Classes at B-school

Question

I am still applying but i still remember the phrase "getting in is the easy part". How true is that in B-School? I know many schools have GPA requirements but anyone can share how hard it is compared to grad/undergrad schools? I got a Master Comp Sci and it was ok - i did it part time though... Just kinda curious what kind of mess i will be getting into :wink:

milias · Answer

Based on personal experience, getting in is NOT the easy part. In fact, it's probably the hardest part.

shaselai · Answer

i see. so is everybody on "even playing field" or some others might benefit a lot more from a more business oriented background?

milias · Answer

It is an "even playing field" in the sense that you will be exposed to the same kinds of experiences in b-school; what you make of it is up to you. That said, it's not an even playing field as far as recruiting is concerned, in the sense that your prior experience will matter a LOT when it comes to recruiting time.

shaselai · Answer

but arent many people using B-school as a bridge to switch careers(i heard ~50%)? So for example if I am in IT and I want to switch to IB( i am not) and I take IB courses. So come recruiting time my chances are not very good at all compared to someone who was in finance position?

And how are the classes you are taking? some schools i seen have GPA system while some dont(like Yale) - does it matter a whole lot?

milias · Answer

It's true that many people who go to b-school are career switchers, myself included. But try to see it from the recruiter's point of view. Would you hire someone with b-school experience alone, or would you rather hire someone with b-school experience and prior work experience in the relevant field(s)? I'm not saying that it can't be done, but you would be at a disadvantage vs. someone else with prior experience, all else being equal. That's just a fact of life.

Things that you can do to help your situation are internships, club involvement, networking, and classes.

I'm not in b-school yet. I will be starting at Ross this fall.

refurb · Answer

My own personal experience at Tuck:

- the material covered is not difficult
- juggling the AMOUNT of work you have to do is difficult
- grades don't matter at all, learn what you want to learn
- classes are a very small part of what you should get out of b-school, networking is #1

Your mileage may vary.

RF

Antmavel · Answer

Happy to see some active Tuckies on this board. I would second Refurb on this, most important is to to spend a maximum of time upfront to understand what you'd like to do post-MBA, then dive into networking, list of companies, contacts, interview preparation. The most difficult part is to understand that most of the classes (except a few core ones) are interesting but won't matter much in terms of your placement post-MBA...

Classes at B-school

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