Ask the expert: How to apply to business school


Also in our applications special:
Part three: Application essays
Part four: Letters of recommendation, interviews and the waitlist


Part one: First steps




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The remaining three parts of the series will look at :

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Readers' comments



Top business schools only accept the most talented(at least according to their standards)elites of the world. So here comes a question: does the success that those MBA achieved after their graduation correlate with the MBA program itself?

From my prospective, I think MBA program is a "garbage in, garbage out" mechanism. Top business schools don't have golden finger relative to their peers. All those school did are just put a group of elites together, make them up with so called "Leadership Skills", then sell those elites out.

Harvard is known as having potentially one of the least rigorous undergrad programs around Boston. It provides artificially high grades compared to other schools in the area (MIT, Babson, BU ect), yet its graduates some of the most successful out there. That would support your theory.


What are the chances of someone without an excellent academic background, but other achievments of getting into a good MBA school? I am 25 year old African professional now working at the global HQ of a Fortune 500 company in Europe. I was born, raised and trained in Africa. My University degree in Engineering and Economics is very weak(bottom 40%) of my class, but I was focused on Entrepreneurship and other things especially as the University degree was next to nothing and the standards didn't even push me. I had a mobile tech startup by the age of 2o while as an undergrad with some friends and we completed the sale(although not highly successful) to a bigger African tech major late last year. I completed an internship with a major IBD in Europe(despite my low grades), demonstrated leadership in leading youth organizations, worked as a consultant on some projects before ending up here to help drive a global company's foray to new markets with a new product line. Does this profile, perhaps have any chance?

Hi, this is Emma Bond from Fortuna. Aside from the academics, you sound like you have an excellent profile that would be of interest to specific MBA schools. In particular, those with a focus on entrepreneurship would find your start-up experience relevant. Schools are looking for class value-add and that is not always just about academics. The fact that you are working for a Fortune 500 company shows drive (and that others have recognised your potential despite your degree). GMAT would be a very important factor for you, as would a full explanation of your grades. It would be worth approaching any schools you are interested in to start a conversation. Please feel free to contact us through the Fortuna website if you want to discuss this further. Thanks.

Hello Intellectual Optimist. This is Judith Hodara from Fortuna. It seems to me that you have a very engaging profile; and if you can tell your story in such a way that highlights all of the incredible things you have accomplished in your career you are off to a great start. You should not automatically assume because of your class rank that you will not have a chance. I can tell you from experience at Wharton, that we saw tons of applicants who had perfect undergraduate marks and very high GMAT scores,but that was IT. There was nothing compelling about them- and to me, you have so many compelling parts of your application to both highlight in your resume, in your interviews and dynamic examples to use in your essays. If you have a look at maybe a few schools that would appeal to you- ( just for an exercise) and read their essay questions you will find that you already have so many things to discuss! I wish you great success.

Thank you for the reply. I have sent a query through your website. I thought this question may be appropriate:

What do you think of KU Lueven as a school for an MA?

They are appealing to apply to as a U.S. student because they do not require a GMAT from select schools and cost only a couple thousand dollars in tuition. Especially for someone such as myself who would have liked to do a study abroad but avoided doing so due to the cost.

I'm not an admissions expert, but I'd just ask whether top-tier US employers or business schools are likely to have heard of KU Leuven? As has been mentioned in previous comments by both yourself and the experts, the US reputation of the institution attended is important. You might be better off looking at more well-known schools. If cost is a concern, top UK universities like Oxford, Cambridge, Edinburgh etc are all a lot cheaper than US schools and Trinity College in Dublin is even cheaper still.

What would you say at an MBA admissions interview when asked why you went to KU Leuven? It's bound to come up and "concerns about undergrad GPA, the program was cheap and I didn't have to take the GMAT to get in" are not the kind of answers that would make someone a clear admit.

Fair enough. It seems to be a bit of a hit or miss, with those knowing of it thinking highly of it and those who have never heard of it. Of course none of the people I have spoken to have been admissions officers.

Top UK universities like Oxford are only about a $10,000 difference to their US equivalence and require a GMAT. The advantage there is not laziness by putting the GMAT off a year but that one can apply to KUL while simultaneously applying to employment opportunities. If i took the GMAT I'd have to either focus on GMAT prep exclusively or seeking employment.

