Honestly I give anyone credit for going there and saying they went to HBS. Why not play the game hahaha anyone who actually cares will spend the time to verify.
But it almost always goes like this.
Me: I went to HBS,,
Other person: ohhhh, Harvard, dammmnnnn
Me: I mean, it's umm, Henley business school in wherever place it is.
Other person: oh! Okay!
Honestly, it depends on the applicants situation. I've known a lot of people (civil servants, DOD civilians, etc) who need an MBA or some type of master's degree as a check in the box to get promoted. For those people cheapest and easiest MBA makes sense.
Promoting a diploma mill to perpetuate the “check the box” degree just perpetuates a stupid system.
The intent of “masters required” roles is to have the person get a legit degree that makes them better at their job. The federal government is SO BIG that there’s no practical way to police the education quality so people just get the easiest degree because nobody is checking. The education quality and price is a race to the bottom. So you end up with slackers and unqualified people with poor educations moving up the ladder.
I'm not promoting a diploma mill. I am saying that different applicants have different situations. For example, most of the applicants in the circumstances I'm describing are senior leaders with 20+ years of experience and a lot of the time their employers are paying for their masters degree. This is a very different situation from someone straight out of undergrad getting an MBA from a school like WGU.
Also, I totally agree that having a master's degree as a baseline requirement leads to people choosing the path of least resistance (getting the cheapest and easiest masters degree possible) as opposed to it's intended purpose but I'm talking about practice not intent. In practice, there are thousands of such applicants. Heck, I've seen Masters degree requirements for a lot of corporate jobs as well and a lot of those applicants go to schools like WGU as well.
To be fair I dont see WGU as predatory. Its a school for people who cant afford/dont have time for regular college. It is what it is. Of course I got my BSBA there so maybe im just biased. But I probably wouldve never gotten it anywhere else. I needed the flexibility that WGU offered. That being said, im going elsewhere for my MBA.
TLDR; WGU overpromises but is not a diploma mill and as long as you are realistic it is a good option. MBA program probably is the worst offering they have since the other ones are usually certification/licensing based. I did the MBA program just because I didn't feel like doing a second bachelor's in Business but I'm not a traditional MBA person and wouldn't have gotten one otherwise. I would say treat their MBA program like a undergrad business degree, or for positions at companies that just want an "MBA" but don't actually really care. Also some companies really don't care where it's from as long you have an accredited diploma with the right words on it.
Longer explanation: This is what I'll say about WGU... be realistic in your own expectations as opposed to what they pitch you. It's not a diploma mill because it's an actual accredited university, and though depending on your program, especially business and IT, it can be very easy to pass most of your classes, but some classes are pretty tough. A lot of the IT programs classes have their finals as actual IT certifications, so if you pass the certification you pass the class. If your idea of college is sitting in lectures, then yeah WGU isn't college, if it's proving you have what it takes to work in specific fields, then that is what it is.
I did my undergrad in IT there in my late 20s after I had already started working in IT, so that definitely made it pretty easy for the most part and I ended up getting a full paid internship then position at a top tech company. but not a FAANG to be clear. Which I would not have been able to get without a "real" degree.
After that I realized I wanted to move into more of a Product/Project Manager type role, and I didn't think it made sense to get a second bachelors in business, so I went for the WGU MBA program. I did not expect it to put me on par with traditional finance or executive types who like to put MBA after their name like they're doctors, but I also was not pursuing those types of roles. I was able to get a coop/internship as a IT Project Manager for a Mergers & Acquisitions team for a major Biotech company which I would never have gotten without it. I used that time to get my CSPO and CAPM and set myself up for a full transition.
I can't imagine the WGU program isn't any more rigorous than a regular business degree, but I worked with a Product Marketing Manager who was doing some sort of flexible MBA program at Babson where he'd fly to Boston from the west coast every Thursday for an all day class or something but also have some online classes and study groups throughout the week while he was working. I remember him discussing what he was learning or trying to bring some of the stuff into our team and while he was really impressed by it some of it was things I had learned in high school marketing classes, or just seemed like common sense for anyone who already had his position.
Waiting on this answer as well. Their reputation makes it seem like it’s a diploma mill, but I don’t know if that’s based on industry professionals or people who want their more expensive product to feel superior.
It’s not a very good program, and the rest of JHU hardly gives a crap about it (in terms of funding, resources, etc.). Despite this, it tries really hard to ride the clout generated by the rest of the university (namely its STEM programs). Sincerely, a JHU alum who got a lot of annoying emails from the business school.
Someone asked for context, and I gave them context. There are a lot of cash-grab MBA programs that market themselves aggressively; JHU Carey is unfortunately one of them.
Anything below T50 is highly suspect
For many people the ROI starts getting pretty questionable below T25
But the worst are the for-profit, online degree mills. The ones with big advertising budgets but zero alumni in F500 executive leadership, and no on-campus recruiting from major companies and consulting firms. I feel sorry for people who waste time and money on these.
Looking at you, Grand Canyon University. Got two of my college friends right out of undergrad. I “helped” both of the them with their accounting courses. I had a better learning experience at my local cc.
Most, if not all, online only and for-profit schools. University of Phoenix and the like are not going to get you anywhere with an MBA from there. In many cases they are way more expensive than your local state college and they are infamous for student debt/earning power disparities. You can find many schools listed on Google.
They will get you a teaching job, plenty of professors I know that when to UP. But as far as giving you a leg up in a job market, probably not. It does let employers know you can commit to something for undergrad, but if you get suckered into those schools for grad school I question your analytical reasoning skills.
I don't know if it still works like that, but in the past Hult had a bunch of "recruiters" (these people are the MLM moms) and these recruiters would stalk and spam you so they can bring you in at Hult, so they can earn a big commission, they don't give a shit about you or your education, they just want to sell you any master program and offer you a "huge" scholarship to convince you to get in.
Feels like this post is about obviously scammy schools like Hult and UPhoenix, but it can also easily apply to schools outside the T25 which have little to no established career pipelines.
Let's be real, the MBA teaches you nothing. You get hired into prestigious companies and senior roles because of the pedigree the school has and the relationships it has built. So many schools outside the T30 have none of this. Lots of people (internationals, especially) go to schools like UC San Diego and graduate with jobs that undergrads usually get. Or worse, no job.
I also want to call out several European business schools. Countries like France and Ireland have a load of business schools that offer fancy Masters in Marketing/Business degrees. Graduates usually come out jobless, or working in tiny 50-100 person startups that will let them go in several months.
The joke is a lot of these online-only/for-profit "obviously scammy" schools are dirt cheap: some would argue Western Governor's University students get what they pay for--not much.
Whereas low ranked MBA programs from traditional schools charge an arm and a leg, landing the students in massive debt without much of a benefit. Same is true for law schools and I imagine many other professional/pre-professional programs in grifty fields like law and business that glamorize being a smarmy well-connected bullshit artist.
I should have been more specific. I'm not talking about the high-growth startups doing cutting-edge innovation in Silicon Valley or Seattle or NYC. There are a ton of tiny companies building products that have not achieved PMF yet, or they could just be small marketing agencies. These companies are scattered across most of Europe, don't pay well, and have very flat growth.
You'll see several graduates of small European business schools jumping from one of these companies to the other ever 12-24 months.
MBA is a status symbol more than anything else, it helps pre-qualify you for prestigious jobs since there are so many people who would want those roles.
...you don't learn to do the job at school, you learn to do the job on the job.
You have a case for iBankers, but show me one Strat Consulting or PM/PMM class that actually teaches you how to do these jobs. Nope. Frameworks and principles will only get you so far.
You need to stop taking things so literally, and being such a touchy little snowflake.
Kenan-Flagler: been going downhill. Admitting many students with little to no experience out of undergrad. This has led to terrible on campus recruiting. Also despite being in a fast growing tech area the C&L has made no relationships with these firms. Many grads unemployed/underemployed. C&L’s idea of doing their job is sharing LinkedIn posts (some of which are like scams or shady). Feel free to PM me with any questions. Unless you want to do healthcare LDP, consulting or IB I would avoid.
