Top MBA: questions on how to move forward : Ask mbaMission

Hello!

I would appreciate a few thoughts and advice on how I should move forward with regards to getting an MBA from H/W/S/C:

Profile:
- GMAT 750 (able to retake, confident I can score 760+)
- Currently at Tier2 Strategy Consultancy in a European office at junior level - joined 1.5 years ago and will most likely get my first promotion in January next year
- Previously 1 year at another Tier2 Consultancy in a European office
- Engineering undergrad in Europe and Masters degree at top 3 university in USA (think of Harvard, Stanford, MIT, Columbia)
- Extracurriculars (incl. leadership positions) existing, international experience abound
- White male, however second generation immigrant in the country I grew up

Concerns:
- Whether I really need an MBA - I only consider to leverage it either for a transition to MBB (ideally in USA) or investment banking, however for the former I think I can re-apply in European offices after promotion and for the latter I am not sure if an MBA (even if I take finance classes) will be sufficient for interviews given my lack of background and internships in finance (though I have mostly done CDD projects for PE's). I would also need a working visa if I want to work in the States.
- I applied in the past to all top programs and got rejected by all except Yale SOM where I was interviewed and waitlisted - most likely due to little work experience, it would have been 22 months by the time of starting the MBA back then. Concern is that past rejections might be held against me.
- Whether I should apply now or next year - I lean towards next year since I will likely have the promotion in my CV, however I will be 30 (with 5 years work experience) by the time I start and that might be too old.
- How to navigate references without the partners finding out - last year I thought of going to law school and prepared for LSAT in parallel with my job, when I told the office lead about it they were pretty upset and told me that if I decided to apply for Law School I would be let go (they did not want to negotiate about an educational leave, since they pretty much took it as a clear sign that I do not want to do consulting anymore). Now I am scared they will react similarly if I ask about an MBA leave even if I say that I will continue with the firm after the MBA, thus I need to be certain about confidentiality on my potential referees' end.
- My office has never sponsored an MBA before and will likely not do it in my case, thus financing will be an issue (especially since I am not a US citizen).

Questions:
- Should I do an MBA?
- If so, when should I apply?
- Should I openly discuss this opportunity with my employer?
- Is it common that non US citizens do a top US MBA without employer sponsorship? If so, how do they finance it?

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Hi there! Thanks for reaching out to us with your profile. Great GMAT score!
See below in-line with your questions for my responses.
Let us know if we can help with anything further!
Thanks,
Kate

MBAFetish wrote:Hello!

I would appreciate a few thoughts and advice on how I should move forward with regards to getting an MBA from H/W/S/C:

Profile:
- GMAT 750 (able to retake, confident I can score 760+)
- Currently at Tier2 Strategy Consultancy in a European office at junior level - joined 1.5 years ago and will most likely get my first promotion in January next year
- Previously 1 year at another Tier2 Consultancy in a European office
- Engineering undergrad in Europe and Masters degree at top 3 university in USA (think of Harvard, Stanford, MIT, Columbia)
- Extracurriculars (incl. leadership positions) existing, international experience abound
- White male, however second generation immigrant in the country I grew up

Concerns:
- Whether I really need an MBA - I only consider to leverage it either for a transition to MBB (ideally in USA) or investment banking, however for the former I think I can re-apply in European offices after promotion and for the latter I am not sure if an MBA (even if I take finance classes) will be sufficient for interviews given my lack of background and internships in finance (though I have mostly done CDD projects for PE's). I would also need a working visa if I want to work in the States.
- I applied in the past to all top programs and got rejected by all except Yale SOM where I was interviewed and waitlisted - most likely due to little work experience, it would have been 22 months by the time of starting the MBA back then. Concern is that past rejections might be held against me. Absolutely not - schools are open to and even encouraging of reapplicants. 22 months would have been short, so I think applying with more experience will definitely improve your odds.
- Whether I should apply now or next year - I lean towards next year since I will likely have the promotion in my CV, however I will be 30 (with 5 years work experience) by the time I start and that might be too old.
- How to navigate references without the partners finding out - last year I thought of going to law school and prepared for LSAT in parallel with my job, when I told the office lead about it they were pretty upset and told me that if I decided to apply for Law School I would be let go (they did not want to negotiate about an educational leave, since they pretty much took it as a clear sign that I do not want to do consulting anymore). Now I am scared they will react similarly if I ask about an MBA leave even if I say that I will continue with the firm after the MBA, thus I need to be certain about confidentiality on my potential referees' end.
- My office has never sponsored an MBA before and will likely not do it in my case, thus financing will be an issue (especially since I am not a US citizen).

Questions:
- Should I do an MBA? You could definitely use the MBA to switch to an MBB firm (though I agree that seems possible without an MBA) and also you could switch into banking, even without much finance background. Have seen engineers and those from other sectors land internships in banking. Aside from the immediate career switch benefits, think about whether an MBA will benefit your career long-term (bigger network, more options, credibility) and also what you'll gain from the personal experience of going back to school.
- If so, when should I apply? If you're targeting these top schools, I lean towards more experience as well. The promotion will look good and 5-6 years work experience is ideal (it's not about your age, but about your work experience)
- Should I openly discuss this opportunity with my employer? That is tricky! Most schools prefer your current supervisor to write one of your letters, but this isn't a requirement. If you can't ask, then just be sure to explain. Trust your instinct here. Is there someone below the partner level you trust to write one? The recommender's title/level doesn't matter as much as how well they know you.
- Is it common that non US citizens do a top US MBA without employer sponsorship? If so, how do they finance it? Yes, I think that's quite common. Usually some combination of merit or need-based scholarship from the school, personal/family savings, and loans (which are more readily available if you have someone in the US who can co-sign).

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