I'm currently working at the Federal Reserve doing economic research, and I'm considering transitioning to economic consulting in the next couple of years, possibly at firms like Analysis Group or Bates White. I'm wondering if this career path, with a total of 4-5 years of experience in these roles, would make me a competitive candidate for a top MBA program like those in the M7?

Would this combination of experience be seen favorably by M7 MBA programs, or are there additional steps I should consider to strengthen my application?

Any insights or advice would be greatly appreciated!!!

Perhaps you went the LDP route for better work life balance or job security. How’s life now?

Are you happy with your choice? How much were you making post-grad and now? Was your internship during the MBA also at an LDP?

I recently exited my startup that I worked on the side of my current job in Supply Chain.
Main company didn't know about my startup, never really wanted them to since I work remote and sort of bounce back and forth all day. No conflict, just work with uptight boomers.

I am contractually obligated not to disclose who I sold to and at what value, but I want to include it in my resume / application because it's really the only impressive accomplishment I've had. Excluding a few promotions, and what not.

Undergrad grades were crappy and went to a no-name school. Have 11 years of experience at large companies in Supply Chain. Incrementally promoted up the chains to the equivalent of a Sr. Manager / Director.

Now that I've had this windfall I want to finally get my MBA from Yale, ideally through the executive MBA program.

Tl;DR: Founded and exited a company but signed an NDA, how can I still use this awesome accomplishment to get into an Ivy league MBA. Please share your thoughts!

​

Too many ambitious and reasonably, but not substantially intelligent high school seniors get their heads wrapped up in prestige. This prestige mentality extends to postgraduate programs too (law, medicine, business).

You must go to Harvard. Yale. Wharton. Cornell. UC Berkeley. Or, failing those, the most prestigious school you can get into. Who cares about debt? You will pay it off with that high-paying investment banking/management consulting/FAANG/biglaw/doctor job.

Yes, never mind that nearly all of these jobs (except for maybe FAANG) will have you working ungodly hours, take on unhealthy amounts of stress, and have you taking benzos just to survive. You made it, right?

Once you’re in, it’s time to climb the ladder. Analyst/Associate to VP/Senior Associate/Non Equity Partner to MD/Equity Partner. Soon, you’re 40 and if you’re married, you’re wondering why your wife wants a divorce and why your kids hate you.

Or, maybe you pay off your debt and try and go for one of the exit ops. After almost a decade of grinding, and your hairline receding, you get the exit op. Meanwhile you have to rekindle all the friendships you ignored. You have chronic heart palpitations that won’t go away, and anxiety that won’t disappear. No matter how many doctors and therapists you visit.

And really, that exit op plan is your best case scenario. It’s decently likely that you will fail at any one of the earlier stages to get there. The competition is fierce, and everyone is lined up to be the balding, stressed, ex-Bain/GS/Skadden associate looking for their exit op in their early 30s.

All while people that shoot for mediocrity rather than prestige went to schools they could afford, took easy jobs, worked their way up slowly, did that while being happy, and still make good incomes.

The worst is, no one gives a fuck about your job. Truly, no one. Your non-industry friends do not care. Your industry friends may care, but most of them are pricks. Women don’t give a fuck (and you don’t really want the few that do). Your family may care, but if they are wealthy enough to care, what does it matter; and if they are poor, they don’t care so long as you are employed and making good money.

We are all on a floating rock, and more people should do what makes them happy, rather than what makes shareholders happy.

If you don’t have the innate superstar sociability/drive/intelligence, and if you don’t have to, don’t fall into the prestige trap.

Has anyone heard back for interview invites for CBS R3 applications?

Assholes.

Has anyone received a call from admissions after being waitlisted to chat about “more questions that the admissions committee has”? If so, what was it about? Kinda confused by this email I got

Has anyone done a PM interview with Rockstar Games and can shed some light on the types of qs asked? Or any advice?

I don't quite understand why so many international MBA students are complaining about the US job market.

You were generously allowed to be educated by our top universities and now you are upset that citizens of their own country have an easier time finding a job?

Hey peeps!

I'm an international student and will be joining Foster FT MBA program this Fall. I'll be primarily recruiting for consulting and then finance/ corp strategy/ corp dev roles (preferably in the retail tech or CPG industry). I know that Foster is not the immediate target school for these roles (though as I'm talking with current 2Y students, I have been told that the school is now also focusing on consulting), but I'm not really concerned about FT recruiting. I'm taking on debt as per my risk appetite and I am happy to go back to my country (where hiring is ramping up for experienced folk, boon of GCCs etc.) / relocate elsewhere. Recently, I did convert a waitlist at a T15 program but there's no scholarship and my personal motto is that life is too short to take on $200k debt. Therefore, my thoughts are now centering on the summer internship recruiting.