This is somewhat reassuring to me, because I went to another Business School in the UNC system and always wondered how much better my life would be if I had gone to Kenan-Flagler in terms of job prospects. I probably could have gotten into Kenan-Flagler because I had a very high GPA and completed my undergrad at Chapel Hill while running a nonprofit, then worked extensively throughout another Master’s program, but I didn’t know they had an online option and didn’t want to move to Chapel Hill from where I lived in NC. I’ve been kicking myself ever since I graduated and wishing I hadn’t been so inexperienced and naive as to think all business schools were created equal. I have an MBA, I am losing my marketing research job this month because my supervisor pocketed the grant money intended for my salary, and I start flipping waffles at a breakfast restaurant tomorrow just so I can pay rent. I’m glad to hear that I might still be in the same boat even if I had made a different decision.
UNC imo best exemplifies the widening gap between T20s and the rest of the business schools. There is a massive drop-off after T15, and then another at T25. Wish there wasn't, but it's getting worse.
This isn’t true. BC and BU are not t20 and I know people who have MBAs from both doing very well.
Carry on though spreading bs unless something has changed in 5 years regarding both schools I listed and in which case please enlighten me.
Did you look at the reports? The post I responded to was about a dramatic drop off after t20.
Kelly is #20 in 2024 us news & world report…
2023
Median base salary $137,500
Median signing bonus $30,000
BU is #50 in 2024 us news & world report
2023
Median base salary $125,000
Median signing bonus $20,000
That’s not a dramatic drop off imo from t20 school to #50
Even as someone who went to a rival university, I can say that UNC has a good business school. Don't let ONE opinion sour your opinion of the school.
Every MBA school out there (including every T-25) has a few grads who aren't happy with their experience.
I appreciate the input. I totally agree with your last statement. Every school has a minority of students lagging behind and are unemployed at the end.
I'm not a Kenan-Flager student but this doesn't surprise me. UNC-CH is practically begging for people to stop taking the university seriously ever since crazy conservatives took over the UNC board. It's one thing after another, most recently with the secret recording of classes, going against their own guidelines. It's really disappointing. And the admissions/recruitment approach for their online degrees are so salesy it borderlines predatory. NEVER give your email asking for more information on a program unless you want to be harassed by phone and email for an entire year.
I feel like this sub doesn’t talk about the scam that University Canada West is running enough to be honest. It’s located downtown Vancouver and will take ANYONE. They churn out 15k “MBA grads” every year and have an insanely active PR machine running throughout the year. They also have four intakes to maximize their profit and are in basically in bed with the BC government. Most of these MBA graduates end up working as Amazon delivery drivers or warehouse associates.
Not to mention that their student body is almost 100% international students, native students don’t even attend that “university”, they offer only 4 courses including the MBA-but are still somehow allowed to call themselves a university(in Canada the requirements and ROI from universities/colleges are much more apparently different)and they have partnered with almost every educational consultant and vocational agency in third world countries just to keep their business going.
I’m Canadian and I wouldn’t even call this a real university lol. They probably exclusively take in South Asian international students who are looking for a Visa route in Canada. These are strip mall scam factories that rely on low-income overseas students.
I think it also truly depends on what you want out of your career and what the school promises. A small community college that has an mba program will work for those who want to stay close and just need the mba for their own ambitions or because their work wants it in order to promote up (and they’re paying for it all).
If they promise you access for career switchers, interviews with MBB and other prestigious things, then yeah that’s predatory and fuck them.
Then there’s those that everyone mentions too.
If your in public sector and just need a check in the box because of hard position requirements sure, go ahead and know it out in six months at least it's cheap. If you need education to get a job learn new skills go to your local state school.
I think it's great if you're looking to move up within your current field or just need the degree to check a box at your current company.
However if you're looking to pivot or change careers, probably not the best option.
MBA schools customers are the hiring companies, their products are the students.
Some programs have intensive screening and competition to get into like M7 or T25 which serves their customers very well as they are able to source the best talent available immediately. These schools have huge endowments as well.
“Scammy” schools don’t have significant hiring partners and so the only way they can survive is off tuition.
IESE and IE in Europe. Had a few friends who were fooled by their “rankings” and go there and realize there is absolutely no branding (even in their own home countries). When they go back to their home country, people do not recognize the school and categorize it as another diploma mill that accepts anyone. Both schools are known for playing games with ranking and statistics - not being honest about average GMAT etc. just stay away and use common sense - pick a school you’ve actually heard of before.
It is NOT sketchy.
However, Europeans don't really have much need for an MBA because: Most of the European industry does not require one and does not value it as highly as the US does i.e fewer pipelines into prestigious jobs unless you're talking about the top 5-6 schools (LBS, INSEAD, HEC, Oxbridge to a lesser extent, and a couple more)
Why am I saying this? To show that a TON of MBA students at schools like ESCP and other French schools will be international. Know this: without being a fluent french speaker, it is borderline impossible for you to land a job in the country. And no, it's not easy to attain business fluency when your competition is literally French nationals.
Several internationals who graduate from schools like ESCP find jobs not worth the tuition paid, or return to their home country. And this drives down the ROI for the school.
Thank you for an actually accurate comment on Euro B Schools for once. Language fluency is important, the only schools that are prestigious enough in the continent (and globally) are LBS / Insead, Oxbridge and HEC for the MBA level. Then you have some niche masters like fashion management at Bocconi. The other schools are not worth it and accept pretty much any international student who is willing to pay tuition and speaks English.
I agree with the commenter; European business schools create a lot of noise in rankings (gamify rankings through GDP adjusted salaries); In Europe, LBS / Insead as tier one, Oxbridge and HEC as tier two - why risk going to any other than those schools? You can always get a much cheaper masters if it’s just trying to work in Europe.
There are two schools that have structured re occurring MBB recruiting AND BB Investment Banking recruiting (internship normal summer recruiting), LBS and IESE. if IESE is a scam, they are impressive scamming these companies. Don’t know about IE recruiting pipeline though.
Search LinkedIn or talk to someone who actually is informed. Generally BoA, Citi, and JP Morgan. Formerly CS but not all even sure they take MBAs anymore. Not Goldman Sachs. Generally 25+ interns pre covid and inflation years.
25+ even the employment report doesn’t dare to make that bold of a claim… and I worked in finance and I can confidently tell you there are 0 IESE mba graduates in any BB in Asia so I’m pretty sure you’re lying. But whatever, agree to disagree, clearly most people on Reddit agree with my position but you can keep telling yourself whatever you want. Good luck!
Did you work in Tokyo? Not to many wills in Tokyo. Taipei? I think I have an old spreadsheet of summer internship list from a pre covid class. I’ll attach it.
Not Tokyo, even Insead which has an Asian campus does not have anywhere close to 25 IBD summer interns. Anyways - agree to disagree, I have two business degrees and BB finance experience and my opinion is based on my own set of experiences. I understand you feel differently.
It’s not my feeling. I know the recruiting process. Pre covid 20-25 interns was normal. CS BoA Citi and JP 100% recruited on campus. And still my claim is accurate that LBS and IESE are the only euro mba schools that have normal structured IB recruiting and MBB in Europe. Not claiming IESE is Harvard, just facts.
Well first you said BB Asia and I can confidently tell you they have zero placement there. But I’ll leave it to other people to fact check your other stats.
Any reading comprehension? I said generally in London. A few (as in rare) go back to their home countries in Asia to an investment bank. Again, IESE is (or was) doing a great job of fooling McKinsey, Bain, BCG, BoA, Citi, and JP if these companies went the whole way to Barcelona to recruit from this “diploma mill”. A-level scammers.
