Is my undergrad a make or break?

Question

I am currently a high school senior, and I know it is a little bit early, but I am really passionate about business and after watching my father for years, plan on pursuing a career in some form of consulting. I am in a family of 6, with three siblings all intending on going to college. My parents were generous enough to offer to pay for me to go to college, as long as it is reasonable. I feel as if I would be putting financial strain on them if I chose to go to a school like Duke, Vanderbilt, or Northwestern since they would be paying for 4 kids colleges through 8 years. I have gotten a 130,000$ scholarship offer from a small liberal arts school, and have toured there twice now, and I really see myself being successful there. However, I am worried that since it is not a top 20 undergrad, that it will mess with my chances of pursuing a MBA at a top business school like Kellogg, Booth, Yale, or any other top 10 school in the US. I would like to know if it does or doesn't, and if it does, can I compensate with higher GMAT scores, being top 5% in my class, extracurriculars, or post college job experience.

mc93 · Answer

If you check the admissions calculator, you will find that the prestige of your undergraduate school has a minimal impact on your chances. That being said, if you go to a more prominent school, it will give you an edge when looking for a job post grad, but there are numerous paths to a top MBA.

Also, GMAT is always much more important than undergraduate GPA, but keep in mind that Stanford has a 3.7 average. That being said, MBA programs, even the top of the top, are not too picky about GPAs within reason.

Also, ECs and job experience are very important!

https://gmatclub.com/forum/what-are-my- ... 09854.html

Posted from my mobile device

huongguyen · Answer

Hey, I'm impressed by your profile and story.

For your concern about GPA, a high GMAT can compensate if your GPA lower than the acceptable point. also, if your GPA is really a red flag (I mean, it's very low), you should write an essay to explain about that, show how improved you are after graduating and prove your academic ability (through GMAT, scholarships in the past) goodluck.

AndrewN · Answer

Hello,  hhfww , and welcome to GMAT Club. It is good that you are thinking ahead about business school. I kid you not, I have worked with one like-minded high school student who wanted to earn above a specific SAT score threshold since he was told that certain Wall Street firms ask about it. He even floated the idea of taking the GMAT™, knowing the score would be valid for five years. (I was able to talk him out of pursuing the latter... and if you were curious, he did earn an SAT score beyond his self-imposed 1500.)

I agree that while a prestigious undergraduate institution can help you somewhat in your efforts to gain admission to M7 schools or other top-tier programs—after all, if you are already a member of the club, you have less to prove in terms of your worthiness—it is not as though students from liberal arts schools or state schools are barred from such programs. Just put in the hard work to earn good grades: see if you can carry at least a 3.5 GPA. Do not forget to pursue extracurricular activities that interest you. Campuses are rife with activity, so that part should be easy. And if you can gain any sort of business-related work experience, so much the better. A strong GMAT™ score would then be icing on the cake. (Keep in mind, applications are viewed holistically, and a standardized test score is meant to serve as a way to level the playing field.)

A scholarship earned to attend your undergraduate institution can be mentioned in an application, and it may in fact help you present yourself in the best light. Good luck with your academic endeavors. (A lot can change in four years.)

- Andrew

Is my undergrad a make or break?

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