Few questions for this subreddit:

a) I am reading people are submitting 300 - 1000 internship applications (insane) with very low response rate. Is this really because of the market? I am very flexible and open to interning for my pre-mba role/ at boutique firms etc. (I think, in the long-term, it should be easier to pivot to a different role using transferable skills, relevant upskilling etc.)

b) What are some characteristics of a great interviewee that you see in your cohort?

c) In budgeting, would it be fair to include $20k to $22k (~ $7k a month) as probable stipend from the summer internship? I would like to use this money to pay tuition for my second year.

Thoughts, thoughts, thoughts, please. Thank you :)

I been taking the practice tests and I took the actual test once and my score has been varying from 295-298 every time. Do I bother giving it again or just applying since it’s part time programs. Like how much weightage would it take in the overall application

For context I am applying up programs with work experience less than 3 years

I have around 2.5 years experience as UX designer

Did my undergrad in industrial design in top design college with a 3.4 gpa

Have decent sop I guess about how I want to jump in to PM And pretty good LOR’s from my recommenders

Have quite few extracurriculars and volunteer experience

MBB Consulting post MBA Same 6-digits scholarship Love both equally and need help here

-I am a 2Y in an m7 and posting for a friend to help out with decision making

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I am a recent graduate working in project management and am contemplating which path to pursue for a better future. I have lost all motivation to return to design engineering, so I am considering sticking to either project management or sales in the HVAC industry.

I am unsure which path will lead me to a better outcome, given my EIT certification and engineering degree. However, I envision working towards an MBA and transitioning fully into a non-technical role at some point. I would appreciate your advice. Thank you for your opinions

For single students, do you actually hire a moving company to move all your things to NYC? Or is it smarter to sell everything I own and just buy used when I get to NYC and have an apartment? I can't bring anything with me other than what I can carry since I won't have a car. NYC apartments are so small I don't know that it's worth it to ship or hire a moving company to ship the things that would fit. If I decided to go to school in NYC, I would be moving from west to east coast.

Heyo, so I’m a technology graduate with 2 years of experience as a technology associate in an investment bank. I want pursue MBA but I’m not sure what career options will I have. Like even staying in tech, I earn decently enough and I like jobs with some analytical work. What are some high paying career options that are best suited for people who have technology degree ?

Singing "U can't fix this" to MC Hammer's "U can't touch this" will help you forget about work, reduce your stress levels and prevent nightmares with colleagues. The effect is even stronger if you do that little dance move with your shoulders while you sing. Source: https://finally.beehiiv.com/p/unfixable

Hi, Just wondering how strong my profile is for a deferred MBA since I do know that it’s generally more competitive than the regular rounds.

Targets: HBS 2+2, Wharton, Stanford,

Stats: Ivy undergrad junior year + international student

3.7/4.0 GPA in Computer Science

GRE: 336/340 (170Q, 166V)

1 FAANG & 1 SWE at bank internship

1 failed startup attempt

1 undergrad research experience

Main interests: Entrepreneurship in tech / want to do a startup during the deferral period

Do I have a sure shot at one of these three or should I apply to more schools in the M7? Lmk if you need any other info for context

When I was a junior and senior in HS, I took classes at a local community college (an alternative to IB/AP in my home state).

These credits did transfer over to my undergrad institution but the grades from the classes didn't. I did quite well in undergrad but quite shit in the college classes I took while in HS.

When applying to programs, will I also have to upload my transcript from the classes I took as a high schooler?

Hi Everyone,

I applied for the GMAT test waiver, but unfortunately, I didn't get approved. Ross has the QRC course/exam that I can take in place of the GMAT but I'm contemplating whether it's worth investing 20-30 hours into coursework to complete the course and pass the exam before the May 13 deadline.

I'm also grappling with doubts about my candidacy and chances of admission into the online program. Is the effort worth it, or should I consider abandoning my application? I've already paid the non-refundable $200 application fee.

Some background about myself:

• 28-year-old male with a bachelor's in mechanical engineering.
• Graduated with a 3.21 GPA from a state school.
• Accumulated 5 years of work experience, including 2 years at General Motors, where I've held roles as a systems engineer and project manager.
• Posses certifications such as PMP and DFSS Green Belt, along with an approved patent.

Any insights or advice would be immensely helpful. Thanks in advance for your help!