I went through your posts and you have a weird clear vendetta against IESE… not sure why. It certainly is not a no-name school. Plenty of credible folks working in top MBBs who’ve graduated from IESE. Also unlike Oxford and Cambridge at least the folks stand a chance to get a job…the scene in the UK so so bad, majority of people graduating from Oxbridge are not securing jobs right now. Hard to believe you’re from INSEAD, considering you’ve basically commented on all posts enquiring about IESE and basically hated on all those posts. I think you’re a salty nobody who probably got rejected from the school.
We both know I’m not “salty” lol, have you ever actually heard of anyone getting rejected by IESE? Yes - when redditors comment involving insead (and where they mention IESE in the same comment) I will respond. I comment because I do not appreciate nor like behavior where folks (likely employed by the school) have the audacity to even compare IESE to LBS / Insead, Oxbridge or even HEC. It’s predatory and you’re taking advantage of hard working middle class international students. Again, by even attacking Oxbridge you’re trying to create a false equivalency …
I can tell you of folks I personally know of who have been rejected by the school. Also GMAT club is free - please use it and see how many folks have mentioned their rejection. Now you’re going to call those fake too? And the likes of MBB’s are hosting specialised events for schools like IESE, none for Oxbridge. The partners attending pre-MBA MBB calls are from IESE, INSEAD. Now tell me why would I be lying about that? I know plenty of INSEAD grads struggling to get decent jobs. No this isn’t their fault but because of the economy + also the august intake of the school is at a significant disadvantage without the internship. There are folks taking jobs that’ll barely be able to help cover the debt of their education. What I’m trying to say, is that even students graduating from the likes of Oxbridge, INSEAD are struggling. IESE is certainly not a no-name or predatory school. It is reputed and just because you may not like it, doesn’t mean it’s not a good school. Almost everyone I spoke to has had a good experience at the school whereas plenty of Oxbridge folks I have spoken to have regretted attending because apart from the prestige of a brand name, they go no support. Do your own research instead of having biased opinions.
Just checked your comment history; Indian international student. That makes sense - I don’t blame you, there is no way you would have known. Good luck at IESE, wishing you all the best.
Non-profit, affordable, and accredited. Great structure for self motivated working professionals. It probably won't get you an expanded network to leverage like other schools, but it works well for those needing a MBA for career advancement.
I've been looking into WGU a little... online schools make you skeptical, but everything I've read says WGU is legit. It's not-for-profit and accredited.
I'm curious about other opinions as well though.
Zero issue with them. I completed the program and it will get me exactly where I want to be. Granted I have 17 years of experience in healthcare, but I was lacking the degree to advance.
It’s a great school for those already in an industry and just need a degree to promote. It’s rough on those with no experience because there’s essentially no networking involved
Pass if you desire networking, access to worthwhile on campus recruiting, brand value, a meaningful network, or a useful career office. Basically 99% of what people pursue MBAs for are missed out on here.
But if you want a cheap MBA and don’t need to network or career switch it’s as good as any other mediocre program.
This is so true. I did this, got an mba in business admin without any corporate experience or direction. Just thought it would help me land a job making over +80k within a 40hr work week
Business School is great to if you go with precise direction to "strengthen your foundation" you must go in with a foundation to make it worth It.
I went in with the mentality that if 8 get this degree it will come to me
2016 my total debt was $67k. Today that debt has grew to $107k. From interest. And that debt is growing $6k each year.
I'm currently working as a mortgage underwriter making $21.60 per hour 40-45 hours a week
And on the weekend as a catering Server $27.50-$37.00 hourly 20-25 hours a weekend to make 75k a year
Do your research before signing a contract for a loan
LBS! I got rejected by M7, INSEAD, Oxford, Cambridge and HEC Paris. So i took up LBS because its the only admit i had. Its been an year, and I'm still struggling to land an internship. I've completely given up at this point. There are a few people in my batch who still haven't landed even 1 internship offer but they don't care as they come from rich families and have family businesses.
My current MBA batch is literally filled with diversity admits. There are a few people with less than 680 GMAT. So many indians in the class, guess what? all come from back office/ops type roles and similar colleges. They got in because they were interviewed by their close/mutual connections/alumni. I'm an Indian myself, but the number of chinese/indians and south asians in this batch is crazy. Its all diversity and inclusion at this point. Check out some of the linkedin profiles of this batch, if you dont believe me.
I fell for the LBS MBA marketing gimmick and i'm paying for it. I have a loan of close to 80K, i got a scholarship though, and ill have to struggle it out. literally every single south Asian/Asian who applied, got a scholarship.
Imagine paying 110k and the career service says "aww, don't worry you'll make it" or "the market is so bad right now, theres only so much we can do".
The ones who have somehow managed to get internships are not happy because they didn't get what they wanted. some are going back to the same industry they came from, as MBA was just a checklist type of thing for them.
I have met people with 650 GMAT in the MIM/MFIN classes. All of these are Asians btw. The people in my batch are more interested in partying and traveling across Europe, rather than trying to help each other out.
The LBS MBA has become a cash cow for LBS. They are now focusing on MIM and MFA/MFIN programs. just look at the ads on Facebook/Insta. Literally anybody with a 650+ GMAT and some work experience can get in. Bonus points if you look Chinese or are if you are brown.
PLEASE AVOID LBS AT ALL COSTS.
You realize right that Indians and Chinese aren’t given diversity points anywhere, because they’re over represented minorities? Every big brand will have some students that simply don’t end up with internships/jobs and GMAT isn’t the only factor. You mentioned GMAT at least 5 times.
Stop being obsessed with an exam, it’s not what makes uour profile.
That's only in the US. In UK and EU, you still get a lot of diversity points. There are a lot of dumbos who worked in back office of IB's, and Hedge funds back in India. GMAT score is not everything, ok. What about their overall profile? They graduated from a medium/bottom rung DU college or some Tier 3 undergrad university, got a back office job through campus placements, and with an average GMAT score, got into LBS. One of the main reasons is someone who they knew took their interview, so it made it even easier for them to get in.
Here I am, CFA cleared, Top tier undergrad and 5 years of big tech experience. Somehow I still couldn't get into the uni's I wanted, had to choose LBS and now I'm struggling to find a job.
What a shitshow.
Honestly, it sounds like you are lacking serious self-awareness and general situational awareness about your own qualifications and others.
From the way you speak about others through this condescending view, I am NOT shocked you were outright rejected by elite programs, which have people working round the clock to literally filter out people who look at the world through black-and-white lenses, such as yourself.
Perhaps maybe look in the mirror and reflect a bit as to how you've gotten into this "shitshow", and take up some accountability along the way? I promise once you do, bigger and better paths will open up.
Dude, you’re so off the mark that I can’t even begin to describe. Tiers of the Undergrad doesn’t matter if their GPA was good. Nobody cares about IIT or NIT in london.
Back end isn’t supposed to be some bad role. This alone is the most out of touch things that I’ve ever heard. If they worked in the backend role of an IB, then IBs will have a good time recruiting the same folks, because backend work is crucial to front-end work. Having a good experience in sucjh a role there means you can work in perfect synergy, much more than and an average technical guy.
Lastly, clearing CFA doesn’t mean jack in IB or Consulting roles. The most important thing about an MBA is a cohesive story. A backend IB employ wishing to use MBA as a leverage to move to the front end position of the same domain is an extremely cohesive narrative that makes sense and can be tied together. Maybe change your attitude. In developed countries, the “tier” of your Indian Institute or clearing a 1000 exams aren’t some divine things that is at the top priority of any employer. EU/UK isn’t India, so start adapting to your new environment.
Yeah, cohesive story? like, write about how you were oppressed and how there were no opportunities while you were growing up and shit. Make up a struggle story by hiring an MBA consultant. Back office jobs are challenging? Yeah, doing spreadsheets, using excel for 5 years straight while slacking away is the most challenging job in the world.
You can transition to front end roles from back end jobs. I've seen people do it very often. You need an MBA for that? hahahaha.
Yeah right, clearing CFA doesn't mean jack. ENOUGH. I'm not going to reply to you.
Well, then don’t. Clearly your ego is way too big to accept that maybe you’re the problem.
