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How would an unimpressive person land into a top 5 MBA program? Presumably they'd take someone with solid prior work experience.

michaelochurch 12y ago
Well, those unimpressive people get the needed work experience. The "work experience" component of MBA admissions is socioeconomic. It's often worked out while these kids are still in school, that they'll do job X for 3 years and then get sent to Harvard MBA school. And while some rich kids are also impressively intelligent and creative, those tend not to be the rich kids who go to MBA school. So you get a mix of reasonably impressive (or lucky) middle-class students and unimpressive rich kids.
- ryandrake 12y ago
  This is pretty accurate. I'd add to the mix "pretty impressive international students" too. They tend to have overcome similar socioeconomic disadvantages* as the middle-class students AND have overcome additional regional, cultural, and language barriers. *I'm _cautiously_ using the word "disadvantages" here since in all honesty we're comparing really lucky students with middle-class backgrounds to ultra-lucky students with filthy rich backgrounds.
  - littletimmy 12y ago
    I feel your point about international students may be overstated. A lot of international students who come to places like HBS are extremely rich (some in the sense of owning huge portions of their country and having slaves rich). Read about Harvard "Section X" for example. It is an elite enclave of students within HBS who outspend other HBS groups (who spend a lot anyway) by a mile.
damoncali 12y ago
It happens a lot for various reasons. Admissions people aren't that good at their jobs, good ol' boy networks, outright cheating on standardized tests (this is a huge problem in Asia), and more than a few "dumb smart kids". Overall, good B schools (well beyond the "top 5", which I'm pretty sure consists of at least 10 schools) are full of pretty sharp folks. Some even brilliant. But quite a few dullards as well make it through the process.

michaelochurch 12y ago

Well, those unimpressive people get the needed work experience. The "work experience" component of MBA admissions is socioeconomic. It's often worked out while these kids are still in school, that they'll do job X for 3 years and then get sent to Harvard MBA school. And while some rich kids are also impressively intelligent and creative, those tend not to be the rich kids who go to MBA school. So you get a mix of reasonably impressive (or lucky) middle-class students and unimpressive rich kids.

ryandrake 12y ago
This is pretty accurate. I'd add to the mix "pretty impressive international students" too. They tend to have overcome similar socioeconomic disadvantages* as the middle-class students AND have overcome additional regional, cultural, and language barriers. *I'm _cautiously_ using the word "disadvantages" here since in all honesty we're comparing really lucky students with middle-class backgrounds to ultra-lucky students with filthy rich backgrounds.
- littletimmy 12y ago
  I feel your point about international students may be overstated. A lot of international students who come to places like HBS are extremely rich (some in the sense of owning huge portions of their country and having slaves rich). Read about Harvard "Section X" for example. It is an elite enclave of students within HBS who outspend other HBS groups (who spend a lot anyway) by a mile.

damoncali 12y ago

It happens a lot for various reasons. Admissions people aren't that good at their jobs, good ol' boy networks, outright cheating on standardized tests (this is a huge problem in Asia), and more than a few "dumb smart kids". Overall, good B schools (well beyond the "top 5", which I'm pretty sure consists of at least 10 schools) are full of pretty sharp folks. Some even brilliant. But quite a few dullards as well make it through the process.