Do Business School (MBA) Grades Matter?

Title:
If you go to a top school H/S/W, do top recruiters (PE Funds) care about your grades? Let's say you had pre-MBA PE and investment banking experience.

Can you just pass your classes and hope to land post-MBA positions at top MM and MF PE shops?

Regards

 

No, grades don't matter at HSW, but it always looks good to do well and receive an honor such as Baker Scholar at HBS, Arjay Miller Scholar at Stanford GSB, or Palmer Scholar at Wharton. In terms of recruiting, buyside is almost entirely based on your pre-mba experience and interview performance, but from what I've heard MBB consulting and BB firms do ask for your GMAT score. Not sure if there's a hard cutoff. Also keep in mind that some schools have grade nondisclosure while others do.

 

Those distinctions like Baker Scholar, etc, are given out at graduation and you'll have hopefully locked something up by then recruiting wise (although not always a guarantee), making this a null issue.

Some schools have a grade non-disclosure policy (GSB, Wharton, Booth, Columbia & others -- HBS just got rid of theirs), so almost by definition while you're a student the grades don't matter.

 

Man, you are going on a rant here. Can you tell us a little about your background?

Grades will be grades. They get you into the door, but afterwards, there usually aren't that many questions asked. I've noticed when interviewing for lower tier and mid-tier firms that my grades have become a total non-factor and are never asked even once. Ever.

 

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