MBA from a branch campus

Monkey folk,

I was hoping to get some feedback about what recruiters/employers think about going to a branch campus of a top-tier state school. If an employer is willing to float the entire bill for grad school but there are no great schools in the area, is it worth it to go to a branch campus of say, Michigan? I realize it won't be looked as highly upon if you go to the Dearborn branch as opposed to their main campus (Ann Arbor), but is it still worth it?

Just a little background, it's not like I would be looking to get hired by a McKinsey or Goldman upon graduation but I did have decent credentials coming out of undergrad (>3.7 gpa from non target, top 50 business school). Appreciate the feedback.

9 Comments
 

That all makes sense. In terms of say online applications though, would a resume screener discard my application because my MBA was from the branch as opposed to main? Thanks again for the opinions.

 

dude, don't get your MBA from UM Dearborn. As futurectdoc said, the flagship UM and Dearborn are separate schools for all intets and purposes. An MBA is one of the few opportunities in your career to re-brand yourself. select wisely.

 
Best Response

@Rosstopher what is your background like in terms of W/E and GMAT, a 3.7 is great and if you have decent W/E and can crack a 680 you have a good shot at a T25, maybe a T15. Even if you don't want to go to MBB or a BB, getting a top tier MBA opens a lot of doors in corp fin and there are a lot of great rotational programs in the field that recruit out of top MBAs.

 

Graduated in spring of '13 and am in an analyst position at a large regional bank. Had a couple decent internships, one at current employer and another with an insurance company. I plan to take the GMAT this spring and target score is right around 680. The near term recruitment doesn't bother me with a branch, I am more worried about long-term implications regarding career advancement with not having the main campus on the resume.

 

If your employer is footing the bill, AND you want to stay with them, then just go the best local evening MBA. Sounds like you want to use the MBA as a launch pad for a career change. Pursue schools' career placement data, that should be very, very critical info for you. If Dearborn does it for you, keep it on the table.

 
jjjessica

If your employer is footing the bill, AND you want to stay with them, then just go the best local evening MBA.

This is not an unreasonable take from jessica. However, you just graduated less than a year ago. There should be no rush to get an MBA already. It sound like you're on the right track. Just keep doing what you're doing, and re-evaluate again in 3-4 years. Perhaps you won't be with the same company. Perhaps you won't be in the same location. Perhaps you've done really well with your work experience/GMAT and you think you've got a legitimate shot at top MBA programs. Just an opinion.

 

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