Help to choose MBA field

Question

Hi Guys,
I just gave my GMAT and got 580. I am planning for MBA in US. First of all please let me know whether the score is satisfactory or not.
Secondly I am confused between MBA in Systems & MBA in Operations.
Please let me know with respect to foll points:
1) Difference in Courses
2) Jobs Offered
3) Return on Investment

Digvijay8 · Answer

Hi Guys..Can any1 will help me plz....

Gokhra · Answer

I am assuming that you want to know whether your GMAT score is satisfactory for getting into an MBA program. That is going to depend on which MBA program you want to apply to as well as your other attributes. What is satisfactory at a school ranked below the top 100 may not be satisfactory at Harvard for example. To get an idea the GMAT scores of admitted students at an MBA program, you will want to look at the average or middle 80% scores of the students at that specific school. This information is usually provided on the school's website.

To cut to the chase, a GMAT of 580 is going to be below the average of all top 50 schools (and probably top 100 schools as well). To be competitive at any of these schools you will need to be very strong in other parts of your application. So for example, if you have a near perfect GPA from a elite educational institution, great work experience with management opportunities, do not come from an over-represented applicant pool (such as Indian Engineers or IT folks), have killer post-collegiate extra-curriculars, and are still 26-28 years old, then by all means apply to top schools.

As far as an MBA field, to me personally it is immaterial. Different people might have different (and perfectly valid) opinions, but to me an MBA is first and foremost a degree in management. Your MBA experience (academics, the network you make etc) will prepare you to be a better manager. Your electives or specialization will allow you to focus on specific fields you want more acquire more knowledge in, but by and large the core courses of all MBA programs will prepare you for most jobs. Plus, I haven't really heard of "Systems" as a specialization in any MBA program. You might want to browse the websites of some schools to get a better idea of the specializations available and how each of those might benefit you.

Hope this helps.

scorpionz · Answer

+1 to Gokhra's response..

@Digvijay8 - For an Indian applicant, 580 is almost never going to be competitive at any school. At this stage, I would rather work towards radically improving the GMAT score than focus on the trivial difference between MBA in Systems or Operations. For understanding this difference, you need to research yourself quite significantly by reading up on these and speaking with folks who have done an MBA in these specializations.

Return on investment & jobs offered depend in a big way on the school you are attending. Having no information about your profile, goals or anything other than your GMAT, it's impossible to provide any constructive input.

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