Hi all,

Question intended for any program really -- currently run a company with a specialty product for edtech, on track to make a modest ARR of $400-500k for a team of 7. Most ppl on the team are doing their roles part time, so it's a nice income booster for everyone.

I planned on enrolling in a t25 program (whoever gives good scholarship, nothing others havent posted before) in fall 2025, but was wondering how not wanting to give up this side hustle would be perceived. It’s honestly only 5-10 hours a week at most and i will pull in anywhere from 50-75k from it annually, if not more. It's not earth shattering figures, but it's chill ^^

The post has nothing to do with "why bother with an MBA, scale your company", im just curious first how it's realistically perceived during recruiting process before i make a decision. I dont want to give it up.

Previous experience was machine learning (alexa) product mgr at Amazon, and i took a golden parachute when they shut down my org late 2022, would pivot ideally to consulting (if job market allows for it), strategy, or some LDP for a midsize

Edit: for others on my team, it's been part time. For me, it's been my full time gig for last 1.5 years.

Thanks all in advance 😊

Long post alert!

Hello everyone,

I applied to quite a few T20 schools in R1 and R2 this year but have received only rejects which has been quite disappointing. I applied to Columbia, Cornell, Marshall, UCLA, Stern and MIT (received a reject) in R3 and awaiting a response. I have Tepper and Cambridge left in my list whose final deadlines are in early May. My essays have been decent I think as I have a lot of experience and have good anecdotes (can share for review later). Also worked with a consultant this year. Recommendation to schools applied in R3 was given by CEO. This is my final attempt at an MBA after an unsuccessful stint last year. While there isn't much I can change, I was wondering if anyone can share any feedback or views on my profile. Maybe this feedback could be incorporated into my essays for the remaining two schools. I'm also curious about my chances of receiving interviews at applied schools. Although I'm aware that R3 is a long shot for an Indian applicant and at this point it is just a waiting game, any insights would be helpful.

Here's a little bit about my profile.

Age - 34F
Country - India
GPA - 7.48
GRE - 317 (Q165, V152)
MBA Math - 94%
Certifications - CSPO and a 6-month product management course
Work ex - 11 years
Current Designation - Senior Product Manager

Stint 1 - 4 years - Worked with an MNC for 4 years with 2 promotions. Helped build applications for a US and Switzerland based client. One of the largest in the agriculture sector.
Stint 2 - 2 years - Quit my job and started volunteering at a well known non-profit teaching young girls and helping with fundraising.
Stint 3 - 2.5 years - Joined the founding team of an ed-tech startup in the social impact space and built a platform that equipped students with social entrepreneurship skills and helped expand it across the country. Was also part of the above mentioned non-profit for 3 more years in various leadership roles managing teams and operations. Helped extensively with fundraising and was one of the highest fundraisers in the org.
Stint 4 - 4.5 years - Joined a fintech start-up and have worked with Fortune 500 and unicorn financial enterprise clients and was responsible for delivering financial products. Have had 2 promotions and since the last 7 months have been working with the CEO and CTO managing a 20-member team and leading the complete overhaul of the current products as the sole product manager.

ST Goal - Work in big-tech and gain experience on how to build global, large scale products (B2C or B2B) as a Senior Product Manager.
LT Goal - Integrate my experience from the non-profit sector and the experience gained by working in big-tech and start my own firm that sets-up digital strategies for non-profits/governmental entities.

Would appreciate if people can share feedback/insights on how the following are viewed:

• Age/Work ex
• Indian applicant
• R3 applicant
• No well known companies on CV except for the first MNC
• Startup experience
• Extensive volunteering/non-profit experience
• Recommendation by CEO
• Avg. GPA and GRE scores

Thanks a lot in advance!

Hi guys,

​

R2 waitlist here. I recently received an email from an associate director saying that adcom wants to have a call with me. And ahead of the conversation, she wants to call me tomorrow to discuss few things. Has anyone received the same message and done the call before? If yes, what is it about? What questions did they ask? If any of you can shed some light that would be much appreciated!

Sorry for the repost - I accidentally deleted the original.

R3 applicant: I received 30K/year scholarship to KF but I would still owe around 41K (82K + interest) being out of state. Not including experiential learning trips, etc. I was not chosen for the Vetter Dean’s program. I’m questioning if this would be a good ROI and if most people take out loans of this size. I know a lot get sponsored by their employer but I will be self-financing this. I am also waiting on McCombs decision. Additionally, my husband and I have a house we are trying to sell that we bought just barely a year ago so probably will lose a lot $ on the house.