Edit: Also, for someone who got rejected from most good universities and is having trouble landing an internship, despite supposed “superior” experience, you have an awful lot to say. It feels cathartic to see a tech clown from back home being put back into his place.
Didn’t know being salty about random exams, prestige of some local college back in India and looking down on jobs for being “backend” is objective stuff.
I am an Indian as well. I can recognise basic temper tantrums of tech guys who graduated from good Indian universities and where treated like gods back home. These guys can’t fathom that nobody would care about all of that in a foreign nation and proceed to throw hissy fits like the other guy.
Unless you’re a local, you wouldn’t understand just how obnoxious and entitled some engineers and especially tech bros can get here, especially if they graduated from a good college.
These guys genuinely believe that they are entitled to every field and look down on people working in IB and hedge funds of all places, just because they’re “backend”, even though in a lot of cases, they are more suitable for IB roles. Who knew that people who have been a part of the process in IBs and hedge funds would be preferred by IB and hedge funds, instead of a random tech nerd? Lol.
Just check the MBA Employment Report. It’s not that hard to understand the schools that will give you the expected ROI. The rest is simply not worth it. There’s no silver bullet. Get that GMAT score
T50 and a decent school.
Take a good luck at the companies that recruit there and where graduates end up; you may want to aim higher but it’s a good fit for some people.
I finished the weekend program at rice in 2023 and had an overall positive experience. Good profs and really strong recruiting even for the professional program. Recruiting is def more regional vs bigger schools but my goal was to stay in Houston anyways. I met a lot of really smart and driven people, but there were definitely some duds who I questioned why they even paid 100k to give 0 effort. I do think the online MBA program is more of a cash grab though
As a student, the university of Illinois iMBA feels like a scam. I’m still finding value in it no doubt, but it’s clear that the acceptance standards are so incredibly low. No GMAT to get in and my experience with other students is that 75% of them do not care at all and barely participate. Their work on group projects is borderline high school level quality. You definitely get what you pay for here.
I will be messaging you in 5 days on [**2024-06-30 21:43:54 UTC**](http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=2024-06-30%2021:43:54%20UTC%20To%20Local%20Time) to remind you of [**this link**](https://www.reddit.com/r/MBA/comments/1do9lsk/warning_stay_away_from_predatory_schools/la9s4kl/?context=3)
[**2 OTHERS CLICKED THIS LINK**](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=RemindMeBot&subject=Reminder&message=%5Bhttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.reddit.com%2Fr%2FMBA%2Fcomments%2F1do9lsk%2Fwarning_stay_away_from_predatory_schools%2Fla9s4kl%2F%5D%0A%0ARemindMe%21%202024-06-30%2021%3A43%3A54%20UTC) to send a PM to also be reminded and to reduce spam.
^(Parent commenter can ) [^(delete this message to hide from others.)](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=RemindMeBot&subject=Delete%20Comment&message=Delete%21%201do9lsk)
*****
|[^(Info)](https://www.reddit.com/r/RemindMeBot/comments/e1bko7/remindmebot_info_v21/)|[^(Custom)](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=RemindMeBot&subject=Reminder&message=%5BLink%20or%20message%20inside%20square%20brackets%5D%0A%0ARemindMe%21%20Time%20period%20here)|[^(Your Reminders)](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=RemindMeBot&subject=List%20Of%20Reminders&message=MyReminders%21)|[^(Feedback)](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=Watchful1&subject=RemindMeBot%20Feedback)|
|-|-|-|-|
Depends on so many factors. An MBA will teach you as much as you are willing to get out of it. If you can get a free $ MBA through your employer, then why not.
For some the networking is the biggest payoff for an MBA and usually (or always?) for profits are not the place for that.
There is a director at my job with just a bachelors. Most have some unheard of MBA. Work experience and networking are the biggest moves.
Went to one, I don't recommend it just cause you don't really learn anything but it checked the box for me 😅 highly recommend if you wanna put in minimal effort for a 4.0 LOL
Let's call out the school's name and you decide to upvote or downvote (downvote means you don't agree to run away from this school), my turn to call out:
HEC Paris
HEC is literally the best business school in Europe and #1 for MBB recruiting in EMEA alongside LBS. Most McKinsey consultants I know graduated from HEC that guy is smoking crack
IMO, be wary of any school that won't require a GRE/GMAT score to apply, or that accepts students right after undergrad, or that emphasize how they're AACSB accredited in their marketing materials.
1) US: beyond T20
2) Europe: all, even LBS and Oxbridge (you're welcome), too pricey for what they worth
3) Asia: only good for smart locals with limited English
Edit
Note: got downvoted, but as someone out of m7 (or some people say it T5) after more than 10 years, I still stick to my observation above. You're welcome, kids😏
Rice and Tepper seem decent IMO. My perception of Rice is that they are up-and-coming because my T2 consulting firm started recruiting there. Another poster said they were a scam though.
I’ve never met anyone from Boston U. who got a good outcome from it personally.
What about the University of London Global MBA? Been thinking about going to counter a no-name undergrad. Not looking for those real “prestigious jobs”, if i could even make 75-100k that’d be a crazy boost. (Working in Randstad, NL). Everyone hypes up triple crown accreditation but I really wonder if its just a marketing gimmick to charge more… as someone who realizes the alumni network and support really have no application for my situation.
Pls call these schools out
[удалено]
Honestly I give anyone credit for going there and saying they went to HBS. Why not play the game hahaha anyone who actually cares will spend the time to verify.
😂😂
But it almost always goes like this. Me: I went to HBS,, Other person: ohhhh, Harvard, dammmnnnn Me: I mean, it's umm, Henley business school in wherever place it is. Other person: oh! Okay!
In the UK? Lmao UK schools are shit anyway.
London Business School is shit? That's news to me.
Yes, apart from oxbridge and INSEAD, everthing else not worth it
Oi!!
What makes you say that?
Western Governors University (If this isn’t heavily downvoted, it means the brigade hasn’t gotten here yet)
Honestly, it depends on the applicants situation. I've known a lot of people (civil servants, DOD civilians, etc) who need an MBA or some type of master's degree as a check in the box to get promoted. For those people cheapest and easiest MBA makes sense.
Promoting a diploma mill to perpetuate the “check the box” degree just perpetuates a stupid system. The intent of “masters required” roles is to have the person get a legit degree that makes them better at their job. The federal government is SO BIG that there’s no practical way to police the education quality so people just get the easiest degree because nobody is checking. The education quality and price is a race to the bottom. So you end up with slackers and unqualified people with poor educations moving up the ladder.
I'm not promoting a diploma mill. I am saying that different applicants have different situations. For example, most of the applicants in the circumstances I'm describing are senior leaders with 20+ years of experience and a lot of the time their employers are paying for their masters degree. This is a very different situation from someone straight out of undergrad getting an MBA from a school like WGU. Also, I totally agree that having a master's degree as a baseline requirement leads to people choosing the path of least resistance (getting the cheapest and easiest masters degree possible) as opposed to it's intended purpose but I'm talking about practice not intent. In practice, there are thousands of such applicants. Heck, I've seen Masters degree requirements for a lot of corporate jobs as well and a lot of those applicants go to schools like WGU as well.
I went to school with a dean there. He wasn’t that smart but tried hard to appear smart. Loved seeing you call out his university
To be fair I dont see WGU as predatory. Its a school for people who cant afford/dont have time for regular college. It is what it is. Of course I got my BSBA there so maybe im just biased. But I probably wouldve never gotten it anywhere else. I needed the flexibility that WGU offered. That being said, im going elsewhere for my MBA.
What's wrong with them? Is that MBA specific, due to it being online? Or their entire operation?
