Hi, all!

I'm currently a US military officer thinking about pursuing grad school once I leave active duty. My current interest is in healthcare (hospital admin, manufacturing, biotech, etc.). I do not think pursuing a professional degree (MD, RN, DPT, etc.) is in my interest. While I've narrowed down to either an MBA or MHA, I feel that an MBA would afford me greater flexibility for the future. My current military role does absolutely nothing with healthcare. However, before undergrad, I was a civilian NICU medical assistant (MA) and scribe for two years.

My major concern is my age. Because of personal family circumstances, I graduated undergrad and commissioned in the military at age 30, much later than my peers. I will be 35 when I matriculate in a full-time MBA program at the soonest if my application cycle is successful, which means I will be 37 when I graduate.

I have heard that many companies out there prefer younger candidates and that there is a silent age discrimination. However, the majority of that comes from my friends and acquaintances in tech, so I am unsure about the sectors I'm interested in but I will assume it might be the same. How will med/pharm companies, biotech, hospital systems, and other healthcare companies view a person with my background and age? Furthermore, how will good MBA programs even view an applicant like me?

I looked on the website of a biotech company I am interested in potentially working for in the future. They have listed leadership development programs (LDPs) and on paper they look very impressive. I understand they are hyper-competitive, but I would like the subreddit's opinions on them. My own professional experience has never encompassed anything in biotech and pharm, and the closest experience I have in healthcare is when I was a NICU MA/scribe. Though I would imagine the hiring teams really do not consider that to be relevant. The only job that I've had in which I had significant and increasing responsibility is my five years in the military.

If anyone is open to sharing advice, helping me identify other potential pathways considering my interests, or sharing whether you think it is even worth it for me to get an MBA, I would love to hear from you. Thank you all very much!

It seems most people's strategy is just to get into a prestigious MBA so they can pivot into a high paying career and take the most risk-averse options with decent pay.

I've spoken to so many people who are consultants who did an MBA and switched to corporate or bankers who switched to PE and their long term goal is 'start a company' as if they've watched too many episodes of Succession and believe when they're older they'll just somehow figure things out and start really successful businesses...

There are SO many people like this who have no plan whatsoever and yet believe they just need to go to Harvard and eventually they'll end up as a CEO or Stanford and they'll launch the next multi-billion dollar tech start-up.

To those of you who believe things will 'just work out' because you'll make a few contacts at your M7 MBA, flash your high finance or MBB credentials, and then BOOM a decade down the line you're CEO of a fortune 500 company - do you seriously believe things will just 'work out' like this and why?

Hello to the community here. As the title suggests, I am curious to hear from anyone who has worked or had experience with BCG Detroit office. Any insights could be helpful. To help guide your thinking, what are your favourite and not-so-favourite things about this office? Thanks in advance.

I'm applying to M7/T15 (hoping for HSW, ideally) and would like to maximize my chances. All of my other application materials are ready but my latest and best GRE score is subpar (162v/159q/5.0awa). I'm ok with the verbal score, but obviously the 159q is squarely below median at my target schools.

I don't come from a quant or stem background neither academically or work experience wise so no other part of my app would help in that regard. My background, for context:

* ivy league undergrad, psych major - 3.84gpa

* work experience: about 7-8 years total. currently a paralegal (~6 months), public health advisor (2 years), US Army (4 years), and HR at FAANG for (2 years)

* reason for MBA and narrative: pivot into consulting in public sector/non-profit work

* ORM

im pretty much ready to click submit on my applications, but id ideally like to maximize my chances with HSW--is it worth holding off until R2 to try to get a better GRE score?

Hi everyone,
I’m a 29-year-old Brazilian finance professional planning to apply to top U.S. MBA programs and would really appreciate feedback on my profile, positioning, and chances.

