How much does the prestige of the company matter for MBA Admissions?

Hey sarss2306:

The short answer to your question is "yes, it matters."

However, its not a simple case of adcoms being enamored by names known and respected 'round the world. Sure that may be a part of it, but there is a pragmatic reason most adcoms love prestigious employers. Again, its not bragging rights. Rather, its because they know what they are getting and its not a big question mark. As an extension of that, its also because the most discerning recruiters like to hire from certain pre-MBA firms. Yes, for the most part, MBA adcoms are at the mercy of MBA recruiters. So for both adcoms and recruiters, they essentially use the difficulty of getting that prestigious job as a vetting mechanism. Its another clue as to who you really are and what you can do. Remember, its not the only factor in the process, its not a dominant one either. But it is an important one as it could make the difference if the admissions committee has to make a close call between you and someone else like you who is also applying.

You other question on how to approach recruiting is a completely separate one to your original question. I'm not in a good position to answer this one because I don't have enough info on your background or even what firms you are considering, what they may be currently looking for and of course, how well you fit into that model. The best way to handle this is to start reaching out to your seniors, those from your undergrad, and see what they have to say about the inside track.

Respectfully,
Paul Lanzillotti