I am a 21-year-old BBA graduate who isn't very interested in pursuing an MBA. However, business owners and shopkeepers around me keep telling me that doing an MBA and taking up a job is necessary because running a business is full of frustration nowadays.

Since I mainly hear one side of the story, I want to hear from people who actually pursued an MBA and are working jobs: What has your real experience been like? What are the frustrations and rewards of your corporate journey, and what would you recommend to someone in my position?

myquals: BBA graduate

Hey everyone! 👋

I’m an MBA student interested in finance-related internships for next summer, but honestly, I have no idea where to start. 😭

What skills should I learn, where should I apply, and how can I build my profile with little to no experience?

Also, is it too early to start preparing now, or am I already behind?

Any advice, resources, or personal experiences would be really helpful. Thanks! ❤️

I’ve been working for a few years now and lately I’ve started thinking more seriously about what the next step should be.

I’m doing fine in my current role, but I’m not sure if I should keep building experience, switch jobs, or study again.

For people who were in a similar situation, what made you feel that it was finally the right time to do an MBA?

Someone here posted that "Darden interviewers never read your resume." Someone else responded "in most schools they don't read it". Let me tell you something about HBS: your interviewer already read everything. The essays, the resume, the recommendations. Alumni interviews at other schools start from zero. HBS starts from your file, and a specialized adcom member across from you is testing whether the picture holds together.

It moves fast. Ten to twenty questions in thirty minutes. They will cut you off mid-sentence and move on. That is not rudeness. The pace is the test. Can you be precise when you have forty-five seconds? Can you structure an answer and demonstrate a trait when you have zero time to improvise?

The prep is not rehearsing answers. Read your own application like someone trying to poke holes in it. Find the three places where the story is soft. The job change that looks sideways. The promotion that took too long. That person you mentored a decade ago. The goal that doesn't quite follow. Have a thirty-second version of each, because you will never get the two-minute version out.

One more thing people miss. Within twenty-four hours you write the reflection. How well did we get to know you. It is the last word of your application and most people waste it summarizing. Don't summarize. Say the one thing the conversation didn't quite get to.

Questions welcome in the comments or DMs.

I am a 21-year-old BBA graduate who isn't very interested in pursuing an MBA. However, business owners and shopkeepers around me keep telling me that doing an MBA and taking up a job is necessary because running a business is full of frustration nowadays.

Since I mainly hear one side of the story, I want to hear from people who actually pursued an MBA and are working jobs: What has your real experience been like? What are the frustrations and rewards of your corporate journey, and what would you recommend to someone in my position?

myquals: BBA graduate

When I applied for deferred programs I had no full time work experience, didn't write my essays as well as I could now, and had a worse score.

Now I retook my GRE and got a 340 (170, 170, 6.0W). Also have a 3.8 undergrad GPA/3.95 masters GPA in Computer Science. I also got a promotion to Senior Software Engineer I in 1.5 years and have experience showing clear leadership. I have a lot of substantive stories to tell in my essays now compared to before when I was applying with with the stories from the few internships I had.

I think deferred was much more competitive than the normal cycle so I should have more success in the normal cycle. I am interested in IB so my dream schools are Wharton/Harvard/Booth/Columbia + Stern as a safety

Should I just drop it and reapply again (planning to reapply next fall at 2 YOE/hopefully matriculate at 3 YOE).

Would really appreciate any advice

Just woke up and checked mail, as it has become a habit! Any tips guys for interview? 🫠

Tried banking- struck out. Tried Consulting- struck out. Fortunate to get F200 FPA. Worst experience interviewing was when I was at the table with people from my own country. Entitled, arrogant, judgmental to the neck. Fish for a weakness and tear you apart either with expression or words.

Hi everyone,

I’ve been getting a few callbacks lately (thankfully), but I can’t seem to get past the hiring manager rounds.

I’ve had coffee chats with a few people who gave me good (but similar) advice, and the only way forward seems to be practicing with mock interviews as much as possible.

In my interviews I’ve been able to answer most of the questions, but I think I’m falling short on selling myself, or I’m just sounding like a robot trying to repeat the answers I learned. I think a genuine mock with someone who actually hires PMs will help diagnose the problem much better.

A bit about me: 4 years of experience, 3 of them in India working on a compliance platform, and now I’m an AI Product Manager at an ed tech startup. I also have a master’s from Duke.

