Hey guys,
I’m just looking for some quick advice for my own situation. I graduated this past year from what I would call a “shit state school” with mediocre-to-low grades in a non-business major (Political Science major, Economics minor) but with an awesome resume & great experiences (student government president, university board of directors, built a $2.6 million facility, etc.) Obviously struck out at a lot of places while networking like a ninja but finally managed to network my way into a regional office of a top commercial real estate services firm. Already managed to get bumped up to senior analyst and am being transitioned from the back office to the front office by the end of the month, am on some non-profit boards, etc.
Thing is, eventually I want to go into the development/REPE route instead of being a broker forever. Given my grades, undergraduate university, and regional office, I worry that again I’ll strike out hard even with a good resume. So, given all of that, and with the general idea that I test well (high SATs, etc.), how do you think I should approach this?
Is a MMS (such as Duke’s) worthwhile? I assume (perhaps incorrectly) that it would be easier to get into, would allow me to actually get good grades this time, and would give me that Duke branding on my resume either for networking or “trading up” to a top MSRED or MBA program. For something like that only lasting a year, I wouldn’t even have to quit my job, per se. A coworker took a two year leave before and came back no questions asked.
Should I just wait a couple years, study my ass off for the GMAT, and try to go straight to a MSRED or MBA program? Money-wise this seems like the best option, but I really think that my GPA and UG are going to bite my in the ass here. Still, would schools take the top name brand firm and leadership experience on my resume and use that to make up for my shortcomings? I know I could get into a lesser firm, but at the risk of sounding like a WSO douchebag there is little point in me going to business school if it isn’t going to help with my transition. I can be a top broker without any further education.
Let me know what you think. No worries if you don’t have any definitive advice. Thanks in advance.
Going to a top business school is the ULTIMATE rebrand. Nothing beats it. If you can get good work experience after undergrad, go for the MBA rather than another master's degree. The exception would be if you have very specific interests and want a mfin/mfe instead, but if your primary concern is getting a degree that will take the chip off your shoulders and give you as many career options as possible, do an elite MBA.
Thanks. This is more of a "what's the best route for me, personally, to get there" though, given everything I listed above.
What exactly will the MMS do for you? Will it help you get the job you want? If so do it and see where it goes, but otherwise you shouldn't do a degree just to use it as a stepping stone to an mba.
if you were worried about grades, then take some classes at a CC/extension school to show you can handle the course work. you must score well on the GMAT specifically QUANT section.
Bumping this because I'm not sure that taking community college classes is the rebranding I'm looking for
You misunderstood his post I think. You would take the classes to show to an elite MBA program that despite your prior GPA in undergrad, you can handle a quantitative courseload at their program.
I do have decent quant grades already. I just also have poor grades. It's not like I got straight C's. I more or less got a decent amount of A's and D's for whatever reason. It wasn't that I couldn't handle quant.
(The community college classes would be taken in order to improve your profile for MBA admissions. You stated in your OP that you've got a crappy GPA.)
No no I got the intention, I just question whether getting a A+ in community college statistics or whatever really makes me look any better. If it actually would, then by all means I will. I just...doubt it.
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