Of course the other stated reason (in an interview) to applying for am MA in Belgium is to gain international experience in a school that is less then 30 mins away from the EU capital. To avoid going into my personal profile too much it fits in with my experience doing emerging market analysis and FI. Comparatively it adds far more then an additional year at Boston University would have at a considerably lower cost. If overall it adds nothing to either my salary expectations or employment opportunities it makes more sense to spend the summer working until the next recruiting season rolls around.

To BostonBusinessStudent This is Judith from Fortuna. I guess when you are considering the MBA you will want to think about what you hope your eventual outcome to be on a professional and personal level. If your goal is to be involved internationally and have that experience, then the school could certainly be a nice fit for that. Based on my experience, many US based firms are hiring from a specific subset of schools and you may want to think about the ROI in that regard. I understand from your post that studying abroad may be something that is high on your list, and there are many ways to do that- so I would suggest that you look at a wide range of possibilities for that aim.

I think the question is not so much how KU Leuven fits in with what you've done, but rather how it fits in with what you want to do in the future. I'm in London and can tell you that KUL is not well known here even in Europe. Belgium is a country that most Europeans know or hear very little about. I lived in Brussels for 6 months, which is the only reason I've heard of KUL.

Most people use grad school as a chance to study at a more prestigious university (in their chosen field) than their undergrad school and KUL seems like a backwards step from Boston University's brand if you ask me and that is why I think you'd get asked about it at a job/MBA interview.

If you are interested in emerging markets, perhaps actually spending a year in such a country would make your application stand out far more than a year spent studying in Belgium. Your academic stats are an important part of your application, but they're just numbers. It's your personal story that makes a lot of the difference in how desirable an applicant you are. It's true that numbers can rule people out, but they don't rule people in.

My own career background is somewhat off the wall and I was definitely a "non-tradtional" b-school candidate - but that's what charmed Stanford GSB. All the top schools have admitted someone with much paltrier GPAs/ GMATs than you because they simply really wanted that person in their classrooms. Making yourself desirable to a b-school is not entirely about the numbers.

Do you know the range of GPAs at your target b-schools? 3.5 does not sound as low as you may think and doing an MA in Belgium simply to address that issue sounds like it could be cracking a nut with a sledgehammer. I'd bet you'd get further with US b-schools by spending a year in Africa or India.

Have you taken a sample GMAT test? If you are scoring above the 600 mark, it is not going to take THAT much prep to get to your maximum score. Also, a huge part of doing well is getting used to the test itself in an exam setting, which is something that you can only learn through doing the test.

Have you got any cool extra curriculars or career tales to tell that are impressive or is your application going to just get lost in the pile?

Thank you. That was a very good answer and extremely help. I'd appreciate hearing your story. If there is some way to chat offline I'll pass along my contact details.

I have actually spent time abroad in China, Japan and South Africa. In the short/medium term the state of developed markets is actually a better predictor of stock prices in Emerging Markets then anything else as a funny side note.

My basis with the numbers is that I generally have a very interesting profile but have lacked the numerical backing specifically for consulting. Business people who talk to me are usually pretty eager to give me offers, yet I never get interviews at higher tier companies. Part of my thinking has always been why not try to come in at all angles? Rather then try to rely on them finding my story interesting what if I came in with a higher GPA, interesting story and high GMAT?

Interesting to hear that about KUL, different that what I heard from others not in business.

Some other things driving this decision for me are:

1. I graduated in three years moving at a very hectic pace compressing in two concentrations (equiv to a double major at other schools) and a graduate minor. At the same time I've held a research position and full time internship that is beyond demanding. Even joined a Fraternity and held positions there. I paid the first two years of BUs feed myself. Life has been pretty rough. I wouldn't mind a year of additional studies in a different setting.

2. I wanted to do a study abroad while at BU but couldn't bring myself to pay the fees for a glorified vacation when a masters would be cheaper.

3. My experience is currently in finance. While I like finance, I'd much rather work in strategy. A masters could help me reposition out of finance, or into strategy with a finance focus.

4. Any offer I have that sounds good provides me leverage in turning my current tentative commitment from my internship into a firm one (lots of background on this we could discuss privately).

5. My target schools are the top tier (Stanford, Harvard, Sloan ect). Which does make my GPA relatively low in compared to the average. The average GPA at Stanford GSB is aprox 3.7. BU's School of Management is considered (by the students anyway) as if not harder then others at least awarding lower grades then similar schools. I am in the top 10% with my 3.5.