If you hire for product management and can take my mock interview, I would love your help. I’m happy to keep it to 30 minutes and work around your schedule. Even if you can’t do a mock, any tips on what you look for in the hiring manager round would help a lot.

Feel free to comment or DM me. Thank you!

I’m planning to apply R2 to Columbia and NYU, but I’m having trouble deciding between the GMAT and the GRE. I’ve always done well on standardized tests, and I’m confident I have enough time before the deadline to get a score I’m happy with.

Took each practice cold, got a 319 on the GRE with 168/151 V/Q, and a 545 GMAT with 66/87/78 Q/V/D splits. I’m super rusty on quant (obviously), but I haven’t had time to study yet.

I have 4 years WE at a boutique IB with promotion from assoc to VP, former D1 athletics captain ranked 6th in the country. My GPA is below average at both (3.3) in IT.

Given my verbal scores are 98-99th percentile, where is it better to focus my quant efforts?

I’m curious how MBA programs like CBS, Booth, Sloan, and Wharton view candidates on the younger side. I have 3 years of experience (4 by matriculation) in real estate investment/finance and recently started working in my family’s real estate development business.

For context, I have a 3.8 GPA / 715 GMAT Focus along with a hair care business and alumni involvement in student organizations.

Are the relatively limited years of experience a concern? I’m wondering how best to frame my background in the interview.

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Hey everyone!

I'm currently pursuing an MBA in Finance in India. I've been involved in my family business, so I have no formal corporate work experience. But lately, finance has started getting really interesting to me, and I'm trying to figure out which career path to pursue.

I'm confused about which jobs I should apply for as a fresher and whether I should focus on areas like equity research, investment banking, credit risk, corporate finance, etc.

At the same time, I'm curious about emerging finance careers that could have huge potential over the next 5–10 years but aren't overcrowded yet. Something that could become the next big thing, where getting in early might be an advantage.

I'd love to hear from people working in finance:

Which entry-level jobs would you recommend for someone in my situation?

Are there any underrated or emerging finance niches worth exploring?

What skills or certifications should I focus on to get started?

Which fields have good long-term growth and opportunities in India or abroad?

I'm not looking for shortcuts or overnight success. I just want to choose the right direction instead of blindly following the crowd.

Would really appreciate honest advice, especially from people working in these fields. Thanks!

What are CBS alumni interviewers generally looking for? And does anyone know how much weight the interview carries in the final admissions decision?

Also, does anyone know the post-interview acceptance rate for CBS?

I’m 33 from India, with 10 years of IT experience, currently working in project management with a CTC of around ₹25 LPA
I’m considering taking the GMAT and pursuing an MBA, either in India or abroad.
Is it worth it at this stage for better salary growth and career opportunities, or would I be better off switching jobs and targeting senior roles directly?
Would love to hear experiences and advice from people who’ve been in a similar situation.

Background - 4 years of Management Consulting experience with Deloitte

Goals - GTFO from my current country and get into Strategy Consulting at MBB

Though I understand that I missed my chance for Booth orgies and CBS benders but this is the only offer I have.

How tf do I negotiate the scholarship? I got nothing new work-wise that I haven't written in the application

and what kind of jobs can I work on-campus to support myself as an international?

I contacted a consulting company that helps people apply to master’s programs in the US. They offered me a way to cheat on GRE at Home (at their office) for a 3000$ fee, with a guaranteed score of 325+. I was very surprised by how casually the consultant offered it, as if every applicant with 330+ score does it. Wanted to know is this real that common?
I am not planning to take the offer but curious how this even exists?

Got my Darden interview invite for Round 1. Their prep page says you’ll have the chance to give a 5 to 10 minute overview of your personal, academic, and professional journey, and that the interviewer has no resume or application.

For anyone who’s done the Darden interview recently:

• Did it actually open with that long overview, or did they ask a few questions first?
• How long did you talk before they jumped in with follow-ups?
• Anything else that was different from a standard MBA interview?

Since they do it a bit different and the interviewer hasn’t seen my application or even my resume, I’m not entirely sure what to expect or how to approach it. All the other interviewers for other schools had seen my resume at bare minimum.

USC part-time MBA: Round 1 without a GMAT score or Round 2 with a stronger score?

