four year working route is a good option. there are many outstanding MBA programs in the state, such as those at Anderson and Haas. one key will be your GMAT score which you can retake if your first attempt was low.</p>
<p>I should add that about the tack about having your employers pay for the education - you should be warned that most employers who pay for your education will also try to lock you in (i.e. if they pay, then you have to work there for X number of years or pay the money back, etc.). Furthermore, once you graduate, since they know you are obligated to come back and work for them for X number of years, the raise and increase in position you may get tends to be attenuated, basically because they know you don't have any bargaining power - you can't easily quit (you can quit, but then you have to pay all that money back). </p>
<p>I know plenty of people who could have gotten company sponsorship/company reimbursement for their MBA, but decided not to do so because they felt the stipulations were too onerous. </p>
<p>So you have to think carefully about the pros and cons and carefully read the fine print of the company's tuition-reimbursement agreement.</p>
<p>The importance of getting your employer to pay for your MBA cannot be understated, especially for programs below the top-25. zagat is right, low end MBA programs aren't worth jack unless they're free while you're pulling down your normal salary. If your employer doesn't financially support your MBA, they are telling you something: Either you need a new gig or your MBA won't benefit you at your place of employment. If you don't have an employer, that's even worse for you. It sounds like you do not want to go out into the scary job market but that is the right thing to do.</p>
<p>Get a job, make some moves into management showing leadership potential, and come back to this board in a few years with the blessing of your employer's tuition reimbursement program.</p>
<p>If you don't have any job experience, it would hard for you to contribute toward discussions especially if you discussing organizational dynamics if you never were in one. </p>
<p>If finance is your route, I would get some good work experience(strong recommendation letters, strong extra curriculars outside of work (think of a hobby you are passionate about), and get a 700+ GMAT. This way you can be competitive for Berkeley, Stanford and UCLA if finance is your goal (I-banking, Private Equity, Hedge Funds).</p>
<p>I would stay away from UCSD Rady since they are more focused on Biotech/High tech management with a more entrepreneurial spirit.</p>
<p>Personally, if you want to do Finance then why limit yourself to CA? If you can get into a top 10 program within the next few years, why not wait and go there instead. The MBA experience is definitely different there where most students are full time and exploring different options. Once you graduate, many programs have strong alumni connections that make finding a job anywhere in the world easy.</p>