Linda,

Is work experience very important for admission into Ivey League schools? I currently have 1.5yrs of work experience and planning to get into school fall of 2005. By then, I should acquire 2.5 years of experience. If my work exp is well below the average, does it put me out of it? Also, how does it affect my value of MBA. I am confused. Please help!

Thanks for your time,

NM

Hi,

In general, virtually all MBA programs consider work experience important. However, I am not so certain that a school's presence in the Ivy League (which is a college sports association) makes much difference in the stress placed on this factor.

Some ultraelite schools consider applicants with little work experience but these individuals are not the norm and must have stellar credentials. These ultraelite schools that consider applicants with low work experience (and their sports associations) include Stanford (Pacific 10 Conference), Chicago (University Athletic Association), and Havard (Ivy Group).

Hjort

Please see "MBA Admissions: Application Advice for Younger Applicants."

Work experience is valued at all top business schools. Some programs will not consider applicants with less than two years of work experience (Darden for example). Others actively recruit college grads who as Hjort says have stellar backgrounds, impressive internships, and lots of undergrad leadership experience. (HBS, Stanford))

If your work experience is significantly below the school's average, then you are fighting an uphill battle. You have to assess whether you have the stellar qualifications that may overcome your lack of experience. If you have what it takes to get in under those circumstances, then you also probably have what it takes to get hired later on. If your profile is not in that rarified league, then you probably should wait a year or two to apply.

Good luck!
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Good thread, my dilemma is different. I have 4 years of work experience though I will be quitting my job soon(without having another job lined up) . However, I've worked under the same job title since I work in a very small non-profit organization (you're either a manager or you aren't). I'm not applying to a top 10 school. Will it be a problem?

Hi,

Are you concerned that your job title will suggest that you did not have significant "progression" in your job?

Hjort

I have had more responsibility obviously & my boss will write that fact in the recommendation letter since there aren't any real levels of hierachy except management and the rest of us.

That's why I started looking for a job over a year ago but could not find one that would help in showing progression. But I intend to apply for the 2005 admission for a full-time MBA. I'm not applying to a top 10 school. More like UNC, Indiana (Kelley). UCLA & USC would be my dream schools.

Hi,

I would not be too concerned about the job title- it is far more important to show progression via the letters and the rest of the application package.

As an aside, I would consider UCLA part of the "top 10" or "elite" cluster. For those who read BW, UCLA was 9 in 1994 and 10 in 1990. Its lowest ranking in BW was #16, better than the lowest ranking of many other elite schools such as Yale, Berkeley, and NYU. The acceptance rate was about the same as or lower than the acceptance rates of many other elite schools including NYU, Yale, VA, Cornell, Michigan, and Duke. Likewise, the yield equalled or exceeded the yield of several other elite schools including Dartmouth.

Hjort

If you can show achievement and impact through your resume and growth through your essays and the rec from your boss, you don't have to worry about the title. The schools want to see growth however, so make sure that your essays convey the fact that your responsibilities have increased over the last four years. Obviously your boss' rec should reinforce that message very strongly.

Good luck!
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