Education
B.S. in Business Administration, Finance
concentration — GPA: 8.0/10, no official class ranking
M.D. — completed, but ultimately transitioned out of medicine and into finance
Currently pursuing a Master’s in Finance (part-time)

Work Experience
- 5 years in Equity Research at a U.S. asset management firm, covering Emerging Markets (promoted once)
- Summer internships in Investment Banking at a Bulge Bracket and Private Equity at a local firm

Leadership / Extracurriculars
Led a finance-focused initiative supporting women pursuing careers in the industry, developing educational program helping connect participants with career-development opportunities
Held academic leadership and teaching/research roles at my university, including serving as a Valuation Teaching Assistant and Undergraduate Research Assistant
Participated in selective investment training and national investment competitions, including placing 1st in one competition and 2nd in another

Career Goals
Long term, my goal is to become a portfolio manager focused on global equities.
Post-MBA, I would like to remain in asset management/public equities, ideally transitioning to a more global investment platform and eventually progressing toward portfolio management.
I’m also considering an MBA because I’ve reached a point where making this transition from Brazil has become difficult. My current firm has limited headcount for the type of role I’m targeting, while opportunities to move into a more global investment platform from Brazil are relatively limited. I’m hoping an MBA could help me broaden my international network, gain greater exposure to global markets, and create a path toward the global asset management industry.

Questions
I’d especially appreciate honest feedback on
How competitive is this profile for HBS, Columbia and Wharton?

Not in a top tier school at all. Just not sure what I want to do. Halfway through my program and can get a "certificate" within the MBA program.

Hot + Smart = NYC
Hot + Talented = LA
Just Hot = Miami
Mid + Smart = Boston
Chopped + Smart = San Francisco
Mid at everything = Chicago

Hello! As the title suggests - I have to decide between two offers asap. One offer is with a MBB (a team that is locally staffed) and the other is a bulge bracket investment bank. I love both teams and both jobs and I don't know which one to pick. I have a few questions and I would love to gain some color on them:

1. Pay - I know how banking bonuses work (most expect a 60k stub bonus end of first year). How do consulting bonuses work?

2. It is easy to get laid off in consulting? I don't understand the "bench" concept - do you have to ask people to get staffed on projects?

3. What are the hours realistically like in consulting?

4. If you are in consulting - what do you see your peers doing as exit ops.

Any help would be very appreciated.

As an international student from Europe with plans to work and live in the US if you got an offer from HSW with no aid would you turn it down or is it worth the gamble with the visa/work authorisation uncertainty?

Hey all! I put together a free tool for estimating your chances at different MBA programs based on your GPA and GRE/GMAT scores. You can also enter multiple programs and see your chances of getting accepted into at least 1 of multiple programs. Still improving the model and adding schools based on feedback. If you notice anything that looks off or have a school you'd like added, let me know. I am not a coder so I used ChatGPT to make the website and do some of the initial web scraping and modeling, but I’ve spent the past couple days refining and polishing things. mba-odds.com

26F 4 years of full time job experience, 3 of them being in customer services for an e-commerce company and 10 months doing document control/ data entry at a corporate company. I want to apply this year but I haven’t had the time or chance to study for the GMAT. What are my odds of getting in?

Hello!

Interested in hearing from folks who are currently enrolled in/graduated from Haas Flex program. Even folks who did not attend, but heavily considered it.

I want to preface that I know this program would differ from traditional MBAs and in person programs. Given my current lifestyle, though, this will likely be most suitable for me. I was really impressed with some of the prospective student events, and it's a bonus that the degree is from a top ranked school.

On that note, would love to know: how was the remote learning experience? did you feel connected/engaged (enough) to classmates, professor, content, etc.? For your electives, did you take advantage of any in-person learning (e.g. did a semester at Berkeley while working remote; took an elective with a shorter timeline)? How were the required in-person sessions? What stood out for you most in your experience? Would you recommend? Did you connect with peers outside of class time? Did you connect with peers in your geographic area (especially interested in folks who arent on West Coast)?

Thanks!

Hi there,

25F, International. GMAT 740 (pre-2024 edition) Q50 V41. Undergraduate in Business Management with a Finance major.

Target schools in Round 1 (August 2027 intake): CBS, Kellogg, Booth, Yale, Tuck.

Primary university: GPA was 3.66/4.0, trended upwards. Lowest grade I ever got was a C in Finance 101 but I was getting As in Finance courses by my final year.

Study abroad or exchange semester (in a separate transcript), I took 5 credits (9 courses of 0.5 credit-1 credit each). Average 3.35/4. From the 9, I have one E, one D, two Cs, 5 As or Bs.

