Forgone salary

No school knows if an applicant can survive the post-MBA debt. That's like looking into a crystal ball and predicting who will get a high enough paying job and who will not. This data is purely for informational purposes. There might be some specific thing the school uses it for, but it's certainly not for admissions decisions. I think the school would like to know if it attracted people with very high salaries to their program. This would make me think great things about a school. Average salaries of $100k+ pre-MBA wanted to leave those jobs to attend Kellogg (just using a school's name, not specifically backed up) looks good because those people see value in Kellogg's education which wouldn't be attained in their current job, or they don't like their current industry.

Just to be sure... you do realize that post mba salaries are generally more like $100K?

Generally, yes. I will most likely be taking a short term hit....not to mention the cost of living shift from AZ. I'm betting on the upside and the value of the MBA/CFA combo.

I can see where you're coming from. It's definitely a long-term investment rather than a short-term one. Additionally, if you went to a state school or other lower-ranked school for undergrad, it may add a lot to your profile immediately and open some doors which were closed previously if you attend an M7. Lastly, I think that average Finance salaries, especially investment management ones, tend to clear way over the $100k average mark.

I'm not sure what your plans are as far as applications, but if I was in your shoes, it would definitely be H/S/W/Col/Chi or bust. I wouldn't bother with any other schools - the opportunity cost is too high to justify attending a lower-ranked school.

Agreed, Terp.

And, your assessment is spot on. I played bball at a community college my freshmen year and Pac10 after that...my sophmore grades couldn't withstand the pressures of D-1 bball -- it took everything I had to get my graduating gpa up to 3.45. My #1 is Chicago and my safety is Duke.

Frankly, I look at the average graduating salary and take it as a statistic. The average salary at my company is probably around $55k and the average salary of a CFA charterholder is $150k+....all just numbers.

Ditto that!


And check...check. Also incorporated in my decision to get an MBA.

AZ - Are you considering Columbia? No offense Rhyme and other GSB folk, but Columbia's IM program rocks Chicago's (which is still REALLY good) any day of the week. Placement in NYC is phenomenal as well.

Also, Darden and Texas (especially the latter if you want to stay in the southwest) are great "backups" for folks on the IM train.

Yes, I'm considering Columbia. My direct supervisor is a CBS grad and he's pushing for it but my fiance isn't a fan of NYC so that's a big barrier.

I agree with your point. It leaves me with very few choices and chances.