I got a 730 on my GMAT, but not sure if I want to go to B-School
I'll get straight to the point:
*730 GMAT
*Graduated college in 2007
-Major - Business Admin with concentrations in Entrepreneurship and Real Estate Finance; Minor - Economics
-2.9 Cumulative GPA
-3.8 GPA in Math related coursework (Calculus, Statistics, Econometrics, Finance, Accounting and a Linear Algebra course I took for fun)
-3.7 GPA in Writing related coursework (only 3 courses total)
*Work Experience - 2 and 1/2 yrs as a "Real Estate Investment Analyst" at a real estate investment/operating firm with ~$1B AUM
-Underwrote commercial real estate investments for acquisition
-Coordinated acquisition due diligence for my coverage area
-Was laid off recently
-Currently working as an unpaid intern/consultant for a start-up real estate investment fund
-Recently interviewed with the Capital Markets Group at large commercial real estate brokerage, a real estate private equity group for a job in India, a large institutional real estate fund with over $30B AUM in Chicago, and a REIT in San Fransisco
*Extracurriculars - volunteer for a group that sets up schools for a 3rd world country, volunteer once a month at a local senior living facility, volunteer once a month at a soup kitchen and advise homeless people how to get jobs...does this stuff matter to adcoms?
Pros v. Cons
Pros:
*Getting a brand-name MBA and the perks that come with it (if I get accepted)
*An MBA salary
*Prestige (personally, I couldn't care less about prestige but everybody else does)
*Might get some scholarship money if I get into a lower-ranked school
Cons:
*Expensive
*2 years down the drain for learning stuff I already learned in undergrad
*I am already interviewing for post-MBA jobs and I compete with MBA's
*Employers in my industry usually don't care if you have an MBA
*Most likely, I will have to finance tuition on my own if I get into a top school
*I really don't want any debt right now
I am not deciding where I would be a good fit. I am trying to decide if I should do it.
I have been getting mixed responses from co-workers, family and friends. Some say I should just go for it since I would probably get into a good school; others say don't bother.
I seriously entertained this idea at one point. Then I forgot about it when I started working. Then I got laid off, and here I am. I would really appreciate input from guys who have their MBA already or are pursuing it.
Please keep the asinine comments to yourself. If you have nothing to add, please move on. Also, please don't state the obvious, as I know my GPA will be an issue.
Thanks.
If you were to get an MBA, what would you do with it? Do you want to stay in RE? If so, I don't know if one would be worth it. The experience you have should be enough to keep you moving up in the industry (correct me if I'm wrong here, I don't know RE very well)
Getting an MBA is for a career change. Yes, if you wanted to go into IB or S&T i'd say absolutely go for it.
From your post, I get the feeling youre just looking for someone to tell you that you don't need one. I don't think you do. The markets tough as hell right now so don't get discouraged. If you're having competitive interviews I'd keep at it, then next year if you're really struggling go for it. The GMAT score is good for years.
You'll probably end up getting a new job somewhere, and then you'll be happy you didnt get one. Good luck.
A 2.9 GPA w/ a 730 GMAT shows that you are lazy but smart. Most schools tend to favor your last 2 years of coursework because only then are you really getting into your core major. So if you rocked out in your Junior and Senior years then that will certainly help to overcome a lower GPA.
It all depends on what you want to do. You only have 2.5 yrs of experience which is not going to help your chances. What makes you think that employers don't care about graduate degrees? I've never heard someone make that statement before.
Any proof behind this statement? Is that to say that a 3.0 freshman and sophomore year and 4.0 junior and senior year (3.5 cumulative) would be better than 3.5 every single semester?
i like your high quant gpa with a much lower overall lol usually not a full point stretch ;) mind you im more a 2.8 CUM and 3.3 Finance/Biz type with a 690... i agree with the career change but if youre already interviewing for positions youd want and could get then why do the MBA? unless you want to shave off 2 years for the economy to recover... if yo ucan directly pipeline into it then id say no but im somewhat going over the same crisis where 'i dont need to go to b school for xyz reasons since i have connections to get me in' but i still feel pressed to do so esp with the economy
and in terms of the mba not counting some places, sometimes it just doesnt add anything valuable unfortunately ;\
You can use commas before conjunctions?
if you dont want it, ill buy the 730 from you.
Oops, forgot to add.
Career goals:
*Not exactly sure yet, but probably stay in real estate.
mmm yeah dunno if i see the point for ya to go :X
How about a MS in Real Estate if you want to stay in the business. MIT has a really top notch program and I believe it is only 1 year. With a few extra math classes you could do a MFin from Princeton and people with decent experience have gotten associate level positions out of that.
An MRE wouldn't help me learn anything new at this point, my experience supersedes the necessity for even more real estate education. Not to mention that the job market for MRE candidates is abhorrent. Today, relevant experience is valued a lot more than an MRE degree. I actually compete with MRE candidate in my job search. Basically, an MRE has a low ROI for a person with my background.
I am not too keen on MFin degrees, either. I don't think it will help me with my career goals, and I basically don't want anything to do with finance.
Also, I am still not sure where I wan't to take my career and I know I need to figure that out before I apply. Getting a specialized degree like an MRE or a Mfin would "pigeon-hole" my career prospects.
Sounds like you just wanted to boast about your GMAT scores and used this Bschool thread to do it with.
aren't GMAT Scores good for 3-5 years? sit on it and decide later, you pro'ed and con'ed your way to saying no B-School for now.
I will echo the statements before about the the 5 years the GMAT is good for. Consider the hard part over with and focus on working more or figuring out what your ultimate passion is. 730 is a great score and I am sure you will be competitive at most top universities.
I know I am jumping the gun, but I am just trying to plan early.
Hey, mr1234, as you well know by now (haha) I also work in real estate. About a year or so ago I decided not to pursue my MBA in the future. I'm with you 100%--it's all about work experience in this industry. I guess there are some MBAs who go into real estate IB or private equity, but beyond that, I never really saw a career path in real estate that required an MBA.
I also agree that the real estate masters programs have a questionable ROI. I've basically seen no career path in real estate that would require it. Experience is so valued in real estate beyond all else.
I hear ya.
I might apply just to say I got accepted and then rejected acceptance from a top MBA program.
We'll see.
I think kingtut is correct in that statement, you obviously look more competent with a 4.0 in your hardest classes, even if you started with a 3.
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