Thunderbird ? Reputation ?

Question

Dear all,

I've already failed two times at the GMAT (570 and 610) and I will try for the last time in June this year so I still have plenty of time to improve my skills and get a better result than before. However, I am realistic and I know that I may never improve those results or get something around 600 so I am now checking the potential schools for an MBA within this GMAT range.

I am interested by Thunderbird because I am french, I am just 26 and I've already spent more than 10 years of my life in foreign places (cameroon, ivory coast, spain, usa, china, ...) so I have clearly a good advantage in cross cultural experience, my GPA is around 3.4 and I got a good score at the TOEFL. I really think that this MBA would be suitable for me and it seems that their GMAT requirement is not so high because they focus more on the candidates' past experiences than anything else.

I would like to get advices from everyone here and to know the reputation of Thunderbird in the US/world ? It's very important for me because as you know an MBA is really expensive...Any help will be appreciated

Thanks 

Antoine

Accepted.com · Answer

Antoine, 

Thunderbird is highly regarded for its international curriculum. It is consistently ranked in the top ten for that speciality and has been #1 in that cateogry for years in  US News.  So if you are interested in international business, it may be an excellent option for you. If you are not interested in int'l business, then I really can't comment.

In any case, what you need to do is find out about job opportunities for Thunderbird graduates. See if its graduates get the kinds of jobs you want to obtain after your finish your degree? At what salary? And where? Learn about the program's curriculum? Is it what you want to study?

Good luck!

Antmavel · Answer

Yeah the program seems nice and I've always been very interested in studying International Business, the finance and the marketing world are not my favorite field. It's clearly an interesting option for me but I am not sure that I can't get the same benefits if I go to a better school even if she is not specialized in International business. Today there are very few local market, everything is worldwide and I can not imagine that in the top 10/20/30 there are no schools studying it... :roll:

Moreover I can't understand how the school can be ranked 1st for international business in many newspapers but at the same time in the new Financial Times ranking, this school has the worst score for the employment after 3 months : 43% :!:

I think it's really an important criteria when you choose your MBA, you want to be sure to get at least a better job than now. I know Ranking are not everything but if you're the lowest, there must be some reason so the core classes seem great but the result is that after 3 months half of the people are jobless :evil:

That's why I have a lot of difficulties to analyze clearly this school...

Accepted.com · Answer

There is no question but that Thunderbird has struggled to maintain its edge and unique identity, as well as recruiter interest, as the elite business schools have globalized their curriculum over the last ten years. You are using the data in the various rankings well, but you also have to get accepted somewhere with your particular set of qualifications. If the schools that will accept you aren't worth the investment, then you need an alternative to an American MBA. 

You might ask Thunderbird about that FT stat. Perhaps it reflects a disproportionate number of grads who lack work permits and are trying to get jobs in the US. Perhaps it really reflects problems in their recruiting.

clarise · Answer

thunderbird has an excellent reputation in international business. i know this as an alumnus and having had more than a decade overseas working with fortune 100 multinationals. the reputation is that it produces a very eclectic group of students who speak multiple languages, have lived in multiple countries and are planning to spend the bulk of their careers engaged in international work either through private industry, government or ngo. the admission to the school is not too competitive as it really is a self-selecting organization. you'll find that many of the students were not interested in attending other institutions or at most a select few in a similar academic space (read insead).

i feel that the issue of placement at the end of three months is a combination of many graduates refusing to take employment that is domestic in nature, foreign students (~45% of the mba student body) obtaining h1-b visas and a somewhat weak placement center. however, as an older, experienced manager going into the program, i had no delusions about the job search being on anyone else's shoulders.

i came into the program with a decade of management overseas and was pleased with the investment. that being said, there are quirks in system, bureaucracy in the administration and some professors who should be culled-not unlike you'll find in any other grad program.

crichton11 · Answer

Hi Clarise. Can you describe more about the quirks and bureaucracy? Thanks!

Thunderbird ? Reputation ?

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