Question: 1. What are your experiences with this kind of thing so far? Has anyone applied to these schools without submitting your study-abroad grades? What happened, did it affect the application processing, or nothing happened?

1. If I were to submit my study-abroad transcript, is a justification for poor grades in an Optional Essay needed? Considering I performed reasonably well overall, and study-abroad semesters have a banter reputation? If you have written an Optional Essay for something like this, how did you word it?

Mitigating factors for a potential Optional Essay (I'm aware these are all shoddy reasons)

• taking 5 credits as opposed to 4 was a bit of a stretch
• certain professors spelled out how many classes we had to attend to 'pass' and my Cs/Ds were in cases where I strayed too close to that minimum limit (to travel around Europe...)
• I was in a group project for a class where my groupmates only conversed in French, and I was unable to contribute. They still complained to the professor who knocked my grade down, but because I just needed to pass I didn't correct this with her.

Transcript criteria from each school:

• Kellogg, Tuck: Appears mildest. "Transcripts for study abroad or transfer programs are not required if the grades are included in the transcript from your degree-granting institution."
• CBS and Booth: More instructive. "If you used transfer courses towards your undergraduate degree (including study abroad credits), the transcript from your degree-granting institution must include the course titles and respective grades from the other school or program. Otherwise, you must also upload the transcript from the school or program where the transfer credits were earned."
• Yale: Most strict. "If you completed study abroad coursework or received transfer credit from another institution, include the institution in the list of schools you enter below and upload a transcript issued by that institution. The only exception is if your degree-granting institution’s transcript includes the full course titles and grades from the study abroad or transfer coursework. This is uncommon, so please review carefully. A general notation showing only that transfer credit was awarded is not sufficient. If the full course titles and grades appear on your degree-granting institution's transcript, upload that same transcript under both institution entries."

Hi all. I received a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience for undergrad. During that time, my health plummeted and I struggled immensely. I graduated in May of 2025 and started an online MBA in March of this year. I am maintaining a 4.0 and taking the "full" load of 6 hours per 8 week term. Because my health is still bad and I live in a small town with family, I want to get a remote job if possible. However, I have essentially no business experience to name. I have lots of experience in leadership, public outreach, and some in teaching, but none in business. Based off of the courses I've taken so far, my interests would lie in Human Resource Management/ Human Capital Management, HRIS, etc.

Any advice for how I could land a job like this? Is this possible? What should I do?

I need some advice on what to do, where to go, what to pursue. I’m 27, wife is due with our first baby in a couple weeks. I have the GI Bill (was med discharge from the army, after only about 2 years as an officer). Got a job at a financial institution in Charlotte, NC 2 years ago doing general operations stuff (current salary is just under 125k). I studied an irrelevant topic in undergrad but got a 3.7 gpa. Looking to pursue an MBA because I’m now in corporate and I have no reason not to, especially with the GI Bill.

So with that context, I need help:
1. Do I pursue an MBA at Kenan Flagler and do their EMBA out of Charlotte? Or pursue Duke? Can’t stop working because the plan is for my wife to be a stay at home mom and homeschool.
2. Is now the time to do it? Not looking to get into IB or consulting due to crazy work hours and travel, but want to make my odds better for future promotions/raises/moves, etc.
3. What concentration makes sense? I’m in General operations right now, it’s vague, job is vague honestly. Do I make a pivot with the MBA? Or use it to hop into a higher up role after?

Any advice, thoughts, help would be greatly appreciated! Not an experienced redditor so I apologize if this isn’t right.

Thanks!!

So currently I’m a senior banker at a top bank but i’m getting exhausted of the low pay ($27/hr) and the incentive isn’t much to make up for it. I’ve been working towards becoming a Business Banking Relationship Manager role within the company. However, i saw a different banking company post a Business Development Officer role.. they seem pretty similar but BDO seems more chasing potential clients and the BBRM role. If anyone is a BDO or BBRM can you clarify maybe what your day to day looks like? I would like to actually make more use out of my MBA than i currently am so any info helps.