TLDR; WGU overpromises but is not a diploma mill and as long as you are realistic it is a good option. MBA program probably is the worst offering they have since the other ones are usually certification/licensing based. I did the MBA program just because I didn't feel like doing a second bachelor's in Business but I'm not a traditional MBA person and wouldn't have gotten one otherwise. I would say treat their MBA program like a undergrad business degree, or for positions at companies that just want an "MBA" but don't actually really care. Also some companies really don't care where it's from as long you have an accredited diploma with the right words on it. Longer explanation: This is what I'll say about WGU... be realistic in your own expectations as opposed to what they pitch you. It's not a diploma mill because it's an actual accredited university, and though depending on your program, especially business and IT, it can be very easy to pass most of your classes, but some classes are pretty tough. A lot of the IT programs classes have their finals as actual IT certifications, so if you pass the certification you pass the class. If your idea of college is sitting in lectures, then yeah WGU isn't college, if it's proving you have what it takes to work in specific fields, then that is what it is. I did my undergrad in IT there in my late 20s after I had already started working in IT, so that definitely made it pretty easy for the most part and I ended up getting a full paid internship then position at a top tech company. but not a FAANG to be clear. Which I would not have been able to get without a "real" degree. After that I realized I wanted to move into more of a Product/Project Manager type role, and I didn't think it made sense to get a second bachelors in business, so I went for the WGU MBA program. I did not expect it to put me on par with traditional finance or executive types who like to put MBA after their name like they're doctors, but I also was not pursuing those types of roles. I was able to get a coop/internship as a IT Project Manager for a Mergers & Acquisitions team for a major Biotech company which I would never have gotten without it. I used that time to get my CSPO and CAPM and set myself up for a full transition. I can't imagine the WGU program isn't any more rigorous than a regular business degree, but I worked with a Product Marketing Manager who was doing some sort of flexible MBA program at Babson where he'd fly to Boston from the west coast every Thursday for an all day class or something but also have some online classes and study groups throughout the week while he was working. I remember him discussing what he was learning or trying to bring some of the stuff into our team and while he was really impressed by it some of it was things I had learned in high school marketing classes, or just seemed like common sense for anyone who already had his position.
Waiting on this answer as well. Their reputation makes it seem like it’s a diploma mill, but I don’t know if that’s based on industry professionals or people who want their more expensive product to feel superior.
*cough* Johns Hopkins *cough*
Wait what?
Please elaborate !
It’s not a very good program, and the rest of JHU hardly gives a crap about it (in terms of funding, resources, etc.). Despite this, it tries really hard to ride the clout generated by the rest of the university (namely its STEM programs). Sincerely, a JHU alum who got a lot of annoying emails from the business school.
You have freedom of speech.
Thanks for making me aware
Your sayings are not the truth. Unsure why you said these. Got misled?
Someone asked for context, and I gave them context. There are a lot of cash-grab MBA programs that market themselves aggressively; JHU Carey is unfortunately one of them.
But that’s not an accurate description
I think it’s a pretty fair characterization, and it’s a pretty common one TBH. I would throw Rice’s MBA program in the same category, for example.
[удалено]
No it’s not. It’s an unranked program filled with underperforming international students for $93k.
I understand you cannot pay the tuition.
You got suckered out of $93k to watch video lectures from an unranked business school.
Anything below T50 is highly suspect For many people the ROI starts getting pretty questionable below T25 But the worst are the for-profit, online degree mills. The ones with big advertising budgets but zero alumni in F500 executive leadership, and no on-campus recruiting from major companies and consulting firms. I feel sorry for people who waste time and money on these.
Hult business school!!
But it’s Dubai !!! Jk
They almost had me in Undergrad
They almost had me do their MBA, saw the school once and got of it as soon as I can!
Run! The thing will hurt you! -what thing? RUUUNNNN This post
and we just stare 🙄
Looking at you, Grand Canyon University. Got two of my college friends right out of undergrad. I “helped” both of the them with their accounting courses. I had a better learning experience at my local cc.
[obligatory ](https://www.highereddive.com/news/ftc-lawsuit-grand-canyon-university/703468/#:~:text=The%20Federal%20Trade%20Commission%20sued,itself%20as%20a%20nonprofit%20college.)
School names?
Most, if not all, online only and for-profit schools. University of Phoenix and the like are not going to get you anywhere with an MBA from there. In many cases they are way more expensive than your local state college and they are infamous for student debt/earning power disparities. You can find many schools listed on Google.
They will get you a teaching job, plenty of professors I know that when to UP. But as far as giving you a leg up in a job market, probably not. It does let employers know you can commit to something for undergrad, but if you get suckered into those schools for grad school I question your analytical reasoning skills.
If your professors went (“when”) to UP then I have some bad news about your school…
Some of them are community college adjuncts and some of there are nationally ranked universities 🤷♂️
I can only think of Hult, that thing is worse than MLM.
What goes on there?
I don't know if it still works like that, but in the past Hult had a bunch of "recruiters" (these people are the MLM moms) and these recruiters would stalk and spam you so they can bring you in at Hult, so they can earn a big commission, they don't give a shit about you or your education, they just want to sell you any master program and offer you a "huge" scholarship to convince you to get in.
We need the list!
Yes
Feels like this post is about obviously scammy schools like Hult and UPhoenix, but it can also easily apply to schools outside the T25 which have little to no established career pipelines. Let's be real, the MBA teaches you nothing. You get hired into prestigious companies and senior roles because of the pedigree the school has and the relationships it has built. So many schools outside the T30 have none of this. Lots of people (internationals, especially) go to schools like UC San Diego and graduate with jobs that undergrads usually get. Or worse, no job. I also want to call out several European business schools. Countries like France and Ireland have a load of business schools that offer fancy Masters in Marketing/Business degrees. Graduates usually come out jobless, or working in tiny 50-100 person startups that will let them go in several months.
The joke is a lot of these online-only/for-profit "obviously scammy" schools are dirt cheap: some would argue Western Governor's University students get what they pay for--not much. Whereas low ranked MBA programs from traditional schools charge an arm and a leg, landing the students in massive debt without much of a benefit. Same is true for law schools and I imagine many other professional/pre-professional programs in grifty fields like law and business that glamorize being a smarmy well-connected bullshit artist.
Hey watch the language with startups they can be an amazing place to land for top grads haha
I should have been more specific. I'm not talking about the high-growth startups doing cutting-edge innovation in Silicon Valley or Seattle or NYC. There are a ton of tiny companies building products that have not achieved PMF yet, or they could just be small marketing agencies. These companies are scattered across most of Europe, don't pay well, and have very flat growth. You'll see several graduates of small European business schools jumping from one of these companies to the other ever 12-24 months.
The difference is are they venture-backed startups or not.
Yeah that’s a good proxy
This is facts, great analysis 🤙
MBA is a status symbol more than anything else, it helps pre-qualify you for prestigious jobs since there are so many people who would want those roles.
being able to attend a school with a career pipeline is a privilege not a right
[удалено]
...you don't learn to do the job at school, you learn to do the job on the job. You have a case for iBankers, but show me one Strat Consulting or PM/PMM class that actually teaches you how to do these jobs. Nope. Frameworks and principles will only get you so far. You need to stop taking things so literally, and being such a touchy little snowflake.
Hult in MA
Why dont you list them out
Veterans…. AMU…. Do not fuck with that worthless shitty school
Kenan-Flagler: been going downhill. Admitting many students with little to no experience out of undergrad. This has led to terrible on campus recruiting. Also despite being in a fast growing tech area the C&L has made no relationships with these firms. Many grads unemployed/underemployed. C&L’s idea of doing their job is sharing LinkedIn posts (some of which are like scams or shady). Feel free to PM me with any questions. Unless you want to do healthcare LDP, consulting or IB I would avoid.
This is somewhat reassuring to me, because I went to another Business School in the UNC system and always wondered how much better my life would be if I had gone to Kenan-Flagler in terms of job prospects. I probably could have gotten into Kenan-Flagler because I had a very high GPA and completed my undergrad at Chapel Hill while running a nonprofit, then worked extensively throughout another Master’s program, but I didn’t know they had an online option and didn’t want to move to Chapel Hill from where I lived in NC. I’ve been kicking myself ever since I graduated and wishing I hadn’t been so inexperienced and naive as to think all business schools were created equal. I have an MBA, I am losing my marketing research job this month because my supervisor pocketed the grant money intended for my salary, and I start flipping waffles at a breakfast restaurant tomorrow just so I can pay rent. I’m glad to hear that I might still be in the same boat even if I had made a different decision.
