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

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?

Like the title mentions, should I go to GSB or HBS or do a PT MBA? I am in FAANG so the opportunity cost to go full-time is very high, but at the same time GBS/HBS are the top schools. Thoughts?

Reason for doing the MBA: go into C-suite or start own company.

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.

I’ve been thinking of doing the online mba or professional mba at Texas A&M Mays for a career pivot. I’ve heard that mays school of business is great but they’re more recognized for the full time MBA which in unable to do as I need to work full time.

Does a degree from this program hold much weight or should I consider a part time MBA from UT Austin? The benefit of getting the degree at A&M would be that I get some sort of tuition assistance since I work for the college but that’s about it.

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?

For someone planning to work in Shanghai after an MBA, how much weight does the school name actually carry?

I have been comparing Fudan, CEIBS and SJTU Antai. They all seem well connected in Shanghai, but I’m finding it difficult to judge how much employers actually care about the difference between them.

Once you already have a few years of work experience, does choosing between these schools meaningfully affect recruiting and career opportunities, or does your pre MBA background matter much more?

Would especially like to hear from people familiar with hiring in consulting, finance, tech or corporate strategy in China.

Curious to know how adcoms are utilizing AI. It seems like screening applications (essays) would have become much faster and simpler.

I recently began my program at a T10 and it feels like people already have core groups and close friends that they hang with. There's various invite-only parties and events happening and it feels like I've already missed the boat? People also say that you just end up being close to the people you meet initially so that seems scary too lol because I haven't really met a lot of people I vibed with.

Just trying to get more stories of when, in the 2 years, folks found their 'people'. And what situations led you to find them?

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!

6 YOE Semiconductors— Targeting LBS/INSEAD — Pivoting from Deep Technical IC to Leadership/industry exploration/VC

Demographics
- Nationality: Dutch
- Age: 31
- Marital status: Married

Education
- MSc Mechatronics, TU Delft

GMAT / GRE
- Targeting 700+

Work Experience (~6 years)
- Technical Lead at semiconductor equipment manufacturing company
- Anonymous patent publication which is developed into a product
- Direct customer-facing relationships — translate customer data into product and process recommendations that affect their manufacturing economics
- Team size led:3

Extracurriculars / Leadership outside work
- Run an entrepreneurship networking event with a colleague outside work

Target Schools
- London Business School, INSEAD (leaning European over US options)

Post-MBA Goals
- Short-term: move from a deep technical IC track into general people/business leadership; deliberately explore industries beyond semiconductors (open to consulting, tech, industrials)
- Long-term: strategy leadership, product management, VC or entrepreneurship

Questions for the sub

1. Does a semiconductor/hard-engineering background read as a distinctive strength for MBA admissions, or does it need heavy "translation" into business/leadership language to land?
2. Realistic GMAT target given my profile, or should I be aiming above the 700 average to offset a non-traditional background?
3. Has anyone here used an MBA specifically to exit a narrow technical specialization into general leadership or strategy related roles

.Was

1. it worth it, or would you have just pushed for a direct lateral mov

e?

Hi a few questions I could use some help with. For some background, graduated from top 20 undergrad in 2019 and spent career in tech sales. Recently laid off and have never loved sales so figured MBA may be a good way to pivot in tech.

1. Is it too late to apply for Jan? Is it too much to pack all the studying and apps into next 2ish months?

2. Is it going to make it much more difficult to get in if I’m unemployed?

Thanks

Hi I was wondering how likely it is to get from corp banking seat at JPM/CIti/BofA type banks to M7 MBA? I currently did a summer internship and received an offer. I’m thinking about getting an MBA to relocate to the US.

Do you think it is achievable with high GMAT scores? My GPA is pretty low @ 3.5.
Should I apply for a deferred MBA for better fhances?
I guess I’ll have to stand out amongst other candidates from IB/PE backgrounds (considered more prestigious and competitive) but I have no idea how to.

Thanks in advance

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

I’m considering applying for Schulich’s Certificate in Digital Transformation and would love to hear from anyone who has actually completed it or is currently enrolled or know about it from friends.

Note: It’s actually partially covered through work

A few things I’m curious about:
How useful/practical was the curriculum?
What was the actual weekly time commitment?
What were the assignments and capstone like?
How strong was the cohort/networking aspect?
Did it add any real value professionally?
Overall, was it worth the \\\~$3K cost?
For context, I already work in project/business transformation and have a PMP, so I’m mainly looking to deepen the digital transformation/strategy side rather than learn basic project management.

Open to both positive and negative feedback, honest feedback tbf

34y/o male here. Just realized my spouses work benefits include an employer sponsored tuition coverage for my MBA. Should I apply and get accepted I will really only be paying the taxes on it. Estimated value 120k.

For context… I have about 10 years of experience in fintech, finance and SaaS sales. We live comfortably with our 1 son in a HCOL area.

Would love to go back to school and I think this could benefit my career pivoting into leadership. Also, 90-100% paid is just crazy to not pursue. Any thought s from people who have attended GWU and how this will realistically pan out for career trajectory?

Precious eduction: AA in Spanish, BA International Business from CA State School.

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.

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

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!!

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?

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.

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.

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?