3 ms·

i graduated with a 2.01 GPA from my undergrad program nearly 10 years ago (a top 20 school, basically the best public STEM school in the nation). since then i'

i graduated with a 2.01 GPA from my undergrad program nearly 10 years ago (a top 20 school, basically the best public STEM school in the nation). since then i've worked extensively for big name-brand companies and have cofounded a multi-million dollar services firm which i now run. after doing some very cursory research into MBA programs, i decided that it probably wasn't worth the effort and money required to even apply, given my academic achievement. a non-starter, so to speak. the only answers i could wrangle out of admissions folks and people who had gotten their mba were bogus platitudes and non-responses, i couldn't get a god damn straight answer out of ANYONE whether or not it would be a waste of time to pursue admissions with a C average in undergrad, even given my professional track record. not a single person said "yes. it is possible that an elite school will accept you with a C undergrad gpa." even worse, nobody said that i would be rejected outright. basically, nobody knew. i got the distinct feeling that mba programs cast a wide net on applications and keep the secret sauce of admissions as closely guarded as possible. therefore, i gave up on the process and have pretty much decided that i am done with school for life. it's not really feeling like much of a loss, to be honest, especially considering it would take me over 500k of lost earnings and tuition to go to a school anyway. i dunno if that's worth it.

Selfcommit 13y ago
My situation is very similar to yours. (Although if I'd founded a multi-million dollar start-up I don't think I"d be interested in continuing school)
- beachstartup 13y ago
  having an mba and getting some job that pays me $250k/year to do basically nothing would be a great plan B in case my company goes belly up. running your own company makes working a job, any job, even the golden handcuffs elite jobs, look like a fucking cakewalk. no joke.
  - Selfcommit 13y ago
    I'll bet - Sounds very exciting. Hopefully someday one of my own projects takes off.
hkmurakami 13y ago
I'm at a decent MBA program right now and from what I've gathered from the admissions process, I would conjecture that accepting you would "hurt their rankings" too much and thus they would reject you no matter how good you were technically. IMHO MBA these days is just a pipeline for people to move up in their very rigid career tracks (professional services, just checking off a check box) or shift industries/functions. The focus is not on learning. I would honestly dissuade you from applying regardless of what your GPA was. edit: If you're interested in hearing the gory details, shoot me a msg. Details are in profile :)
graycat 13y ago
I've been an MBA program prof and seen what MBAs have learned and done. There are some advantages to having an MBA; at best, these advantages are terrific. Sadly one of the best of the advantages is just meeting the other students -- something like the advantages of being in a good country club where know that everyone else has been carefully selected. And you can learn some business basics in accounting, finance, organizational behavior, business law, statistics, and maybe something about information technology, production, management, etc. Mostly the universities run MBA programs to get the tuition revenue and, later, the alumni financial gifts. But mostly a university wants to do 'research', and the MBA program is a bit far from that. Mostly the rest of the university wants to turn out college profs which, however, usually don't make much money so aren't good bets for gifts. So, a university can swallow its pride and run an MBA program. For some students, an MBA can get them on a good start in business. Alas, for someone already successful on business, an MBA is highly questionable. E.g., for someone already successful, they no doubt meet lots of people, even ones better to know than other MBA students. For accounting, after a few tax seasons and discussions with a tax lawyer, likely know a lot about accounting. For business law, working with a lawyer a little will likely teach you all you need to know about that. Really the main thing you need to know is your business that you are making successful. So many people see these points that a university might have an 'executive MBA' program where they can get successful business people through in less time with less bother. There may be some direction for you in the future where something in an MBA program would really help you, even be crucial, but this is not clear. Or, can look at a lot of successful people in business, e.g., Gates, Page, Brin, without an MBA. Or, if they want an MBA, then they will hire one. My guess would be that an MBA program would be a waste of time, money, and effort for you and also possibly a severe shot in the gut of your career. Indeed, many profs will feel guilty that somehow the university had gotten you to leave your successful career, and likely hurt it, for the university's questionable material. If you can find an 'executive MBA' program at a good school and really have the spare time, then maybe okay. Otherwise I'd advise you to be very careful and actually go for an MBA only if you could find some astoundingly good, special, and unique reason. Stay with your bird in the hand and be less interested in the two birds in the bush.

Selfcommit 13y ago

My situation is very similar to yours. (Although if I'd founded a multi-million dollar start-up I don't think I"d be interested in continuing school)

beachstartup 13y ago
having an mba and getting some job that pays me $250k/year to do basically nothing would be a great plan B in case my company goes belly up. running your own company makes working a job, any job, even the golden handcuffs elite jobs, look like a fucking cakewalk. no joke.
- Selfcommit 13y ago
  I'll bet - Sounds very exciting. Hopefully someday one of my own projects takes off.

hkmurakami 13y ago

I'm at a decent MBA program right now and from what I've gathered from the admissions process, I would conjecture that accepting you would "hurt their rankings" too much and thus they would reject you no matter how good you were technically. IMHO MBA these days is just a pipeline for people to move up in their very rigid career tracks (professional services, just checking off a check box) or shift industries/functions. The focus is not on learning. I would honestly dissuade you from applying regardless of what your GPA was. edit: If you're interested in hearing the gory details, shoot me a msg. Details are in profile :)

graycat 13y ago

I've been an MBA program prof and seen what MBAs have learned and done. There are some advantages to having an MBA; at best, these advantages are terrific. Sadly one of the best of the advantages is just meeting the other students -- something like the advantages of being in a good country club where know that everyone else has been carefully selected. And you can learn some business basics in accounting, finance, organizational behavior, business law, statistics, and maybe something about information technology, production, management, etc. Mostly the universities run MBA programs to get the tuition revenue and, later, the alumni financial gifts. But mostly a university wants to do 'research', and the MBA program is a bit far from that. Mostly the rest of the university wants to turn out college profs which, however, usually don't make much money so aren't good bets for gifts. So, a university can swallow its pride and run an MBA program. For some students, an MBA can get them on a good start in business. Alas, for someone already successful on business, an MBA is highly questionable. E.g., for someone already successful, they no doubt meet lots of people, even ones better to know than other MBA students. For accounting, after a few tax seasons and discussions with a tax lawyer, likely know a lot about accounting. For business law, working with a lawyer a little will likely teach you all you need to know about that. Really the main thing you need to know is your business that you are making successful. So many people see these points that a university might have an 'executive MBA' program where they can get successful business people through in less time with less bother. There may be some direction for you in the future where something in an MBA program would really help you, even be crucial, but this is not clear. Or, can look at a lot of successful people in business, e.g., Gates, Page, Brin, without an MBA. Or, if they want an MBA, then they will hire one. My guess would be that an MBA program would be a waste of time, money, and effort for you and also possibly a severe shot in the gut of your career. Indeed, many profs will feel guilty that somehow the university had gotten you to leave your successful career, and likely hurt it, for the university's questionable material. If you can find an 'executive MBA' program at a good school and really have the spare time, then maybe okay. Otherwise I'd advise you to be very careful and actually go for an MBA only if you could find some astoundingly good, special, and unique reason. Stay with your bird in the hand and be less interested in the two birds in the bush.