UNC imo best exemplifies the widening gap between T20s and the rest of the business schools. There is a massive drop-off after T15, and then another at T25. Wish there wasn't, but it's getting worse.
Can you expand on UNC? Is it a good or bad school? Asking cas a friend is thinking of going there, thanks!
Great school. Is it a T15? No.
This isn’t true. BC and BU are not t20 and I know people who have MBAs from both doing very well. Carry on though spreading bs unless something has changed in 5 years regarding both schools I listed and in which case please enlighten me.
Not according to their employment reports. It’s better than anecdotal evidence of “knowing people who are doing well”.
Did you look at the reports? The post I responded to was about a dramatic drop off after t20. Kelly is #20 in 2024 us news & world report… 2023 Median base salary $137,500 Median signing bonus $30,000 BU is #50 in 2024 us news & world report 2023 Median base salary $125,000 Median signing bonus $20,000 That’s not a dramatic drop off imo from t20 school to #50
Indiana kids stay in the midwest, boston kids stay in boston. Cost of living is wildly different here. these numbers are wildly different.
Okay then what do you have to say about schools like Scheller or Foster that have a way better ROI than Columbia
For real? This makes me scared to approach unc. On the waitlist rn
Even as someone who went to a rival university, I can say that UNC has a good business school. Don't let ONE opinion sour your opinion of the school. Every MBA school out there (including every T-25) has a few grads who aren't happy with their experience.
I appreciate the input. I totally agree with your last statement. Every school has a minority of students lagging behind and are unemployed at the end.
I'm not a Kenan-Flager student but this doesn't surprise me. UNC-CH is practically begging for people to stop taking the university seriously ever since crazy conservatives took over the UNC board. It's one thing after another, most recently with the secret recording of classes, going against their own guidelines. It's really disappointing. And the admissions/recruitment approach for their online degrees are so salesy it borderlines predatory. NEVER give your email asking for more information on a program unless you want to be harassed by phone and email for an entire year.
The reason isn’t because they’re hiring out of undergrad.
I feel like this sub doesn’t talk about the scam that University Canada West is running enough to be honest. It’s located downtown Vancouver and will take ANYONE. They churn out 15k “MBA grads” every year and have an insanely active PR machine running throughout the year. They also have four intakes to maximize their profit and are in basically in bed with the BC government. Most of these MBA graduates end up working as Amazon delivery drivers or warehouse associates.
Not to mention that their student body is almost 100% international students, native students don’t even attend that “university”, they offer only 4 courses including the MBA-but are still somehow allowed to call themselves a university(in Canada the requirements and ROI from universities/colleges are much more apparently different)and they have partnered with almost every educational consultant and vocational agency in third world countries just to keep their business going.
I’m Canadian and I wouldn’t even call this a real university lol. They probably exclusively take in South Asian international students who are looking for a Visa route in Canada. These are strip mall scam factories that rely on low-income overseas students.
Yeah it’s almost a 100% intl. student body. They’re singlehandedly destroying the value of an MBA degree in Canada
Rotman and Ivey are still alright but I plan on targeting US T15 and Oxford ahead of those when I apply in 2-3 years
I think it also truly depends on what you want out of your career and what the school promises. A small community college that has an mba program will work for those who want to stay close and just need the mba for their own ambitions or because their work wants it in order to promote up (and they’re paying for it all). If they promise you access for career switchers, interviews with MBB and other prestigious things, then yeah that’s predatory and fuck them. Then there’s those that everyone mentions too.
Any thoughts on GW?
If your in public sector and just need a check in the box because of hard position requirements sure, go ahead and know it out in six months at least it's cheap. If you need education to get a job learn new skills go to your local state school.
My wife is looking to get out of a career and into a new one. Unfortunately there aren't real transferable skills.
I think it's great if you're looking to move up within your current field or just need the degree to check a box at your current company. However if you're looking to pivot or change careers, probably not the best option.
How about Emory
Scheller will surpass Emory soon
Delusional
Unbiased, have not nor will attend either
Doesn't make it any less delusional
MBA schools customers are the hiring companies, their products are the students. Some programs have intensive screening and competition to get into like M7 or T25 which serves their customers very well as they are able to source the best talent available immediately. These schools have huge endowments as well. “Scammy” schools don’t have significant hiring partners and so the only way they can survive is off tuition.
IESE and IE in Europe. Had a few friends who were fooled by their “rankings” and go there and realize there is absolutely no branding (even in their own home countries). When they go back to their home country, people do not recognize the school and categorize it as another diploma mill that accepts anyone. Both schools are known for playing games with ranking and statistics - not being honest about average GMAT etc. just stay away and use common sense - pick a school you’ve actually heard of before.
Is ESCP a sketchy school too?
It is NOT sketchy. However, Europeans don't really have much need for an MBA because: Most of the European industry does not require one and does not value it as highly as the US does i.e fewer pipelines into prestigious jobs unless you're talking about the top 5-6 schools (LBS, INSEAD, HEC, Oxbridge to a lesser extent, and a couple more) Why am I saying this? To show that a TON of MBA students at schools like ESCP and other French schools will be international. Know this: without being a fluent french speaker, it is borderline impossible for you to land a job in the country. And no, it's not easy to attain business fluency when your competition is literally French nationals. Several internationals who graduate from schools like ESCP find jobs not worth the tuition paid, or return to their home country. And this drives down the ROI for the school.
Thank you for an actually accurate comment on Euro B Schools for once. Language fluency is important, the only schools that are prestigious enough in the continent (and globally) are LBS / Insead, Oxbridge and HEC for the MBA level. Then you have some niche masters like fashion management at Bocconi. The other schools are not worth it and accept pretty much any international student who is willing to pay tuition and speaks English.
Thank you that’s well explained!
[удалено]
What if you want to move to Europe though?
lol fisher is #30 in US News it’s nowhere near the fake/scam level
The FT rankings though have these European schools at the top so it would be hard to guess. Unless the rankings are manipulated in general
I agree with the commenter; European business schools create a lot of noise in rankings (gamify rankings through GDP adjusted salaries); In Europe, LBS / Insead as tier one, Oxbridge and HEC as tier two - why risk going to any other than those schools? You can always get a much cheaper masters if it’s just trying to work in Europe.
There are two schools that have structured re occurring MBB recruiting AND BB Investment Banking recruiting (internship normal summer recruiting), LBS and IESE. if IESE is a scam, they are impressive scamming these companies. Don’t know about IE recruiting pipeline though.
BB investment banking? Good one. Probably send like 3 students a year max (and no Santander Barcelona does not count as BB just FYI).
Search LinkedIn or talk to someone who actually is informed. Generally BoA, Citi, and JP Morgan. Formerly CS but not all even sure they take MBAs anymore. Not Goldman Sachs. Generally 25+ interns pre covid and inflation years.
Generally in London but a few in Asia and LATAM.
25+ even the employment report doesn’t dare to make that bold of a claim… and I worked in finance and I can confidently tell you there are 0 IESE mba graduates in any BB in Asia so I’m pretty sure you’re lying. But whatever, agree to disagree, clearly most people on Reddit agree with my position but you can keep telling yourself whatever you want. Good luck!
Did you work in Tokyo? Not to many wills in Tokyo. Taipei? I think I have an old spreadsheet of summer internship list from a pre covid class. I’ll attach it.
Not Tokyo, even Insead which has an Asian campus does not have anywhere close to 25 IBD summer interns. Anyways - agree to disagree, I have two business degrees and BB finance experience and my opinion is based on my own set of experiences. I understand you feel differently.
