Tricks for getting into top MBA program?

CBS early decision is probably the closest there is to a "trick" in that it's significantly easier to get in ED vs regular. You can also consider "back dooring" into a school with PT programs such as Kellogg, Booth, Stern, Haas which are way easier to get into than full time

I'm all about the backdoor

A good GMAT and a target undergrad will get you in most 10-15 ranked programs if you pay full tuition. I know cause I've don it(although I turned it down since MBA is a waste of time anyway...)

Plus good work experience and good GPA will get you into top 5-10. Plus superb work experience(BB or Consulting+promotion) will get you into Harvard. It used to be harder but now it's just that(sarcasm...)

Be a minority. Get into minority feeder programs for MBAs like ML4T or Toigo. CRUSH the GMAT since a 760+ is a BEAST score. If the gmat isn't for you then take the GRE and do very well on that. Xepa did the GRE route and is at a MBA business schools ">M7.

-A delusional minority who wants to do HBS 2+2, Yale Silver Scholars, or GSB 2+2.

I know someone who hardcore sold in their application and interview for Kellogg that they wanted to do non-profit mananagement. As far as I know, they had subpar grades from a subpar school and subpar work experience. They changed their track to finance upon matriculation and are now with Bain in Sydney.

Eh, the part time / full time difference in school is different. I did a full time program (not a top 10), and the GF is currently doing a part time at stern. The part time program is on cruise control, but it makes sense for people who are already working full time.

From what I have seen in accounting / finance, the school name does not matter as much as the letters after your name and the alumni network.

I declined an offer at BlackRock in compliance that I got with an MBA from an alright school. The letters and the network are what are crucial. Look at where you want to go geographically and look at the schools the major players hire from. A lot of those companies say top ten, but in reality, how many people actually went to a top ten school vs others who have a similar background. It's good for getting your foot in the door at a big company / big name firm, but 3-5 years down the line no one is going to care as much if you went to Harvard or Fordham as long as you get your job done well and are a smart person.

I get the hype for the top 10, but also think their value is over hyped too. Just some things I have noticed - feel free to flame away.

Imagine how many clicks you'd get on this site if you threw up a banner ad declaring, "ONE WEIRD TRICK to getting into a TOP mba?"

Apply to Phoenix online, get good grades, then transfer to HBS after your first semester

bump

Go to as many admission and info sessions. Get face time with admission officers. Meet actual professors and have conversations with them. Find different programs that help network with Alumni. Nail the essay and interview. From listening and networking with a lot of people one of the biggest mistakes or decisions applicants or prospective students is the mistake on the essay and interview. You can get a great score on the GMAT and GRE but bomb the essay or interview. Many admission officers told me that they hate when a essay is copied for multiple schools and NOT tailored for that specific school. This can look really bad even if you get a 760 on GMAT

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http://nypost.com/2017/04/04/teen-gets-into-stanford-after-writing-blacklivesmatter-100-times-on-app/ use this OP. This will get you into any academic school you want now. You could also identify as a black female lesbian that served in the military and used to be a man.... if you hit all of these credentials your diversity will be a guaranteed entry. I believe in you OP.... do the surgery.

Guys, I have a question regarding graduation from top mba programs such as wharton, stanford, hbs and grades. Once I graduate and go for interviews, would my gpa from these top institutions matter. What if I have like a 2.5 GPA, would that matter?

Best way to position yourself for a MBA business schools">M7 MBA down the track? (Originally Posted: 05/10/2015)

Hi everyone, I'd like to do an MBA in a couple of years time and was wondering how I could best position myself to achieve this goal? Hopefully the time gap between now and when I apply will allow me to work on improving areas where I am currently weak on.

Currently I am still unsure exactly what I want to do after an MBA, however it would be within the vicinity of Hedge Fund/Asset Management/Venture Capital or Tech Start up. I am not very interested in IBD, MBB or F500 type roles

Basic stats:

4.0 GPA from reputable university in Australia, Software Engineering and Finance double major, multiple awards etc

Currently working at a top performing domestic AM firm (however we have only limited international presence) as an Investment Analyst in the Investment Management Team.

Previously interned in IBD at BBIB , however didn't really enjoy the work or culture, which is why I decided not to go back into IB for full time.

Some EC during university, however more on the social side of things vs. taking any serious leadership roles.

Ideally when I decide to apply for MBA I would also have: 710-770 GMATCFA Charter holder

Therefore given my background, would be interested to know how I can improve my chances of getting into a top MBA program down the track? I'm guessing my EC is likely to be my weakness area? Therefore what kind of EC will help me?