Hello
I am 25M just completed my MBBS, but now i am losing interest in this field. I want to pursue MBA as an alternate option.
I will only target top IIMs, not even baby IIMs.
Is it worth it for a Dr to go into an MBA.
Is there enough job opportunities of people with a medical background.
What jobs can i get if I pursue it.
If anyone has a similar situation i would be grateful for you help.
Please i would be glad if anyone can help me with this question.
Thank you

27F Indian banking professional with ~4–6 YOE, currently in India. I have an engineering + MBA degree from a good Indian university, with a ~3.1/4 GPA. My current experience spans 2 BB American banks (think GS/JPM/Citi/BofA/MS) across corporate banking deal support and inhouse treasury. I’m moving into a VP-level role at a another foreign bank focused on Payments Sales and haven’t taken the GMAT yet.

Long-term, I’d like to work in corporate banking in the US, ideally with the option to work across geographies over my career.

I’m debating between:

- US MBA → recruit into US corporate banking

- Skip the MBA → build my career and pursue international/internal mobility

A few questions:

- Is a US MBA worth it for this goal, or would internal mobility be a better route?

- How much would a ~3.1 GPA hurt at M7/T15 schools if I have a strong GMAT and continued career progression?

Which schools are particularly strong for corporate banking and international students?

How realistic is US corporate banking recruiting for international MBA students, given sponsorship?

Would appreciate perspectives from people actually in US corporate banking or who have made a similar decision.

About me, Im working at a high growth startup in the Bay area, making more than 200k Base salary.

I have a US Masters in ECE from a well known school with 3.8+ GPA, 5 YOE of post masters work experience in semiconductor/related industry including some FAANG experience.

I feel my intellectual simulation is plateauing in Engineering and I want to explore product strategy and get into P&L in the long term.

Will an MBA help me in this aspect? I know the short term ROI will not be great, but what about the long term (5-10 years after the degree)?
Thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Also I don’t plan on quitting my job so my only realistic options are either the Berkeley Haas EWMBA or Chicago Booth MBA.

I have been an architectural designer for about 5 years and am planning to apply for an MBA early next year. My goal would be to shift into consulting for a few years, and eventually shift towards real estate or another related field.

Any architects in MBA programs/consulting? What was your experience like?

Any insight would be appreciated!

Just joined my first job was just curious about how my profile stands and what should I be doing to be a good fit for a M7 equivalent mba with following Indian profile:

9/9/8
Top 7 IITs
Double major in entrepreneur management
Working as Product Associate (Associate Product Manager equivalent) at big Indian AI unicorn
Consult Club Lead at Undergrad uni

Would be grateful for a profile review or just any guidance/discussion around this. Dms open!!

I am currently in freshman year doing bachelors in cse i can aim for 3.7+ gpa and does ug reputation matters a lot when applying if u have good gmat,profile with good gpa and like 1/1300 students in class and creating a club in college and managing it and abt 3-5 years work experience.

Guys thank you so much for your feedback on my previous post!

I’m wondering if someone can review my profile for the Knight Hennessy Scholarship! Because if I don’t stand a chance then I’d actually give Stanford the due attention it needs and apply in R2 and not do a rushed R1 just for KHS 🙂🙂🙂

Idk if I’ll have enough time but in R2 I can consider working on my GRE as well.

Thank u sooo muchhhhh!!! Reallly stressed rn

So I did a very dumb thing. Decided a last min application to LBS and forgot to give the English test. Mailed adcoms after deadline but submitted my apps before the deadline.
Am I screwed?
I am planning to give the duo lingo test tomm if thats any better.
Will my app move to R2?

Im thinking about getting my MBA. The program is online 36 credits. I already have a masters in accounting (pre covid)
MSA was on campus accelerated 1 year program (30 credits) that I did while working full time in office and I wouldn’t say it was difficult but time consuming for sure

Now I work full time remote and MBA is online but Im feeling really nervous it will be undoable. I feel like my MSA may have been easier because I majored in accounting and work in accounting and I got it 7 years ago when I was younger and had more energy (31 now, no kids still).

Might be overthinking or imposter syndrome but have any of you guys worked full time and done mba full time? I really dont want to do 2 years