Length of undergrad?

Question

Hello all, I am a second year at Cal Poly SLO majoring in business administration and with a concentration in information systems. Because of number CC credits, I can finish 2 quarters ahead of schedule if I take a normal load each quarter. My plan for after graduation is to work at a company for 2-4 years before applying to MBA programs.

I guess my question is, would it benefit me to graduate 2 quarters early (3 years 1 quarter) and get a head start on working in the real world or picking up a minor (maybe psychology or sociology) and graduating in 4 years.

Or does it not matter as long as my work experience, letters of rec, and other parts of the application are strong?

Thanks!

chromium73 · Answer

I don't see how that would make much of a difference. College is fun, milk it for all its worth

GMATLA · Answer

I would recommend that you see what your options are. It is more important to land a good job out of undergrad than to minor or get a second major (assuming that you will work for 2-4 years before applications). Especially since many of the people that you will compete against will already have masters degrees, you minor won't look so special. So I would be doing everything you can to set yourself up for a top job. This would include landing top internships, attending networking events, starting to spread your branches into on campus clubs in your area of interest, and even gaining leadership positions in those clubs. School work will only get you so far, and the fact that you are alread a business major will be a positive (assuming you are doing well). So now it is time to start rounding out the rest of your application away from your schooling, and there are many ways to do this.

Plus, a minor might cost more $, and it might be worth while investing that money into other areas including GMAT, MBA consulting, or your MBA costs down the road. Good luck!

Plus, a minor might cost more $, and it might be worth while investing that money into other areas including GMAT, MBA consulting, or your MBA costs down the road. Good luck!

BM · Answer

It probably doesn't matter that much whichever of the two paths you take, though I tend to side with GMATLA.

Do you have any job or internship lined up already, or are you still searching?

bartthecartoon · Answer

I was in a similar situation. I wasn't sure if I should graduate in 3 years or stay for a full 4. I ended up just keeping the option open for a 4th year but planning to finish in 3. That way if I didn't have a job that I could be excited about by the end of my 3rd year I could stay at school and keep trying. I did end up getting a good job so I'll be finishing in 3 years which I am very happy about. A big deciding factor for me was that it saved me a year of tuition!

GMATveteran · Answer

Would it positively affect your job search if you graduated early? I say go with the option that gives you the best chances to land the job you want. Maybe the psych/sociology faculties could give access to interesting jobs you otherwise wouldn't be able to access. If that's the case, then go for the minor. If there are student internships you want that requires a "student" status, then that's another reason to graduate on-time rather than early. On the other hand, if there are jobs on the horizon that could be far more competitive if you wait and graduate with everyone else, then by all means graduate early and go for it.

Length of undergrad?

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