BA in Philosophy considering MBA

Question

Hello all,

I am new to this forum, so I come loaded with questions. I graduated last May with a BA in philosophy and minors in econ/psych. Its within the last couple of months that I have given the pursuit of an MBA some thought. My original intentions and preparations were for law school. I've yet to take the GMAT or legitimately prepare for it.

I just wanted to opinions on whether or not it is a feasible goal for myself to succeed in the quantitative aspect of b-school. I have not taken calculus at any level, yet I found myself doing better than some of my econ major peers in the econ classes that I took as an undergrad. As of now, I'd be interested in specializing in marketing (perhaps sports marketing). I've been able to answer a few sample problem solving and data sufficiency questions without much of a problem. What are your thoughts?

Thanks in advance for the feedback!

Matt

code19 · Answer

Since you studied Philosophy I suspect your Verbal would be very strong and verbal seems to have more weight on determining your score.
So don't let the Quant intimidate you even if you have average quant (30-35) you have pretty good chance your verbal score take you to 650+ level - depending on what your goal is, this score might be sufficient for you.

code19 · Answer

discussion about verbal weight : why-is-verbal-weighted-more-heavily-should-i-retake-121257.html

mattjm1121 · Answer

Thanks for the insight. Do you think that "average quant" would translate to success within an MBA program? Would I need advanced mathematics to effective in my coursework?

I apologize if my queries sound rather vague, as I have a very limited perspective on everything the b-school process entails

bb · Answer

I found Philosophy majors to be very strong in logic which usually helps all around (verbal and quant), so I don't have much of a doubt about your GMAT capacity. (don't get me wrong, anyone can screw up GMAT, but I don't think you will just because you got a Philosophy degree).

In terms of quant aspect of the MBA - you will be fine once you get in. You will catch up in finance/econ classes

What I would be more focused on, however, is your application package (Work experience, Resume, Story, LOR's, and Extra curricular activities) - that's the key components for almost any school in the top 40 range. If you are open to lower ranked schools, they may be more forgiving towards some of the elements if others are strong.

mattjm1121 · Answer

Thanks a lot for the clarification. I certainly know that I'm pretty far from offering a competitive application to a prestigious program. As of now, I'm still looking for relevant work, but its proven a bit difficult to break into the business realm with my current qualifications. What advice would you offer on finding work pertinent to MBA aspirations with a philosophy degree? Thanks again.

bb · Answer

What employers are looking for is work experience and a track record of success. Getting an MBA does not quite solve that issue. It only intensifies it as you are now applying for a mid management position without much experience. And you will be over qualified for entry level. It is a terrible catch 22 situation.

I would recommend that you find a job no matter how hard it may be. Rather than be in the same boat 2 years layer with 100k of debt.

Posted from my mobile device.

I would recommend that you find a job no matter how hard it may be. Rather than be in the same boat 2 years layer with 100k of debt.

Posted from my mobile device.

feiraz · Answer

it seems is not relevant

BA in Philosophy considering MBA

Prep Toolkit

Top 5 GMAT Debrief Videos

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards