How tough is it to get into H/S/W?
(Senior Baboon, 180
Points)
on 3/14/09 at 6:25pm
This might sound like a stupid question, but I honestly don't know and would like an honest assessment.
I attend one of the top undergraduate business schools in Canada and have a GPA around 3.8-4.0 (I'm not exactly sure how the conversion process works). I was fortunate enough to secure an IBD SA position at a BB in NY for this summer. Assuming I receive a return offer, and work there for a few years, what are my chances of getting into an MBA program at Harvard, Stanford, or Wharton down the road?
I'm willing to put in whatever work is necessary to excel on the GMAT, but I'm just wondering how (poorly) Canadian universities are perceived by those schools.
I'm sure guys from Ivey have
I'm sure guys from Ivey have gone on to go into H/S/W
Depends. The prestige is not
Depends. The prestige is not even close to the level of top US schools. However, most graduate programs know that top Canadian Us are no joke, and better than US state schools. In other words, it won't help you and it won't hinder you. My guess is that your work experience, test scores, essays, and interview will likely be the deciding factor.
Is undergraduate "prestige"
Is undergraduate "prestige" even that important when it comes to getting into bschool? Aren't work experience, GMAT, essays, and recs way more important?
Don't sweat it bro. UG
Don't sweat it bro. UG prestige is not that important. jimbrown has it right. If you get the full time gig and a competitive gmat, you'll be fine.
Alright, thanks for the
Alright, thanks for the feedback everyone. Sometimes (especially during recruiting) I feel like I made a big mistake by not taking the SATs after high school. But this is reassuring.
SATs will have absolutely
SATs will have absolutely zero effect on bschool. The standardized test adcoms look at is the GMAT, not SAT.
I think you misinterpreted
I think you misinterpreted what I said. What I meant is that sometimes I feel like I should have given myself a chance to go to an undergraduate program in the States. But I didn't end up taking the SATs because of two reason:
- I was too lazy to study at the time.
- I greatly overestimated the reputation of top Canadian schools outside of our borders. I found this out the hard way while going through recruiting.
B-schools admissions view the
B-schools admissions view the top Canadian universities on par with strong US public schools. In other words, schools like McGill, Queen's, UofT, Waterloo, etc. are seen as comparable to UVA, UCLA, Berkeley and Michigan.
In other words, they're not perceived poorly at all - but they're not seen in the same light as the Ivy or Ivy equivalent. Within the academic/university community worldwide, the Canadian universities are generally known as solid but unremarkable schools (i.e. it's no Oxbridge, Ivy).
As for non-Canadian recruiters, if they know about the Canadian system they will likely hold similar views as what I mentioned above, or they will simply give you that "blank stare of neutrality" that so many Canadians get in all kinds of instances :-) The "we don't hold particularly strong opinions about Canadians either good or bad" also tends to spillover into how Canadian universities are perceived.
Keep in mind that there are also a number of Canadians at H/S/W who did their undergrad in the US as well.
In short, there's nothing you can do about it, and so long as you get a good job when you graduate, your choice of undergrad won't really impact admissions either way.
Disclaimer: I'm Canadian.
Alex Chu
Alex Chu
www.mbaapply.com
Im curious as to how
Im curious as to how important work experience is. I know a few students who went onto harvard/wharton MBA right after undergrad.
Those who get in right out of
Those who get in right out of undergrad make up around 1-2% of the class. These people tend to be exceptionally accomplished in undergrad (ran a sizeable business AND kept strong grades, student council president for a large school, etc. - i.e. not your run-of-the-mill college extracurriculars), or they have legacy (incredibly rich parents who are prominent alums), or they have blackmail material on the head adcom or even the Dean.
Even if you could get in right after undergrad, I would strongly suggest getting 1-2 years experience before going back. You'll get more out of it that way.
Alex Chu
Alex Chu
www.mbaapply.com
Alex, Does your
Alex,
Does your undergraduate institution really not matter? I was under the impression that it mattered a lot perhaps as much as work experience.
There's no doubt that
There's no doubt that top/ivy league ugrads are very well representated at the top bschools. But it's hard to distinguish between causation and correlation. At the end of the day though, I'd say, YES, it does matter to some degree. (i) A 3.5 from Harvard college (plus getting admitted in the first place) IS more impressive than a 3.5 from north dakota state and (ii) the adcoms can't help themselves--they're part of elitist institutions and they like their own.
That said, ugrad institution is only one of many factors in the app - gpa, gmat, work experience, career progression, extra curriculars, other accomplishments, essays, letters of rec, demographics, etc.
I would say that undergrad
I would say that undergrad schools like Berkeley, MIT, Chicago, and the like are viewed by MBA admissions equally as high as Ivy schools, and sometimes even more so becuase those schools are more rigorous in grading than Ivies.