Post MBA goal: hospital admin or healthcare consulting but also interested in the tech space and marketing

1. Is this an exorbitant debt for my post-mba goals?
2. Does KF historically negotiate on scholarship amount?
3. Is the saying true that if you don’t go to a top ranked school then don’t go at all?! I’m considering just going to a state school due to cost reasons but don’t want to waste my time if unranked school won’t hold much weight

BG: international H1B, female, not racially diverse, T30 undergrad, <5 YOE in internal consulting at a global investment bank in NY.

Career goal:

• ideal: go into investment field (impact investing, PE, growth equity, late stage VC)
• probably more realistic: IB

MBA goals:

• want to make friends and have genuine relationships;
• want to have fun despite knowing that recruiting will be super stressful;
• want to explore different hobbies (whether I end up liking them or not) and meet diverse people.

Applied to Wharton R1 and got a little more than half ride for two years.

Applied to HBS R2, based on known data (my friend, same salary and no past debt, though I have less savings), I might be able to get 1/3 or less than what I get from Wharton.

Considering all aspects (BG, career goal, personal mba goal, and cost), what would be a better choice? Is HBS significantly better in placing people in buyside? What are the chances if no banking/investing experience pre-MBA (given chances are slim, are there any difference between H and W)?

TIA for any insights!

I want to get my mba within the next 5-6 years. I am currently a sophomore at FIU and I am working on campus at the office of financial advisory. I think its a pretty good position, so i didn't think i should get an internship this summer. But i am trying to plan out my next summer. I want to keep in mind that i am not coming from a target school, and I want to ideally find a company that is willing to offer MBA reimbursement when I decide to go. Any suggestions on where I should apply.

TLDR: I have an unusual background coming into an MBA, so I don’t really know where I stand when it comes to programs that I could realistically get into. Is my scattergun approach the way to go, or should I focus on a ranking segment that is most achievable?

Looking to get everyone’s thoughts on where I’ll be applying for F25 MBA programs:

HBS dual MBA/MPA; Yale/Harvard dual MBA/MPA; Olin MBA (love the look of their international MBA); Rice Jones MBA (interest in Houston area); Local state school MBA to ‘check the box’

I’m going for a scatter gun approach because I don’t really know where I realistically stand as an MBA candidate. My plan is that the MBA will help me transition into a consulting career, and it seems like the MBA tier will help determine the consulting tier as well.

My background: I have a doctorate in music/ethnomusicology from a school that is no name ranking wise, but top tier within my niche. During my dissertation period I got a Fulbright in East Asia and then continued living in that same country for five years on various research grants. I then transitioned to my current industry in funding/development for local government, with a focus on Indian tribes in the Midwest. No official scores yet, but practice tests get me to about 320 on the GRE. 3.8GPA, 5YOE in current industry.

What do you think?

Scholarship or Fellowship for Part-Time MBA programs

Hello all,

I m looking to enroll into an part time / weekend MBA program for the next CY. Schools I'm targeting are not necessarily Top universities, but maybe T-15 like Haas, Kenan Flager, Fuqua, Wharton, starting next year.

I wanted to know whether there was any opportunity for scholarships for part time MBA programs.

Just for background, I have ~ 6 years of work experience in Engineering with 1.5 year of experience as a manager, currently on an H1b.

Thanks for any guidance!

I’m 6 years out of undergrad and studying for the GRE. I am honestly am not a great tester so I would be happy with a 320 and know that with my 3.0 undergrad GPA that is likely not going to cut it for a top tier school. Is a mid-tier program MBA even worth it in the current job market? I was looking at data and some mid tier schools the average salary is 148k, I make 145k right now in my (large) startup tech operations role. I was hoping to leverage the MBA for a pivot into product management but now not sure if that’s even worth it… to pay for school, go unemployed for two years, and then basically make exactly what I was making before? And in terms of actually getting a job after MBA it sounded like a lot of people were having trouble, I can only assume career pivots are even more difficult than staying in your original industry/role type. I spoke to several people who went to top programs in the last few years and they got jobs but then got laid off… should I just hold onto my currently safe job and not get my MBA yet? I’ve considered part time but honestly that sounds like hell without the benefits of networking.

Hey everyone! Last night I submitted my 2+2 application for HBS, and before doing so I made sure all my answers were in all the text boxes. When I submitted though, and I clicked on the proof of application, I couldn’t see the short answer I provided in the supplemental info section. My other short answer for the family section was also missing. It kind of worried me. Did anyone else have this issue? Thanks!