Will leaving my job for a lesser known firm risk my top tier MBA chances?

I work at Mercer (Healthcare and then M&A work) and I am applying for a full-time MBA/JD in 2020. I've been there for almost 5 years and I'm itching to try something less corporate/smaller like a small boutique consulting firm, startup, non-profit work, weed startup in biz development, gap year and travel Europe, etc. before MBA.

How do you think this would impact my chances at top tier programs? What is Mercer's brand value to adcoms? (We had someone go to Penn MBA, but is that Mercer...)

3.7ug gpa and 164/160 first try GRE (plan to re-take and boost quant to 94th percentile like verbal). Good references. I'll also be applying to PhD programs which is why I took the GRE. Late 20s.

So my stats, I think, are fine.

Logically I think I should stay but I'm just not hungry like I was when I first started. I'm curious to hear outside thoughts.

Cheers

 

As with everything in admissions, it depends.

Why do you want a JD/MBA? How might whatever new position you take tie into your narrative? Would the new role allow you to develop skills, knowledge and relationships that will better prepare you for the post-JD/MBA role that you are shooting for?

It sounds like you still have some thinking to do if you haven't determined whether your want to do a PhD or a JD/MBA.

There are lots of good reasons to leave a 'brand' firm to take on a new role. But there are also many bad ones (like I just was tired of working, I wanted to take a break, I wanted to travel the world).

Wishing you the best on your journey!

Susan Cera Director of MBA Admissions Stratus Admissions Counseling - www.stratusadmissions.com FREE Profile Evaluation - www.stratusadmissions.com/consult
 
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