Last visit was: 18 Nov 2025, 22:57 It is currently 18 Nov 2025, 22:57
Home
GMAT
Messages
Tests
Schools
Events
Rewards
Chat
My Profile
Close
GMAT Club Daily Prep
Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.

Customized
for You

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History

Track
Your Progress

every week, we’ll send you an estimated GMAT score based on your performance

Practice
Pays

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History
Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.
Go to My Error Log Learn more
Close
Request Expert Reply
Confirm Cancel
avatar
athie86
avatar
Joined: 01 Nov 2011
Last visit: 21 Jan 2012
Posts: 3
Posts: 3
Kudos: 0
760 in GMAT with 5.5 in AWA - Still not sure about MBA!!! 20 Jan 2012, 09:10
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Hello to everyone,

I know this question has been raised many times, but I don't know if an MBA would be adequate for my profile and my career goals.

I am an actuary (I studied actuarial science), and have been working mostly in insurance and reinsurance as a treaty underwriter, where I have had constant contact with clients, but which is mostly a middle-office job (2 years full time at a reinsurance company). I have a 4.0 GPA (95%) and was top of my class at the most reputable business school in Mexico (ITAM).

My GMAT scores are as follows:
Overall: 760
Quantitative: 50
Verbal: 41
AWA: 5.5

Not knowing where to take my career (but knowing I don't want to spend my whole life in insurance), I took the GMAT to apply for an MSc Finance in Europe. However, after speaking with some friends and family, I realized that might not be the correct choice, especially if I'm not sure what I want to do in the future.

I like finance a lot, but I'm more inclined towards the capital markets side of finance, I'm not really attracted by IB (money and proffesional success are not my first goals in life). I know I want to have my own company, but I'm not sure if this is the right time yet. I feel I need/want to study further (I really like studying), but I don't know if an MBA is right for me. Even though I believe and MBA could help me strengthen my non-technical (e.g. social) skills, I'm not sure if it would be too non-technical for me.

I don't want to bore you any more, so the questions I have are the following:

1) If I want to change my career, but not really knowing where I want to go, would you believe an MBA could help me redirect my career? I would be applying to enter in September 2013.

2) If I want to eventually start my own company (maybe a couple of years after graduating from an MBA), do you think an MBA would be helpful?

3) Do you think my profile would fit the MBA profile? If so, which MBA's do you think would be right for me? I already lived for 1.5 years in NY, and I don't quite like the northeast USA (except for Boston). I'm more inclined towards the Texas - California region, or even the Chicago region.

I know I was somehow vague, but thank you in advance for any advice you could give me.
User avatar
method
User avatar
Joined: 03 Jun 2010
Last visit: 27 Feb 2021
Posts: 684
Own Kudos:
157
Given Kudos: 249
Status:Go Blue!
Location: United States (MO)
Concentration: Nonprofit, General Management
Schools: Michigan (Ross) - Class of 2015
GRE 1: Q170 V166
GPA: 3.22
WE:Management Consulting (Non-Profit and Government)
Schools: Michigan (Ross) - Class of 2015
GRE 1: Q170 V166
Posts: 684
Kudos: 157
760 in GMAT with 5.5 in AWA - Still not sure about MBA!!! 20 Jan 2012, 09:33
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Yes, you're in the right place! Career change and entrepreneurship are both great reasons to get the MBA. Your profile will fit right in (you'll find out somewhat quickly that there is no standard profile, people come from all over the place!)

This is an assumption based on your undergrad, but are you Hispanic?

In terms of fit and selection, you have no ceiling. HBS, Stanford, Booth, and MIT sound like good schools based on your geographic preferences. If you can deal with the east coast for two more years, add Wharton and Columbia.

I also know that a PhD in Finance may be a good route. I just met an Alabama finance PhD who started his own PE firm that JV'd with Blackstone and sourced $120 million every month, leveraged it to close $400 million in business every month. Blackstone eventually bought the firm. He did this while working as a professor full-time. Now he's on to some other big idea, sounds like a pretty nice lifestyle!
User avatar
AbhiJ
User avatar
Retired Moderator
Joined: 10 May 2010
Last visit: 30 Jul 2022
Posts: 793
Own Kudos:
644
Given Kudos: 192
Schools: Goizueta '15 Tepper '15 Anderson '15 Darden '15 Georgia Tech '15 NUS '15 Fisher '15 HEC '15 Erasmus '15 Duke '15 Jones '15 Kenan-Flagler '15 Melbourne '15 LBS '14 Krannert '15 Ivey '15 W.P. Carey
GMAT 1: 710 Q50 V35
Posts: 793
Kudos: 644
760 in GMAT with 5.5 in AWA - Still not sure about MBA!!! 20 Jan 2012, 09:52
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Yes PhD finance may be a good route.
avatar
athie86
avatar
Joined: 01 Nov 2011
Last visit: 21 Jan 2012
Posts: 3
Posts: 3
Kudos: 0
760 in GMAT with 5.5 in AWA - Still not sure about MBA!!! 21 Jan 2012, 13:40
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Thank you both for your replies. Indeed the PhD route doesn't sound bad at all. I will take a look at some programs.

I have one additional question. What do you think about the MBA at University of Texas, Austin (McCombs)? It seems that it is not top-tier in the US, but it is well known in Mexico, especially because there are many Mexicans studying there and the networking opportunities are excellent.