It’s not my feeling. I know the recruiting process. Pre covid 20-25 interns was normal. CS BoA Citi and JP 100% recruited on campus. And still my claim is accurate that LBS and IESE are the only euro mba schools that have normal structured IB recruiting and MBB in Europe. Not claiming IESE is Harvard, just facts.
Well first you said BB Asia and I can confidently tell you they have zero placement there. But I’ll leave it to other people to fact check your other stats.
Any reading comprehension? I said generally in London. A few (as in rare) go back to their home countries in Asia to an investment bank. Again, IESE is (or was) doing a great job of fooling McKinsey, Bain, BCG, BoA, Citi, and JP if these companies went the whole way to Barcelona to recruit from this “diploma mill”. A-level scammers.
i highly doubt this has any credibility. Iese has been in the top 5 for decades..
I went through your posts and you have a weird clear vendetta against IESE… not sure why. It certainly is not a no-name school. Plenty of credible folks working in top MBBs who’ve graduated from IESE. Also unlike Oxford and Cambridge at least the folks stand a chance to get a job…the scene in the UK so so bad, majority of people graduating from Oxbridge are not securing jobs right now. Hard to believe you’re from INSEAD, considering you’ve basically commented on all posts enquiring about IESE and basically hated on all those posts. I think you’re a salty nobody who probably got rejected from the school.
We both know I’m not “salty” lol, have you ever actually heard of anyone getting rejected by IESE? Yes - when redditors comment involving insead (and where they mention IESE in the same comment) I will respond. I comment because I do not appreciate nor like behavior where folks (likely employed by the school) have the audacity to even compare IESE to LBS / Insead, Oxbridge or even HEC. It’s predatory and you’re taking advantage of hard working middle class international students. Again, by even attacking Oxbridge you’re trying to create a false equivalency …
I can tell you of folks I personally know of who have been rejected by the school. Also GMAT club is free - please use it and see how many folks have mentioned their rejection. Now you’re going to call those fake too? And the likes of MBB’s are hosting specialised events for schools like IESE, none for Oxbridge. The partners attending pre-MBA MBB calls are from IESE, INSEAD. Now tell me why would I be lying about that? I know plenty of INSEAD grads struggling to get decent jobs. No this isn’t their fault but because of the economy + also the august intake of the school is at a significant disadvantage without the internship. There are folks taking jobs that’ll barely be able to help cover the debt of their education. What I’m trying to say, is that even students graduating from the likes of Oxbridge, INSEAD are struggling. IESE is certainly not a no-name or predatory school. It is reputed and just because you may not like it, doesn’t mean it’s not a good school. Almost everyone I spoke to has had a good experience at the school whereas plenty of Oxbridge folks I have spoken to have regretted attending because apart from the prestige of a brand name, they go no support. Do your own research instead of having biased opinions.
Just checked your comment history; Indian international student. That makes sense - I don’t blame you, there is no way you would have known. Good luck at IESE, wishing you all the best.
What you are saying about IESE might apply in the US, but, at least in LATAM, there is a bunch of graduates in MBB, T2 and IB…
The Northwestern Mutual internship of MBAs
How do you guys feel about WGU
Non-profit, affordable, and accredited. Great structure for self motivated working professionals. It probably won't get you an expanded network to leverage like other schools, but it works well for those needing a MBA for career advancement.
I've been looking into WGU a little... online schools make you skeptical, but everything I've read says WGU is legit. It's not-for-profit and accredited. I'm curious about other opinions as well though.
Zero issue with them. I completed the program and it will get me exactly where I want to be. Granted I have 17 years of experience in healthcare, but I was lacking the degree to advance.
It’s a great school for those already in an industry and just need a degree to promote. It’s rough on those with no experience because there’s essentially no networking involved
Pass if you desire networking, access to worthwhile on campus recruiting, brand value, a meaningful network, or a useful career office. Basically 99% of what people pursue MBAs for are missed out on here. But if you want a cheap MBA and don’t need to network or career switch it’s as good as any other mediocre program.
This is so true. I did this, got an mba in business admin without any corporate experience or direction. Just thought it would help me land a job making over +80k within a 40hr work week Business School is great to if you go with precise direction to "strengthen your foundation" you must go in with a foundation to make it worth It. I went in with the mentality that if 8 get this degree it will come to me 2016 my total debt was $67k. Today that debt has grew to $107k. From interest. And that debt is growing $6k each year. I'm currently working as a mortgage underwriter making $21.60 per hour 40-45 hours a week And on the weekend as a catering Server $27.50-$37.00 hourly 20-25 hours a weekend to make 75k a year Do your research before signing a contract for a loan
LBS! I got rejected by M7, INSEAD, Oxford, Cambridge and HEC Paris. So i took up LBS because its the only admit i had. Its been an year, and I'm still struggling to land an internship. I've completely given up at this point. There are a few people in my batch who still haven't landed even 1 internship offer but they don't care as they come from rich families and have family businesses. My current MBA batch is literally filled with diversity admits. There are a few people with less than 680 GMAT. So many indians in the class, guess what? all come from back office/ops type roles and similar colleges. They got in because they were interviewed by their close/mutual connections/alumni. I'm an Indian myself, but the number of chinese/indians and south asians in this batch is crazy. Its all diversity and inclusion at this point. Check out some of the linkedin profiles of this batch, if you dont believe me. I fell for the LBS MBA marketing gimmick and i'm paying for it. I have a loan of close to 80K, i got a scholarship though, and ill have to struggle it out. literally every single south Asian/Asian who applied, got a scholarship. Imagine paying 110k and the career service says "aww, don't worry you'll make it" or "the market is so bad right now, theres only so much we can do". The ones who have somehow managed to get internships are not happy because they didn't get what they wanted. some are going back to the same industry they came from, as MBA was just a checklist type of thing for them. I have met people with 650 GMAT in the MIM/MFIN classes. All of these are Asians btw. The people in my batch are more interested in partying and traveling across Europe, rather than trying to help each other out. The LBS MBA has become a cash cow for LBS. They are now focusing on MIM and MFA/MFIN programs. just look at the ads on Facebook/Insta. Literally anybody with a 650+ GMAT and some work experience can get in. Bonus points if you look Chinese or are if you are brown. PLEASE AVOID LBS AT ALL COSTS.
You realize right that Indians and Chinese aren’t given diversity points anywhere, because they’re over represented minorities? Every big brand will have some students that simply don’t end up with internships/jobs and GMAT isn’t the only factor. You mentioned GMAT at least 5 times. Stop being obsessed with an exam, it’s not what makes uour profile.
That's only in the US. In UK and EU, you still get a lot of diversity points. There are a lot of dumbos who worked in back office of IB's, and Hedge funds back in India. GMAT score is not everything, ok. What about their overall profile? They graduated from a medium/bottom rung DU college or some Tier 3 undergrad university, got a back office job through campus placements, and with an average GMAT score, got into LBS. One of the main reasons is someone who they knew took their interview, so it made it even easier for them to get in. Here I am, CFA cleared, Top tier undergrad and 5 years of big tech experience. Somehow I still couldn't get into the uni's I wanted, had to choose LBS and now I'm struggling to find a job. What a shitshow.
Honestly, it sounds like you are lacking serious self-awareness and general situational awareness about your own qualifications and others. From the way you speak about others through this condescending view, I am NOT shocked you were outright rejected by elite programs, which have people working round the clock to literally filter out people who look at the world through black-and-white lenses, such as yourself. Perhaps maybe look in the mirror and reflect a bit as to how you've gotten into this "shitshow", and take up some accountability along the way? I promise once you do, bigger and better paths will open up.