There is also nothing that prevents me from doing both. I could use the year I would have spent at BU to get the masters and follow that with a year somewhere else in the world.

Based on your comment I expanded my applications to include Imperial College Business School's MSc Strategy and Economics

I'm a little hazy on the timeline. How long out of BU are you now?

If I were you, I would treat your ambition to work for an MBB consulting firm like a case. You know where you want to end up and you know where you are now. I would suggest working backwards and it seems your two strategies are:

1. Get recruited into MBB from a top MBA. In this case, you need to know which schools they are active at. Have a look at this list:

INSEAD, Wharton, Kellogg, Columbia, Tuck. Harvard and LBS also.

Apparently, McKinsey recruited 387 MBAs worldwide total last year. Bear in mind that perahps as many as half of those worked at McKinsey before their MBA. Those are not great odds.

You will need to get into one of those schools first and will need to have a story to tell that will make them want to have you in the class. Getting your GPA and GMAT to average level will make you blend into the crowd. The issue will be to stand out, in a good way. What makes you remarkable?

2. Do a foreign masters program and try and get recruited by MBB at a more junior level as a newly minted masters graduate.

The first question here is, depending on how much work experience you have now, you may get asked why you did not go straight for an MBA?

The second issue is that MBB typically recruit quite early in the academic year, so you would be applying in the first semester on a foreign campus - if I am following you correctly. How do you see that working? Are you planning on getting recruited to a US office on campus in London or Leuven? Is that even possible?

Or are you hoping to get recruited to a local office in the UK or Belgium, in which case local language skills and work permits etc might come into play?

Lastly, I would say that if you are impressing people in person but not getting interviews out of written applications, perhaps the issue is not (only) your GPA. Perhaps what is impressing people about you in a face to face setting is just not coming across in your resume and written application answers.

Good question. I am currently finishing my final year/3rd year at BU.

To answer your questions:
1. Those are very hard to get into. Undergrad business students typically do poorly on the GMAT. I'm allowing myself a minimum of a year to study for it. I'd also need a minimum of two years experience. That is why I'm considering a masters as opposed to an MBA currently.

2. That is a potential current plan. What you said about Lueven pushes me more towards looking into Imperial.

You are right that I'd be applying almost right away after landing. I'd be applying to US offices because of work permit issues in the UK. I'm well prepared for case interviews, however.

I'm reasonably confident I know why it was happening for consulting:

1. MBB get thousands of applicants from non-target schools. Arbitrary cut offs are likely. I'd throw out the 3.5 from BU just to cut down the pile. Had I known better at the time I would have applied to less competitive offices.

2. I had an experience gap. Coming into this academic year I had only an internship at Reuters. Leaving this year I have two with one involving very advanced work as well as running a small non profit consulting service.

3. I was told off the record by a recruiter that me being 20 was a huge psychological barrier for some employers. They felt like they were hiring their own replacement.

I would recommend looking at the London Business School Masters in Management, which is a pre-experience graduate program. It does require the GMAT but they seek just a minimum of 600 and you can apply until May 31st. LBS is a world class business school and a target school for MBB recruiting and you would be part of their alumni network after graduating from the MiM and that network includes a LOT of MBB types who could be helpful to you. MBB do on campus recruiting and the LBS careers office knows how they operate etc. You could get a lot of insider knowledge on their recruitment.

I would guess that this program is not all that competitive to get into given that the admissions deadlines run so late - not a cakewalk, but being a US applicant would also make you interesting to them. Obviously HBS, Stanford GSB etc all know that school and an LBS masters on your resume would immediately let them know that you are top 10 b-school material.

Imperial is a very good university, a bit like a British MIT, but its business school is not super top ranked. The LBS MiM costs only £3,000 more and may offer a much clearer pathway to achieving your goals.

Just one thing to be aware of, since you are concerned about your GPA, is how the British college grading system works. They don't have GPA and instead the degrees are divided into classifications. A GPA of 3.5 is equivalent to a British 2.1 degree, which is the second highest band and what most people get. A 1.1 degree (First Class) is equivalent to a 3.63 to a 4.0.

You would need a GMAT of minimum 700 for MBB recruiting, but the dirty little secret is that you do not have to achieve that during the college admissions process and you can take the test again at a later date. Nobody cares if your earlier scores are lower. Tons of people need to sit the test a few times. Have you done a sample GMAT CAT test? Do one now and benchmark your score.

