Originally Posted by
Reisen
I have an MBA from Georgetown, and recruited at Fuqua for several years until my firm (a Dow component) stopped recruiting there a few years back. A couple observations.
- I really like Fuqua grads, but the school's career services (that worked with recruiters) needed an upgrade. There were logistical issues that shouldn't happen at a school of that caliber (recruiters missing flights because the school couldn't get them a cab, double-booked interview rooms, wrong sized rooms booked for employer presentations, etc.). I was bummed about that because the students pay a lot of money for access to top firms, and that stuff makes a difference. This was several years ago, so things may be much better now.
- Like most top schools, many of the students will be aiming to go into the "big three" career fields: management consulting, finance (either banking or corporate finance), or brand marketing. I feel like too many MBAs have tunnel vision when it comes to these tracks, and forget stuff like energy, real estate, sales, etc.
- I went full time (and wound up with the company I interned with over the summer). My salary increase from my pre-MBA salary was 50%, although total comp increase was more like 35-40% because I was receiving large performance bonuses at my previous job.
- At least when I went, even top MBA programs were giving relatively large merit scholarships, especially for students with high GMAT scores. I had about half of my tuition covered with scholarships.
- I'm a big fan of full time programs. Truthfully, I enjoyed the MBA experience more than I did my undergrad experience at Duke. I had great classmates, strong profs, and we did a ton of neat activities (consulting projects in South Africa, case competitions at other schools, meals with famous CEOs and political figures, etc.). To me, the cost represented more than just an investment in my career and future earning potential, but buying an experience I would only do once, and really enjoyed.
- I also enjoyed the exposure to top companies. I received interviews with Nike, Sony, Google, 3m, Miller, Coors, Toyota, IBM, Pepsi, Mars, and several other top brands. For many of these companies, MBA recruiting was the primary way to get in.
- That said, a lot of the glory years of MBA recruiting are gone. My firm is in New York, and I often meet Fuqua/Georgetown interns from other NY companies. I don't see many booze-cruises or golf outings for interns anymore, even at firms like Goldman.
- I would say one of the biggest factors in choosing a school is which employers have recruited on-camps there in the past. At least when I attended, schools listed all of that. My FiL teaches at William & Mary's MBA program, and they simply don't get the same recruiters as a school like Darden. Yes, there are plenty of other ways to find your way into a company that doesn't come to campus, but a bunch of top companies sponsoring on-campus events and holding on-campus interviews is generally a good sign the school is doing something right.