Help!! MBA with sociology undergrad??

mackinaw
Wed, 21 Mar 2012 13:36:45 +0000

Basically yes. Good work experience matters far more than your major. My daughter majored in art (product design) and earned a BFA. She had an interesting early career in product and graphic design (mainly as a freelancer) but also in promoting green design industry in an NGO. She had a variety of employers. She spent some time prepping for the GMAT, including taking a couple of refresher math/stats courses. She had no math in college, no economics. But she had an interesting profile, 5 years of work experience, and a clear focus on getting an MBA in order to work in sustainable product development. She did well on her GMAT (720). And voila! She recently graduated from a top 10 MBA program. She’s now employed as a project manager in one of the premier consumer product companies.

I’m not saying this is an exact path to follow. In many ways it’s unique. But it may have some general lessons in it. (1) Your major is largely irrelevant (but probably it’s good to develop your applied math skills); (2) consciously pursue jobs (and networks) that build both your actual skills and your credentials; (3) get a high score on the GMAT; (4) write a set of essays that make a persuasive case for your career path and why you’re a good fit to the MBA schools you apply to.