You are indeed a little on the young side, so an extra year of studying might be worthwhile. All the better if it's at a top ranked b-school.

Best of luck.

I must thank you again for the help, you are clearly putting in a lot of research on my behalf.

I looked into the program, but it seems designed more for those who lack experience in business and want to move into the field, rather then developing additional business skills.

The program I'm looking into at Imperial is MSc Economics and Strategy, with Imperial being ranked highly for economics and have MBB recruitment. It is also a program that really plays to my strengths and something I think I would really enjoy.

The GMAT is a bit unpredictable for me as my mathematical skills are very rusty from lack of use in ugrad b-school. My score is increasing very quickly as I remember how to do basic math without a calculator. At some point I will face diminishing marginal returns and need to put in more time to keep increasing that score, which in turn would put strain on my internship obligations.


Hi I am an Indian thinking about doing MBA in US . I have a few questions which are making me kind of tense . Can you please help me answer them .

What is the current scene for Indian Students studying in (M7 +Next 10) Business Schools in US?Are they able to get good jobs after MBA ?How much role does Visa sponsoring play in final FT Recruiting for Indians there who doesn't have work permit/green card ?Is the competition tough for foreign graduates (~around 40% of the class I guess ) as the firms may have limited quota for foreign students.
How are the job prospects for MBA graduates in the current market ?(for foriegn students especially )

I am planning on my MBA and I was shortlisting schools .I would like to know your honest opinion on this.Is it worth taking 100k + loan and apply to US MBA schools.I don't have that kind of money but I am willing to take risk if it really worth?
and approximately in How much time an average MBA graduate is able to repay that loan .
THANKS for your help answers in advance

Hi, this is Caroline Diarte Edwards from Fortuna.
Foreign students studying in the US can indeed face visa issues. Typically, students entering finance or consulting find it somewhat easier as regards visas than those going into industry (as not all companies are geared up to support foreign recruits with the visa process).
My advice to you is that if you can get into a top program, and have the drive you'll need to succeed in the job search process, you can get a great job and see a good ROI. Being in a top program really will make a lot of difference as regards access to career opportunities. And while on the program, you can't sit back and expect the school to find you a job - you'll have to be very proactive in pursuing your job search (with the support of all the school's resources), and have the ability to sell yourself in the job interview process.
We'd be happy to discuss further - do sign up for a free consultation on the Fortuna Admissions website. I am actually based in India and understand the challenges you face.

Isabel Pelaez

If I've learned something after graduating is that grades don't make a difference. I am currently the youngest product manager hired at a swiss pharmaceutical and my grades in Bocconi were average at best. Does it pay off to invest on an MBA? How much will my grades matter if I have great GMAT scores and CV?

Hi Isabel, this is Caroline Diarte Edwards from Fortuna.
Regarding whether it pays off to invest in an MBA - this really depends on what you want to get out of it. An MBA from a good business school typically does have a good ROI - it gives you a platform to accelerate your career, or pursue a career that would otherwise not have been an option for you. However first of all you need to think about what you want to achieve in your career, and then decide if the MBA will help you get there.
Regarding grades: business schools are academic institutions and they are looking for students with good academic ability. They will assess this by looking at your previous academic record (inc where you studied, what you studied, your grades, etc) as well as your GMAT. If you have weak grades, then you should definitely aim to get a very good GMAT, to help bolster your academic credentials.
To discuss further, please sign up for a free consultation via the Fortuna Admissions website.


"Second guessing whether there will be more IT specialists, investment bankers or particular nationalities competing for places is pontless."

It seems that spell checking the spell checkers is still a worthwhile endeavour.


Isn't it too late for all these advice? The round 2 deadline for most school was in January.

Connect The Dots

People assume it is an elevator ride to the top and you just have to push the magic MBA button.
In reality you have to risk and work to get ahead--everyday for the rest of your career.
You have to add value and capability to your employer.
You have to justify your salary and position everyday.


-Fluency in English, one European language AND Mandarin
-Be able to do a competent presentation in any of your languages with Q&A with a half day preparation.
-Bachalors Degree in a STEM Field
-Expertise in Statistics and Familiarity with Scientific Literature
-Know the difference between healthy skepticism of an Internet Article and naivity.
-Ability to Mine Data from Google, market survey data, web sites, and Mobile Phone Records
-Be able to READ data without being told what it means; Ability to surmise truth from statistics. Be able to summarize large amounts of data quickly and decisively.
-Be able to Write Simple Algorithms and Simple Computer Programming
-Be able to use major software packages including MS Office, Accountancy Software, Presentation Software, Adobe, and design a simple website with links and media.
-Good Writing Skills.
-polite, clean and well spoken, and not with tats on the face and studs on every part of cartilage.
A hard work ethic is not enough.
An MBA is not a panacea.