Thanks in advance!

Advice on getting into top MBA programs from average undergrad (Originally Posted: 01/07/2018)

I'm a senior in high school with decent academics (3.9 GPA 32 ACT) but nothing near what's needed for the top undergrad business/finance programs, so as a result I'm saving money to attend CUNY Baruch for Finance. Wall Street is the dream, always wanted to work there but with my undergrad, I know that landing a sweet job will be tough so I think business school would be the best option for me. My targets for b-school are MBA business schools">M7 (especially Columbia and Wharton) and Dartmouth. Need advice on what to during my undergrad to get into a top MBA program besides the cliche high GPA and 730+ GMAT score. My main worries are that I won't be able to get solid internships during my undergrad and that I won't be able to land a nice job after my undergrad for the ~5 years between my undergrad and business school. The competition coming from Wall Street feeder schools like Stern and Dartmouth and Columbia makes me feel hopeless lol. How do I get awesome undergrad internships and a Wall Street job coming from an average undergrad?

Route to the top MBA programs (Originally Posted: 07/03/2016)

Hi, I'm from India but have completed my education in a well known Big Ten School in Material Science & Engineering. My GPA sucks though - 2.9 - Top MBA dream killer. I completed CFA, FRM & CAIA exams and I am currently working directly in a US based PE firm in India (no-name PE but owned by the former CEO of world's largest Asset Management company). I aspire to get into top MBA firms. The issue I want to discuss here is how to progress in my case if I plan to get 5 years of experience in PE before going for MBA. Shall I stick to the same company for 5 years and leave for MBA as a PE associate? Or shall I keep changing my job to better firms for a higher post but not necessarily higher salaries?
I do find few people being an associate without an MBA but the top PE firms rarely accept people for that position without an MBA. Will adcoms be fine with one becoming a PE associate at a smaller firm than top firms, if I desire to get into to US MBA programs? And there are not many top US-based PE firms in India but rather reputed Asia-based & domestically reputed PE firms, will adcoms understand this or do I need to mention about it in my mba essay in the future?

Chances to get into a top MBA depending on the bachelor? (Originally Posted: 05/24/2014)

I was wondering if the chances to get into a top MBA program depend only on the grades of your bachelor, or if the prestige of the university you attended during your bachelor also plays a role. Will someone who had a 3.5 GPA at Stanford have better chances to get into Harvard for his MBA than someone who had a 4.0 at the Ohio state university?

Chances of getting into an MBA business schools">M7 School (Originally Posted: 10/26/2012)

Assuming I have a high enough gmat score, is it even possible for me to get accepted at an MBA business schools">M7 school. I am looking to switch careers to IB and figured an MBA is the best way to get me there. Here's a little background info

• I'm Indian
• Undergrad in India
• Worked in India for a year for a Big 4 accounting firm. Was quickly offered the opportunity to go to the US on assignment for a year.
• Once in the US, I got promoted to Senior associate in less than two years of total work experience. It usually takes people 3 - 4 years to be promoted to senior.
• After that I moved to another Big 4 accounting firm and have continued working there for about a year and a half.
• I have had good reviews every year at work.

My plan is to start applying in October/November next year and I was wondering if there is anything I could do to improve my chances. I feel that being Indian is a huge disadvantage given how overrepresented they are in top MBA programs.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Getting into a top MBA program. (Originally Posted: 07/20/2013)

Will a 3.5 GPA from a non targeted school and a 710 gmat score be good enough to get into a top 15 MBA program?

Possibility of getting into top MBA (Originally Posted: 02/22/2016)

I am an undergraduate student pursuing a double major in finance and accounting and minor in information systems. I have a good amount of work experience and am very involved with school functions and organizations. I've interned at a private investment bank, a financial services firm, economic development company, and currently work for a fortune 500 company. I am the president and co-founder of an organization on campus and have participated in a global CFA research challenge on behalf of my university. I have a high GPA but received only one D which was in a non business course that has nothing to do with my major and the bad grade was only because I took on way too much responsibility during one semester, being president of an organization, interning, full time school, and participating in the CFA competition was really time consuming so that's why I got that one bad grade. With that being said, the university I go to isn't a high ranking university by an means but it also isn't ranked really low, so it's some what in the middle. I intend on getting a high gmat score and want to pursue an MBA at a top university. What do you think my chances are in getting into a top MBA university with my track record and one bad grade on my transcript?

