westsider wrote:
The worst group is the 3rd one. You said you are applying for relatively entry level jobs, so you will be running with a bit of a different crowd than you may be used to. Some people really get offended by someone trying to improve their lot in life. They consider such folks "elitist". I think the recent issue in the media with Obama being called "elitist" proves that (rightly or wrongly I won't make a judgment cause this isn't the place for politics) for some people this really is a big issue. I'm sure we've all met someone who employed "anti-elitist" snobbery at us when we revealed our B-school plans. If you apply for a receptionist job, and they see your gmat score and KNOW WHAT IT MEANS.. they might kind of decide you are an "elite SNOB". I'm sure this is kind of the fringe case, but something to at least consider.
I kind of ran into this situation when our company had a "Get Your MBA!" meeting trying to encourage people to get into management roles and enroll in (part-time) MBA programs. One of my coworkers said he was considering a local school; it's pretty good for the immediate area, but no one outside of the metro knows it. He asked me where I was planning on going, I tried to change the subject, and he persisted in asking. Eventually I told him I was planning on applying to [insert 3 top 10 schools here] and he didn't really want to talk after that.
So the moral of the story is: tailor your message to your audience just like any other public speaking engagement.