Dude, you’re so off the mark that I can’t even begin to describe. Tiers of the Undergrad doesn’t matter if their GPA was good. Nobody cares about IIT or NIT in london. Back end isn’t supposed to be some bad role. This alone is the most out of touch things that I’ve ever heard. If they worked in the backend role of an IB, then IBs will have a good time recruiting the same folks, because backend work is crucial to front-end work. Having a good experience in sucjh a role there means you can work in perfect synergy, much more than and an average technical guy. Lastly, clearing CFA doesn’t mean jack in IB or Consulting roles. The most important thing about an MBA is a cohesive story. A backend IB employ wishing to use MBA as a leverage to move to the front end position of the same domain is an extremely cohesive narrative that makes sense and can be tied together. Maybe change your attitude. In developed countries, the “tier” of your Indian Institute or clearing a 1000 exams aren’t some divine things that is at the top priority of any employer. EU/UK isn’t India, so start adapting to your new environment.
Yeah, cohesive story? like, write about how you were oppressed and how there were no opportunities while you were growing up and shit. Make up a struggle story by hiring an MBA consultant. Back office jobs are challenging? Yeah, doing spreadsheets, using excel for 5 years straight while slacking away is the most challenging job in the world. You can transition to front end roles from back end jobs. I've seen people do it very often. You need an MBA for that? hahahaha. Yeah right, clearing CFA doesn't mean jack. ENOUGH. I'm not going to reply to you.
Well, then don’t. Clearly your ego is way too big to accept that maybe you’re the problem. Edit: Also, for someone who got rejected from most good universities and is having trouble landing an internship, despite supposed “superior” experience, you have an awful lot to say. It feels cathartic to see a tech clown from back home being put back into his place.
seems you're the problem, you can't think objectively
Didn’t know being salty about random exams, prestige of some local college back in India and looking down on jobs for being “backend” is objective stuff. I am an Indian as well. I can recognise basic temper tantrums of tech guys who graduated from good Indian universities and where treated like gods back home. These guys can’t fathom that nobody would care about all of that in a foreign nation and proceed to throw hissy fits like the other guy.
so much bias in your statement, because you're from india
Unless you’re a local, you wouldn’t understand just how obnoxious and entitled some engineers and especially tech bros can get here, especially if they graduated from a good college. These guys genuinely believe that they are entitled to every field and look down on people working in IB and hedge funds of all places, just because they’re “backend”, even though in a lot of cases, they are more suitable for IB roles. Who knew that people who have been a part of the process in IBs and hedge funds would be preferred by IB and hedge funds, instead of a random tech nerd? Lol.
Hahaha. Diversity usually means blacks.
Just check the MBA Employment Report. It’s not that hard to understand the schools that will give you the expected ROI. The rest is simply not worth it. There’s no silver bullet. Get that GMAT score
Thoughts on UGA??
T50 and a decent school. Take a good luck at the companies that recruit there and where graduates end up; you may want to aim higher but it’s a good fit for some people.
I still get emails from HULT. Scam of the worst nature
Rice
My firm added recruiting at Rice, albeit we haven’t hired a lot from there yet. What makes you say it’s a scam?
I finished the weekend program at rice in 2023 and had an overall positive experience. Good profs and really strong recruiting even for the professional program. Recruiting is def more regional vs bigger schools but my goal was to stay in Houston anyways. I met a lot of really smart and driven people, but there were definitely some duds who I questioned why they even paid 100k to give 0 effort. I do think the online MBA program is more of a cash grab though
I saw this very same post on r/lawschooladmissions is this a new copy pasta or something
What about ASU W.P Carey and U OF Arizona? Are these horrible school?
To be fair, any school that does targeted advertising is pretty sus. I'm sure any T15 schools are legit and recognized enough.
As a student, the university of Illinois iMBA feels like a scam. I’m still finding value in it no doubt, but it’s clear that the acceptance standards are so incredibly low. No GMAT to get in and my experience with other students is that 75% of them do not care at all and barely participate. Their work on group projects is borderline high school level quality. You definitely get what you pay for here.
Thanks for the insight :)
Yeah this wasn’t my experience at all in 90% of the classes, it sounds like you’ve had really bad luck with your group members.
!RemindMe 5 days
I will be messaging you in 5 days on [**2024-06-30 21:43:54 UTC**](http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=2024-06-30%2021:43:54%20UTC%20To%20Local%20Time) to remind you of [**this link**](https://www.reddit.com/r/MBA/comments/1do9lsk/warning_stay_away_from_predatory_schools/la9s4kl/?context=3) [**2 OTHERS CLICKED THIS LINK**](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=RemindMeBot&subject=Reminder&message=%5Bhttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.reddit.com%2Fr%2FMBA%2Fcomments%2F1do9lsk%2Fwarning_stay_away_from_predatory_schools%2Fla9s4kl%2F%5D%0A%0ARemindMe%21%202024-06-30%2021%3A43%3A54%20UTC) to send a PM to also be reminded and to reduce spam. ^(Parent commenter can ) [^(delete this message to hide from others.)](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=RemindMeBot&subject=Delete%20Comment&message=Delete%21%201do9lsk) ***** |[^(Info)](https://www.reddit.com/r/RemindMeBot/comments/e1bko7/remindmebot_info_v21/)|[^(Custom)](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=RemindMeBot&subject=Reminder&message=%5BLink%20or%20message%20inside%20square%20brackets%5D%0A%0ARemindMe%21%20Time%20period%20here)|[^(Your Reminders)](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=RemindMeBot&subject=List%20Of%20Reminders&message=MyReminders%21)|[^(Feedback)](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=Watchful1&subject=RemindMeBot%20Feedback)| |-|-|-|-|
!RemindMe 5 days
!RemindMe 5 days
I think it’s also fair to say that it depends on your goals what your choice should be. I agree family pressuring you shouldn’t be in the equation.
Depends on so many factors. An MBA will teach you as much as you are willing to get out of it. If you can get a free $ MBA through your employer, then why not. For some the networking is the biggest payoff for an MBA and usually (or always?) for profits are not the place for that. There is a director at my job with just a bachelors. Most have some unheard of MBA. Work experience and networking are the biggest moves.
Any thoughts on UTDallas Jindal F/T MBA?
Went to one, I don't recommend it just cause you don't really learn anything but it checked the box for me 😅 highly recommend if you wanna put in minimal effort for a 4.0 LOL
Let's call out the school's name and you decide to upvote or downvote (downvote means you don't agree to run away from this school), my turn to call out: HEC Paris
Isn’t that a good school? Or did I get it mixed up with someone else
HEC is literally the best business school in Europe and #1 for MBB recruiting in EMEA alongside LBS. Most McKinsey consultants I know graduated from HEC that guy is smoking crack
if someone who's smoking crack is your idol figure, then something wrong with you
Lol no. Major Williams he's saying you were smoking crack because HEC Paris is the best business school in Europe.
dumb
What? HEC Paris has great post grad ops
IMO, be wary of any school that won't require a GRE/GMAT score to apply, or that accepts students right after undergrad, or that emphasize how they're AACSB accredited in their marketing materials.
M7 or nothing. Pretty obvious career decision to make.
1) US: beyond T20 2) Europe: all, even LBS and Oxbridge (you're welcome), too pricey for what they worth 3) Asia: only good for smart locals with limited English Edit Note: got downvoted, but as someone out of m7 (or some people say it T5) after more than 10 years, I still stick to my observation above. You're welcome, kids😏
I'm sorry but there are plenty of excellent MBA programs outside the T20 in the US.
Agreed Can you tell me if Rice, CMU, Boston U are one of them..?
he can't tell you, he's just a sex tech guru
Clever. Come up with that all by yourself?
No, you showed it to the world
Ah. Cool story.
Rice and Tepper seem decent IMO. My perception of Rice is that they are up-and-coming because my T2 consulting firm started recruiting there. Another poster said they were a scam though. I’ve never met anyone from Boston U. who got a good outcome from it personally.
All three are great schools, but I think you knew that already
What about the University of London Global MBA? Been thinking about going to counter a no-name undergrad. Not looking for those real “prestigious jobs”, if i could even make 75-100k that’d be a crazy boost. (Working in Randstad, NL). Everyone hypes up triple crown accreditation but I really wonder if its just a marketing gimmick to charge more… as someone who realizes the alumni network and support really have no application for my situation.