Well I think i have some of above skills which now makes me to be hopeful about myself.
-I am an Iranian I know 3 languages English Azerbaijani and Persian.
-I can prepare a presentation as I have a working experience.
-Fortunately have bachelor's degree on Business administration.
-Not very familiar in mathematics but good at comprehension of scientific texts.
-I can find almost anything on
-I can understand statistics as my major helped me to learn financial data.
-I know HTML CSS PHP and a bit VB. I have designed a website.
-I know mostly MS Word Excel Outlook PowerPoint
-I write nearly 20 letters through email everyday.
-I failed two businesses up to now and starting this new one and I am sure this one will be successful :)
- I can speak well in a business meeting to discuss negotiate and what it takes in English.
- And I'm 28 years old now.



I am pursuing an executive career in the media/television and film industries. I began my career at a Big Four accounting firm, obtained my CPA certification and have within the last year joined a television network.

My concern is that upon graduation I will not be eligible to transition into a brand strategy role as I have very little experience in that field. Do you suggest obtaining at least a directorship in your current industry/specialization before applying to grad school if your ultimate goal is to reach the C-suite?

Thanks for the help


There isn't one single web page that allows people to do relevant MBA search. With the amount of schools today, it has to be possible to search for MBA programs with certain filters, not just location but for example teaching method. If I'm looking for an practical/experimental teaching method rather than theoretical, I must be able to filter those out and then review a much more narrow landscape.

Hi J Aramburu, this is Caroline Diarte Edwards from Fortuna. You raise an interesting perspective on the filters for an MBA search. However few MBA programs rely on theory based pedagogical methods. Beyond the Harvard Business School and Darden for example, there are very few examples of business schools that rely primarily even on the case study method for teaching, and the case study method is designed to put theory into practice.
I think it is fair to say that most programs now take a practical approach, with few classes that are purely theory based. So a search may not produce a very helpful filter. In any case, your research will be well rewarded when it comes to applying to school and being able to demonstrate the time you have taken to find the right fit.


I compressed a four year program for undergrad into three and added on top a second specialization (equivalent to major) and graduate level minor because I love learning and wanted to avoid $60,000 USD of extra fees for the fourth year. I'll still graduate top 10% of my class, but didn't make it into consulting interviews because of a lower GPA at a non-target school (3.5/4.0, Boston University School of Management).

What can I do to bolster my chances for a top tier MBA? Obviously it is too late to raise my GPA, so should I seek a masters?

Thank you for your time to read and answer my question.

Hi, this is Emma Bond from Fortuna. Whilst top-tier business schools do emphasise good grades as one indicator of academic ability, they are also looking for well-rounded candidates. Your GPA is by no means a disaster, and consulting firms are notoriously tough with their cut-off points. If you do decide to apply for business school it would be important to stress the fact that you compressed your study into three years and that you believe otherwise you would have achieved higher marks. You don't mention what you have done since by way of work experience - that would be key in any application. You would also be able to support a slightly lower GPA by achieving an excellent GMAT score. Although a masters degree would give further indication of academic potential it would be a very expensive route to take to get into an MBA programme. Don't forget that there are a lot of good MBA schools around that will consider you with this GPA, too. Hope this helps, please visit our website if you would like to discuss your options further. Thanks.

I am a Wharton Grad, have volunteered to help with admisions and have helped coach a few applicants (so not an expert, but have some knowledge). In my opinion, a solid GMAT score will compensate for a relatively low GPA. Both of these are used for the same thing: to make sure you can handle the workload of an MBA. After all, schools want you to be academically successful.

Therefore, I definitely don't think doing a masters just to have a new GPA to presetn is worthwhile. Furthermore, I strongly encourage you not to do anything (beyond preparing a thoughtful application) simply to improve your chances of getting into a top MBA program. Do what makes sense to your overall career and if you do that successfully you will have a much better chance of geing accepted to an MBA than if you artificially try to beef up your resume.

Good luck!

To clarify on my personal situation a bit (although this will be less relevant to everyone else):

Graduating a year early I am now deciding on the career path to take with an MBA down the road. Although an international student I never did a study abroad in University due to the cost.