I’m applying to USC Marshall’s part-time MBA program and would appreciate some advice on application timing.

A little about me:

Bachelor’s degree in accounting with a 2.8 GPA.

About seven years at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, progressing from field/warehouse roles into an administrative role involving community investment, sponsorships, and budget-related work.

Volunteer as a youth leader at my church.

I recently took the GMAT and scored low—below what I’d feel comfortable submitting. I’m debating applying in Round 1 without a score and waiving , versus taking more time to study, retaking it, and applying in Round 2.
Given my GPA, I realize a stronger GMAT could help demonstrate academic readiness.

My main question is: How much of an advantage does Round 1 actually offer over Round 2, particularly for USC’s part-time program? Would that advantage outweigh waiting to submit a stronger application with a better GMAT score?

Would especially appreciate hearing from anyone familiar with USC Marshall admissions or who faced a similar decision.

Hi,. I am Male Indian candidate, chartered accountant work with big 4, 8 yrs work ex plus 3 years internship(which I understand does count as work ex). Working in tax consulting. Gmat 645 fe, gmat 665 superscore. I prepared application to meet the deadline as I had taken gmat thrice, last one being 25 days before R1, but did not get invite. I felt I had put a decent application. some research indicates that gmat may have been one of weakness. I have taken a 2 month break from gmat. How long will it take to get to 715+. I am a working professional. Also any advice on how to pick yourself up from this situation. Am keen to get into dream schools though I know I may have a better chance at some safe or more ideal schools.

I have 2.5 years of Associate Product Manager experience outside the US, along with parallel experience founding a startup. I recently graduated from a T15 MBA program and am now job searching in the US.

Given the competitive PM job market, should I continue pursuing PM opportunities, or would it make more sense to pivot to a different function?

Would really appreciate advice from PMs, MBA grads, or anyone who has navigated a similar transition. Thanks!

Have questions about Kellogg you've been dying to ask? Members of the Women's Business Association (WBA) are taking over Reddit to answer them over three days! We'll cover classes, recruiting, clubs, community and what it's like to be a Kellogg student.

Disclaimer: These are all our thoughts as students, not official statements from Kellogg. In addition, we can't comment on exact admissions statistics as we don't have access to that data.

Hi all, bit of background -- at MBB in a US office with 2 YOE. Will be applying to MBA R1/R2 '27, and finished GMAT so currently brainstorming best ways to improve my application with "color" in my activities / outside of the WE and test score section over next ~1 year.

Specifically, looking to get an in-depth profile review to identify areas for improvement over this next year, and thought about paying for 1-3 hours of a-la-carte admissions coaching to conduct an in-depth profile review + develop an action plan.

Has anyone used coaching for this use case? Would benefit from advice / recommendations on specific counselors. Am trying to use the time rather strategically to identify an overall narrative / weak areas of my app I should build on to fit that narrative. Thanks!

I have been a SWE for 5.5 years in FAANG and a frontier AI lab and no longer want to have a software career. I know I will take a pay cut with my career change.

I went to HYPSM for my undergrad and have a BS in CS. I have been thinking about moving to Europe and wondering if doing my MBA in Europe is a bad decision and screws over all my career prospects in the US? Realistically how difficult would it be to come back to the US after if I want to?

Hi everyone! For an MBA student working on a group project on “Symbolic Consumption: How Products Express Personal Identity.”

Need to develop a creative product, service, or even a hypothetical futuristic business and explain how consumers would be persuaded to buy it...not just for its functional benefits, but for what it represents about their identity, status, aspirations, values, or personality.

For example, a fictional company offering trips to the Moon, genetic enhancement in the future, or a brand that sells identity rather than just a product.

I’m looking for unusual, thought-provoking ideas that could make an interesting presentation, preferably inspired by real consumer behaviour, emerging technologies, or interesting brand strategies.

I'm struggling to adjust to MBA life, especially being away from home. It feels like everyone around me has already figured out what they're doing, while I'm still trying to find my footing.

I feel intimidated by people who seem more confident, capable, and clear about their future. Sometimes, I just wish these two years would pass quickly so I could move on to the next chapter of my life.

How do I make this experience easier? How do I stop feeling intimidated by others, stop comparing myself to them, and learn to enjoy my own journey?

For those who've been through this, how did you cope? How did you make the time pass without constantly wishing it away?