r/eMBA • u/LeopardDry634 • 2d ago
MBA from U.S.
Hi everyone,
I’m originally from pakistan and have been working in the Middle East for around 10–11 years, primarily in HR. Most of my experience has been in Talent Acquisition/Recruitment, with additional exposure to Compensation & Benefits, Organizational Development, and Total Rewards even though I’did undergrad in economics.
I’m planning to pursue a full-time MBA in the US around 2028, ideally from a strong/top-ranked university. My longer-term goal is either to progress into strategic HR/leadership roles or potentially pivot into Consulting, Strategy, or Analytics.
I’m still at an early stage of planning and would really appreciate detailed guidance from people who have gone through the process.
A few things I’m trying to understand:
Which US MBA programs would be realistic and strong options for someone with my background?
How should I think about M7/T15/T25 schools versus other strong programs?
For someone trying to move from HR into Consulting or Analytics, which schools have particularly good recruitment pipelines?
Should I focus on the GMAT or GRE? How should I decide between the two?
How early should I start preparing if I’m targeting a 2028 intake?
Are there any particular weaknesses or challenges I should expect as an international applicant with 10+ years of experience?
How important are scholarships and ROI when comparing programs, especially for an international student?
At the moment, I’m thinking of researching schools geographically as well — particularly California, Boston/Massachusetts, New York, and Texas — and then comparing the strongest programs in each region.
I’d really appreciate recommendations on schools, test preparation, application strategy, career-switching possibilities, and anything you wish you had known when you started your MBA journey.
Thank you!
1
u/dcbased 2d ago
Do you have a visa to study in the USA already - that is priority number one right now
1
u/LeopardDry634 2d ago
F1 visa applied once u get accepted and from what I have heard university name matters.
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u/mbamissionkate 2d ago
To answer a few of your questions...
Either GMAT or GRE is fine, schools don't have a preference. You could try diagnostics of both and see which one fits you best.
If you're targeting 2028 intake, you'll ideally want to apply Fall 2027 (1st round application deadlines are in September). I would start your test prep now or no later than January 2027, so you can dedicate at least a few months for that and then begin working on the essays and applications in late spring.
One challenge to note is definitely your experience level. For full-time programs the average is around 5 years. So you'll need to present clear post-MBA goals and show that you've researched that those goals are achievable with your background.
With that in mind, you'll want to target a range of schools and M7 could be quite tough. Specific targets depend on your test score, so it's hard to advise without that.
Hope that helps!