I really enjoy strategy, yet that is not one of BU's strengths. I'm debating if I should continue to try enter the job market immediately or pursue a Masters abroad. KU Lueven offers one for about $2,000 and no GMAT for BU. This allows me to apply for jobs and the MA simultaneously. Does the MA add anything worthwhile either to an MBA or career search? I would hope to be able to take the MA and move into McKinsey or BCG or something similar. If that is not an option would hope to use the MBA to break into those same firms.

6SSNLMiPpC in reply to TP6ZssKKaM

I really liked your advise(not to do anything (beyond preparing a thoughtful application) simply to improve chances of getting into a top MBA program). I have average GMAT score (680). Neither I don't have excellent acadamics. My education is at below normal grade universities. The only thing i have is Passion. I want to do MBA so that I can improve my skills to change my carrier. I am currently working as a software consultant is U.S. At the age of 32 is it practical for me to get in to any good 1 year MBA schools? With a family and kid it may not be easy or worth to do some extra cultural activities or social work just get in to good business school. How can I improve my chances to get it to good school. I am really confused whether to do MBA or not.


I am currently an MBA student at the Henry W. Bloch School of Management in Kansas City(UMKC), but have yet to choose an emphasis. While I understand that your career experience is more important and I'm often told that "an MBA is an MBA" (suggesting that the emphasis doesn't matter that much), I would still like to coordinate an emphasis that will sell me the most. I also understand that the emphasis' value is in its complements to ones existing skill-sets. However; in general, does any emphasis, such as Information Systems, Finance, Entrepreneurship, International Business etc., tend to be trending in what "the market" is looking for over others? Are more doors open through one emphasis due to industry demand or over-saturation of others?

Ahsan617796 in reply to mwizniak

Not having any emphasis kind of implies that you are unclear about your MBA objectives? Why did you go to the business school? And you want to be very specific to these answers. e.g. I have gained four-and-half-years experience executing marketing strategies with companies of all sizes from start-up mgmt consulting firm to fortune 100 firm. Now I want to go to the b-school in order to shift my career from strategy execution to strategy development. Thus post MBA, I want to join a strategy consulting firm such as McK or BCG. In this role I can use my execution experience and the skills I will learn at MIT....etc
"Are more doors open..." I believe (and I'm an MBA applicant this year) organization not only look for knowledge but also passion. When you connect your emphasis with your future goal, you're saying you make feasible goals. You can't have Consulting major and choose to go into IB.

mwizniak in reply to Ahsan617796

Ahsan617796; That is very solid advice... I sincerely appreciate it. For those who have not applied to a university, it would be nice to know which emphasis has the best value to yourself, but isn't that contingent on what employers are seeking. Having not been in an executive position before or worked a variety of corporate positions, it is hard for me to evaluate that and there is not a lot of solid comprehensive data that I could find on the subject (along the lines of JAramburu's comment). I had every intention of emphasizing in Management of Information Systems because that is my main career background. However; having completed part of the program, I have learned a more holistic and practical view of the responsibilities of a business manager and found great value among other skill-sets that I'm lacking in. A valuable manager has a variety of skill-sets. This forced me to consider if, since I already have a background in Information Systems, it might be wise to add finance, international business, etc. if that is what makes me more attractive to larger corporations and firms. I'm sure the answer to such a question would prove very valuable to those researching MBA programs. The idea is that it would provide me with a broader set of skills and that might make me more attractive, as well as a better manager. Regardless of which path I chose, I am in full agreement that I need to present my path as one that was planned out, but just between you and me ;-)... life keeps teaching me new lessons along the way and I attempt to evolve as best I can to benefit.


I am an Engineer at Fortune 100 Company, I have been working for about 2 years and am really interested in Business school. My main reason to pursue an MBA is that I really wish to be in an urban setting (esp NYC because that is where I am from) and all the best positions are business oriented. While being an engineer I have realized that, although I am trained and capable of designing a profitable product, to have real control and success one must be in the business side as well technical (ie Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg). What are my chances (assuming I reach the appropriate GMAT score range of 720+) of being accepted at an appropriate Business school that will help me reach the top levels of a company or start one of my own? (Sorry for the long winded question, I wanted to be specific and honest)


Does a previous academic degree (PhD or MA) in Economics improve or hurt my chances of getting accepted at a top MBA?


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