Is an MBA for me?

Competitive MBA programs prepare students for a broad rage of activities upon graduation: management, finance, economics, entrepreneurship, non-profit management, consulting, international business, strategic management, marketing, supply chain and operations...the list is endless.

 What do you need to know if you are considering an MBA as an option in your future?

MBA programs accept students from a wide variety of educational backgrounds, but there are some common characteristics that stand out among applicants.

• Applicants generally have 2-5 years of work experience.
• The average undergraduate GPA is between 3.3 and 3.6 -- academics do matter!  Top schools expect grades in the 3.5 - 3.8 range.
• The range for GMAT scores is 200-800.  Two-thirds of test takers score between 400-600  The large majority of students at top MBA schools scared 680 or better.
• Applicants have a strong background in leadership and service.  MBA programs are interested in teaching students who want to be leaders in their careers and communities.
• Although it is not required, schools may prefer to see applicants with college-level math skills, basic calculus, statistics, financial accounting, macroeconomics, microeconomics, and corporate finance courses.

Click here to see the US News & World Report business school rankings.  This article also contains links to MBA homepages and admissions pages.