Young Applicants / MBA Work Experience Requirements

Harvard Business

https://www.hbs.edu/mba/admissions/collegestudents.html

https://www.hbs.edu/mba/admissions/faq.html

"There is no minimum age or work experience required to apply to HBS; we advise you to assess your own readiness. If you are a fast-track college student or early in your career, and have already demonstrated a high potential for leadership, we urge you to consider what HBS has to offer. Pursuing an MBA early in your career can increase the long-term possibility for personal, professional, and financial growth. This could be the perfect opportunity to jump-start your career aspirations."

Stanford

https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/mba/ask/faq ... ol%20count?

Northwestern

https://www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/adm ... ly/FAQ.htm

"Although we have no minimum requirements for work experience, the average number of years of work experience is approximately five years. Because the Admissions Committee believes previous work experience greatly enriches one’s experience in the classroom, we recommend that candidates have at least two years of full-time work experience to be able to participate fully in classroom discussions and group projects."

Dartmouth

https://www.dartmouth.edu/tuck/mba/apply/faq.html

"Do I need to have full-time work experience required to apply?
On rare occasions, Tuck will consider offering admission to an outstanding applicant who has no work experience but is exceptional in all other areas. Having professional experience is important because it provides a frame of reference for classroom discussion and allows students to contribute in our collaborative learning environment. On average, Tuck students have five years of full-time work experience before entering Tuck. Generally, it is the quality—not the quantity—of an applicant's experience that is relevant in the evaluation process"

"College Seniors
On rare occasions, Tuck will consider offering admission to an exceptional applicant who has no prior work experience. Tuck may also grant deferred admission to college seniors whom we feel would benefit from full-time work experience. College seniors applying to Tuck or to any of Tuck's joint- or dual-degree programs should be able to demonstrate significant academic achievements, leadership experience, and accomplishments. Please do not apply until you have completed your fall 2004 coursework. Include one CSQ from a professor who is well qualified to comment on your academic qualifications and a second CSQ from a former employer or someone who knows you through a leadership role."

Virginia Darden

https://admissions.darden.virginia.edu/generalFAQ.htm#27

“Most incoming Darden students have between 3-5 years post-graduate work experience. What the Admissions Committee looks for, however, are individuals who exhibit professional maturity. In other words, we evaluate work experience not in terms of years but the depth and breadth of an individual's position, his or her contributions to the work environment, and level of responsibility and progression. Darden also seeks diversity in the professional backgrounds of its admitted students just as it does in all other parts of our applicants' profiles. No one industry is favored over another, and experience in a Fortune 500 company does not have higher value than experience in a small business or public or non-profit organization. For more information see the Student Profile section of our website.”

Yale SOM

https://mba.yale.edu/mba_admissions/admi ... html#noexp

"Does Yale SOM admit students without any work experience?
The Admissions Committee does occasionally offer admission to a few extraordinary students directly from their undergraduate studies."

UCLA Anderson

https://www.anderson.ucla.edu/x6448.xml

"Do I need work experience?
Work experience is not required for admission to UCLA Anderson. Most candidates have had at least two years of full-time post-bachelor’s degree work experience. However, candidates with limited work experience who have exceptional academic records and GMAT scores, as well as strong leadership in college, can also be admitted to the program. This year’s incoming students have an average of four and a half years of work experience, but please note that it is the quality of your experience, not the quantity, that counts. We do not distinguish applicants according to industry or job function; however, we are specifically interested in how you have contributed to your organization, and especially in what opportunities for leadership you have taken."

"UCLA Anderson welcomes applications from seniors and recent college grads who:
want to develop the leadership skills required to make a difference
have excellent academics
can demonstrate leadership from campus activities, community service, internships or other experiences
have a strong sense of career direction
bring a desire to take advantage of every opportunity Anderson’s MBA experience has to offer"

https://www.anderson.ucla.edu/x8828.xml

Carnegie Mellon

https://web.tepper.cmu.edu/default.aspx?id=142289#2

"Do I have to have post-undergraduate work experience?

No, post-undergraduate work experience is not a prerequisite for admission. We seek diversity in all dimensions, including from "candidates without any post-undergraduate work experience" to "candidates with 8 or more years of work experience.""