How to get into Top MBA w/ non-biz Degree and No IBank internship (Originally Posted: 11/12/2007)

Hey,

I was wondering how you get into a top MBA if you have a quant degree (i.e. math, a science, or engineering), but because these programs are hard, you didn't have a high enough GPA to land a ibanking or consulting internship at a big firm. I know probably misinterpreted part of what people have said, but mostly I hear that if you don't get a job in ibanking, MBB, and to a much lesser extent Big 4, then it is extremely hard to get into a top MBA. So what can you do with say an engineering degree to get into a top MBA? Does just having work experience with reputable companies help at all or what do you have to do to get noticed besides having the highest GPA possible and amazing GMATs?

thanks

Is my job preventing me from getting into a top MBA program? (Originally Posted: 07/02/2010)

I work on the equity stat arb desk of a small hedge fund, where my work is a combination of research, risk management, and operations. I really want to go to wharton, columbia, or booth, but my co-worker told me that i have no shot getting into those schools due to the nature of my job. Since my work does not involve any leadership or management skills, he said that i'll be unable to get in. I just ignored his negativity, but I wonder if there's some truth to it. If that's the case, what can I possibly do to bolster my chances of gaining admission?

I feel like an MBA is a must for me and the only way for me to get to where i want to be.

How to get into top MBA with moderate grade and profile (Originally Posted: 03/07/2013)

I'm making a career plan to get into top MBA program. My GPA is between 3.1-3.5 But i did a lot of extra activities at school, including volunteer work, Participate student council and received many scholarship.

My work experience is rather diversified and dynamic. Working in many continents. Do I have a good chance of getting in top MBA. If not how can I improve this? Which university I am most likely to get in or have a fair chance to apply?

How can I position myself to get into a top 10 MBA Program?

I go to HYP with a 3.1 GPA. Have yet to take my GMAT. Plan to go into a boutique investment bank. Varsity athlete. From the midwest, but I've taught myself and fluent in Mandarin.

Looking for advice on what to do post-undergrad graduation to make a unique career

mba tier 1 (Originally Posted: 05/13/2011)

Say I get a nice rotational financial analyst program at a Fortune 500, stellar gpa (finance) at Rutgers, and do above average on GMATs, what are my chances of getting into a Tier 1 Bschool (top 20 or whatever). More specifically Berkeley (Haas), Thanks.

What's better for getting into a top tier MBA? (Originally Posted: 11/10/2011)

Hello WSO Consulting community,

Looking for your thoughts on exit opportunities. A little about myself: semi-target, late bloomer into finance, decent GPA but struck out in FT recruiting at MM banking.

I have multiple offers from consulting firms, not M/B/B/Deloitte S&O, but middle tier, (CRA/Navigant/Huron/couple accounting firms for Economic Advisory Services) etc. However, also have an offer for middle office finance at a top BB (GS/MS/JPM etc).

Do you think although it's a middle office function, it is more valuable to gain top contacts through networking? My goal is to get into pure financial services, perhaps not IB since I don't want to be working those hours when out of MBA, but perhaps smaller PE shop, HF eventually, or even some MO functions like business development/risk services.

Thanks all.

Tips to get into top mba in the USA coming from Korea (Originally Posted: 01/19/2016)

So hey guys I need some advice regarding my sort of unique situation. Im a student from Brazil that is pursuing a master degree in Korea (yeah, I know, kinda weird). Just for a little more background info on me, my undergrad was in electrical engineering from the flagship federal school of my state (In Brazil private universities are crap, federal and state schools rule the land), and here I am studying my masters in the area of wireless sensor networks, IoT and related topics. So anyway, reason of why I am here is that during my final undergrad year I was researching on foreign countries to do my masters, and based on those QS rankings Korea seemed like a nice place, since the country is pretty safe (which coming from Brazil is something that is very attractive to me), there were some very well ranked institutions, possibility of free education, and a lot of major engineering companies in EE are from here.

Based on that I applied and was fortunate enough to get into KAIST, which is the best school in here, and have been studying in here for one semester so far. Things have been going pretty well, school is quite competitive and challenging, many lab work hours and highly funded projects, and my grades so far are pretty good . From other thread websites such as reddit, I have also heard that KAIST has a good international reputation in the engineering field, with many people saying that would be possible to get an interview internationally in many companies around the globe.

