I got Undergraduate GPA of 3.4, how it looks if I want to go for MBA?
The 3.4 is generally a slightly above average GPA. So for the cream of the crop Business Schools, not very good. But you should be able to get into good quality MBA schools with a 3.4, depending on your GMAT. There are some factors to consider. Did you take difficult classes, go to a difficult university, take a difficult major? Did you take risks and take classes outside your comfort zone, especially upper division classes? Did your grades improve significantly toward the end of your studies or show an improving trend? What courses did you get your highest and lowest grades? What work experience, extracurriculars, etc. do you have? Do you have a great personal statement or great letters of recommendation? Admissions look at all these factors rather than just pure numbers.
Law school vs. Grad School vs. more work experience?
quick bio: -3.9 undergrad gpa (went to a large state univ) -163 LSAT score (took it twice -- 161 the first time) -internship as a criminal investigator in DC -currently working as a legal assistant in NYC and studying for the GRE -distant goals are to work for the state department, get a job as an international adviser and eventually make my way into politics now my question is, what seems like the best path to get to my goal? i settled for a state school for undergrad (financial reasons) and although i don't regret it, i definitely want to go to a top grad school and seeing as my lsat didnt quite pan out the way i wanted it to, i'm thinking a masters program in international affairs/public policy might be a better route. should i focus on acing the GRE (i'd really like to get back to school in the near future) or would admissions rather see more work experience/volunteering (i.e. working for amnesty intl or the aclu)?? TIA for any advice!!
MBA with no work experience?
I realize that MBA programs nowadays want you to have experience. I've searched this question and mostly the answers that I see talk about it not being feasible to pursue a MBA with no work experience because the positions you would think to aply for would mostly have older people with more experience and an MBA applying for it. Actually I'm not interested in such positions. I just want an MBA for the knowledge and to continue my education. Do you think it is actually feasible to enter into an MBA program for that reason? If so, do you know any programs that are friendly to that idea? Just in case anyone is wondering I am 24 and am graduating in May with my first undergraduate with majors in management and marketing and a minor in public relations. It just so happened that my life has turned out this way with no professional experience. Not that I haven't had jobs, just nothing that would lead me to be entering professional experience on the graduate application.
Will my work experience of 2 years help me in getting admission for an MS in the US?
There are two things to this question and then the “Fix”,You seem to have a good GRE score and 2 years of experience - which in my opinion is a good signYour CGPA in UG is a little on the lower side - which can pull you down irrespective of the good parts of your profileTHE FIX : Will your work experience matter?1. Depends on the course you are takingMatters, If you are studying a professional course such as MIS, BA etc (or) a non-thesis course. (Matters in many cases)Doesn’t Matter Much, If you are gonna pursue a thesis based Masters.2. Depends on the kind of experience you haveMatters, If your field of experience and the MS major are the same.Doesn’t Matter Much, If your experience is different from your desired course of study.3. Can you change your GPA now?You can’t! And hence, focus on the other parts of your application such as SOP, LORs, showcasing your achievements, publications etc and hope for the best!Hope this helps! All the very best!
What kind of work experience is required prior to pursuing an MBA in India? Should he take up a job in the field he wants to do his MBA? Should he try different industries to determine the best fit?
Thanks for A2A.All genuine questions ... but perhaps not the real question that you should be asking yourself before doing MBA.I will try and answer all of them ..1. Yes relevant work experience is always better than non-relevant work experience. 2. Trying different things at young age never hurts. What really hurts is not being able to convey it on your CV or in the interview appropriately.3. Working in bank is not completely necessary. Corporate Finance or Financial consulting are equally relevant. Ofcourse, back office functions that are completely non-related to finance wont help either.4. 95+ is not a strong CAT score. 98+ (with consistency across sections) is. And, no one expects a fresher to have a a management job role before MBA.5. NGO volunteering is a bit of hoax. And interviewers make that out if its done recently only. I would suggest that learning a new language is a better CV booster and a real asset for the future.6. Well, to bluntly answer prima facie ... the private bank. However, it would all depend on the real job profiles.7. Elite MBA programme in my mind is IIM A, B and C and ISB (only a personal opinion). The requirements are pretty simple for IIMs ... crack the CAT and the interviews. Work experience counts .. but has a smaller weightage. Unless, you work at a brand, it doesnt really count at the IIMs. For ISB, crack the GMAT and have a strong work ex of over 3 years. It helps to have a well-rounded CV. Build ur profile with languages, travelling, sports, etcHope this helped.Now, I would just venture to say that these are very defensive questions. Not the real questions that help you take a decision. The real question is "Why do you want to do an MBA?" This requires a lot of thinking. Be brutally honest to yourself. Answers could be :1. Genuine interest in learning about "business" 2. Meeting 100-400 young intelligent exciting people3. Getting a big dream job4.Taking a break to explore yourself over a period of 1 - 2 years 5. Social prestige6. Proving something to your family members7. Doing it because everyone is doing it etc etc etc ...Be brutally honest. Once you have the master question answered, all other questions are just derivatives. You will answer all the 7 questions you asked differently every single time if your main motive to doing a MBA is different !Hope this really helped ! All the best !
Is it necessary to have a work experience to get into IIM even if you crack the CAT?
Not at all!! work experience can never be substitute for a good percentile and vice- versa. both are altogether two separate things. in normal scenario the panel/ Evaluators look for a mix in a batch having people from diverse backgrounds, work experience and academics disciplines. at the same time mix of freshers and work experience is also kept in mind so as to maintain the balance in the batch. all in all looking at the batches in recent years as per my knowledge all IIM's have many and here many means a substantial number in any batch join IIM as freshers. All in all the only criteria is to crack CAT with awesome percentiles and convince the interview panel as to why you deserve a seat in the prestigious institutes! moreover Freshers have advantage when it comes to placement of the batch since marketing, analytics firms need freshers and not others having the same background! Freshers actually are in a advantageous position since they can apply for companies as per their wish wherever there is no experience criteria and can shape their carrear in the direction they want, which is not the case when any ABC candidate having a previous experience can't do since he/she is labelled with his previous area of experience but again this is not true all the time. Varies sometimes...prepare well and Bell the CAT. Don't go half hearted . just fasten your seat belt and let the time decide the fate. All the best
How does taking a gap year affect your university admission?
A gap year could be the best decision, depending on how you plan to use your time. If you plan to gain professional experience you will be better off than the majority of students who are personal students and many won't get real jobs until their mid twenties.Without occupation exposure, how can you know what you like, what your good at, and what career will keep you motivated?Statistics in the US show only 13–20% of graduates Landing a job in their field of study upon graduation. They also say the average undergrad student changes majors 2–3x.I share content you may find valuable, check out this blog post. The College Disconnect – Are students unemployable?