Texas-Austin McCombs

https://mba.mccombs.utexas.edu/admission ... aq.asp#req


"What is full-time work experience?
Full-time work experience is calculated up until the time of enrollment (start of fall classes). This includes all full-time work that you have completed since receiving your bachelor’s degree. This does not need to be business-based, and can include teaching, military service, government experience, programs like Peace Corps, etc. The average number of years of work experience for our admitted class is five years, but our minimum for admission consideration is two. If you have other SUBSTANTIAL experience and would like to be considered for admission, please submit an application and explain your experiences and circumstances fully in your essays."

McCombs has its own deferred admission for college seniors programs called "jumpstart."

https://mba.mccombs.utexas.edu/jumpstart/

Emory

https://goizueta.emory.edu/degree/twoyearmba/faq.html#1

"1. How important is work experience?

The quality of an applicant's work experience is an important factor in the application review process. 100% of our students have full-time work experience following the undergraduate degree. Most students have a minimum of 3 years of work experience; the average is 5 years.

Full-time, post-undergraduate work experience enables students to contribute more in class discussions and to gain more from our MBA experience. The Admissions Committee's evaluation of the quality of work experience and the levels of responsibility applicants bring are key components of the admission decision."

Vanderbilt

https://www.owen.vanderbilt.edu/vanderbi ... -goals.cfm

https://www.owen.vanderbilt.edu/vanderbi ... /index.cfm

"Q: Will my application be considered if I have fewer than two years of full-time work experience?

Yes. The Admissions Committee reviews every application received, regardless of the amount of experience, and admits candidates with little or no experience as long as other areas of the application are exceptionally strong. However, applicants with more experience are generally more competitive. The average experience for applicants offered admission in recent years is nearly five years; the middle 80% range was between two and eight years, and 95% had at least one year of full-time post-baccalaureate work experience."

Maryland

https://www.smith.umd.edu/fullmba/faq.html#faq_adm_05

"Is work experience a requirement for the MBA program?

Although work experience is not a requirement, it is highly preferred. Approximately 97 percent of the applicants offered admission have a minimum of two years of professional work experience."

Georgetown MBA

https://mba.georgetown.edu/admissions/fa ... Experience

"Is work experience required for admission?

We recommend that candidates for admission have a minimum of two to three years post-graduate work experience. Ninety-eight percent of the students enrolled had prior work experience. Our students average five years of work experience."

Rochester Simon

Note the "Simon Scholars" deferred admission program for college seniors.

https://www.simon.rochester.edu/programs/program_ft.aspx

https://www.simon.rochester.edu/programs ... #selection

"How do these criteria apply to relatively inexperienced applicants?
An individual's work history provides a rich source of information about an applicant's future as a business student and as a professional. In the absence of this information, other sources - undergraduate record, internships, Summer employment, part-time work experiences, GMAT results, leadership potential - are given relatively more weight in the evaluation process. We rely on the inexperienced candidate to volunteer information which will assure the Committee of his/her ability to interact successfully with the 95% of fellow students who have worked full-time prior to their M.B.A. experience."

Rochester also appears to have a generous fee waiver policy

"4-2 students receive special consideration for an application fee waiver: The $125 application fee will be waived for college seniors (i.e., applicants currently enrolled in a four-year university or the equivalent with no full-time work experience). A 3.2 G.P.A. (as evidenced by a faxed copy of transcript) and current résumé are required for consideration for an application fee waiver. This information must be received for review, prior to submitting your online application."

Rice

Rice offers a deferred admissions program for college seniors

https://www.jonesgsm.rice.edu/jonesgsm/G ... 4987000#67

https://www.jonesgsm.rice.edu/jonesgsm/W ... 4987000#71

SMU:

"The Cox School of Business is offering a unique opportunity for college seniors that have demonstrated academic excellence, leadership, and professional part-time work experience through internships, co-op, or other experiences. Cox MBA Direct will offer admission with the opportunity to enter the Cox MBA program in the fall immediately after graduation."

https://www.cox.smu.edu/grad/prospective/ftmba/direct

ESADE

"18-month MBA aimed at professionals with at least 2 years' work experience"

https://www.esade.edu/programs/mba/full/index.php