But here is the not so perfect part. Recently I have been bitten by the finance bug, and got really interested in this field. I have been thinking in pursuing an mba in the future, and of course, just like the rest of the world I would like to do it in the USA (or at Insead). So this is the part where I require the knowledge and wisdom from you almighty people of wso: what should I do from now on to improve my chances of getting into a top 10 mba in the future? Things that I am thinking in doing while I am at KAIST is join its 2 financial clubs(which I will try to do in the next semester), improve my korean to at least advanced level, and next semester I will be the lab leader in a major project that will involve 2 other labs, so that might help with the whole leadership thing. My dream path would be to get into consulting or IB right out of KAIST, and then in the future use this experience to get into IB or PE (if I can get that pre-mba IB experience) after an mba. The thing that has me worried is that Korea is not exactly HK or Singapore, and from what I have read here on WSO the finance sector here is not in the same league as its nearby neighbors. There are branchs of the MBB and BB in here, but I am not sure how impressive it would look in my resume that I worked in the korean branch of these companies. Also I am worried about how to get a job in this field, since I wont be a native and also will be 25 by the time I finish my masters, I am hopeful that the KAIST brand and some possible networking that might come out of the clubs might give me some advantage.

So what would be the best path for me to do regarding increasing my mba acceptance chances? Should I try to get into an analyst position or consulting at Korea? Or should I try to get into an analyst position at the nearby asian countries like Japan, China and HK? (from what I have heard in wso threads though, I think I would have jack chance to get into China or HK) Should I instead try to follow the engineering path and get into a major player like Siemens , Bombardier, VW or the local giants Samsung, Hyundai; and then use this experience for the mba acceptance and try to break into IB post mba? I speak fluently 4 languages (Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, and English), and working on getting Korean to be my fifth, would these languages along with the fact that I would have a studying and working international experience help my chances?? Anyway, thanks to all ! PS: sorry for the wall of text!!!

EDIT: little more info about extra curricular during undergrad: Got a national scholarship to study abroad for one year (Airplane, tuition fee, monthly stipend, new laptop and housing all included) Was TA in 2 classes Was RA with a studentship from the national research entity. Internship at Hyundai in Korea during undergrad (when I was exchange student) Volunteer internship at my univ data processing center GRE 164 Verbal 169 quantitative, crap 4.0 in analytical writing though

What to do while in the job to get into top b school (Originally Posted: 02/02/2011)

So here's my situation, I recently graduated from undergrad from a top 15 school and am planning on joining Accenture MCDP program soon. I am choosing it because employees sold the MCDP program well and I have a strong passion for international development and I like Acc's Development Partnerships program that would allow me to work on international projects.

I have 2 questions:

1. Obviously, I had no offers (although interviews, yes) from MBB. However, from reading this forum it makes it seem like if you're choosing consulting it should be MBB or bust. I don't know about y'all but even my competitive school had very few people get admission to MBB, so most of us chose other options. Is it really true that a non-MBB basically means you're chances at a top 10 MBA are blown? I'm inclined to think otherwise, because it's not like everyone gets into Harvard/Yale/MIT for undergrad, but that doesn't mean people from places like, let say, Rice don't have very good exit opps. I imagine the same should hold true for consulting, no?

2. Assuming I choose Acc, what are some of the ways to differentiate yourself when you're in the job to prove to top 10 b-schools you're good enough? I still have potential interviews with places such as ZS, IBM GBS, and PwC. Are they still worth pursuing in my long term goal to go to a top b-school, or will Acc put me in a good enough position?

Thanks a ton for your feedback!

Is it possible to get into a top B school doing Operations at a BB? (Originally Posted: 08/05/2007)

Could you do operations at a BB for a couple of years, and with a good GMAT score, would that be sufficient to get into a top MBA program (NYU,Columbia) or they want to see better/more intense experience, since operations is not that intense....suggestions/thought appreciated

What do you need for a Top B-School? (Originally Posted: 01/09/2011)

I'm only a 1st year analyst (at a top MM and in the process of lateraling to a BB) but have been thinking about what one needs to get into a top b-school. I'd like to go to one of the following: HBS, Wharton, Chicago, Stanford, NYU, Columbia, Haas, MIT Sloan. I currently work in a capital markets role and my rationale for B-School is that I don't want to stay in capital markets my whole life -- I'd prefer work in a distressed HF, mezz debt fund or PE firm...i.e. I want to be on the buy side of what I do right now, but capital markets guys are discriminated against because of the lack of modelling experience even though it seems we understand debt instruments and dynamics better than half the industry group analysts with whom I speak.

I graduated from an Ivy in a hard science, albeit with a shitty (