<p>Having gone through a rigorous engineering program, I know how tough it is to get a great job in the business world with a sub-3.5 GPA.</p>
<p>Is this the same deal for MBAs? I’m speaking on hypothetical terms here. But say Chicago GSB (Full Cost) vs. Penn State Smeal (with money and low tuition cost), is it better to be the top 10% at Smeal or the bottom 10% at Chicago? in terms of recruitment.</p>
<p>Chicago GSB has grade non-disclosure so companies/firms that recruit on campus cannot/will not know what your GPA is. It’s one of the benefits that only a top school can pull off…</p>
<p>Starting salaries of MBA graduates on average decrease as the ranking of the business school decreases.
If you are able to get into a top ranked business school,it’s not the time to pinch pennies.
GPA’s from graduate business schools are important mainly in ibanking and consulting. Wharton also has non-grade disclosure policy.</p>
<p>I agree with cbreeze. Go to the best ranked school you can and forget about the cost.</p>
<p>Definitely go to the better ranked school. It is far more important than in undergrad.</p>
<p>Wait is this purely a hypothetical, or have you been admitted to both places?</p>
<p>Employers will not know you are in the bottom 10% (if you are) at UChicago vs they WILL know that you are at Penn St vs UChicago. Much of this comes down to what you hope to do. For investment banking, stategy consulting, investment management, hedge funds, private equity, the difference between UChicago and Penn St is immense and the difference between relatively easily being able to get a job vs unlikely to get a job at all. For careers in finance/marketing at Fortune 500 companies, the difference of the value-added of UChicago over Penn St is not nearly as pronounced.</p>
<p>Due to grade inflation, don’t assume that going to a Penn State will afford you a better GPA than Chicago. There is a reason for the term “Harvard Curve”. In fact, I would conjecture that the average GPA for the MBA students at both schools lies between 3.45-3.65, possibly slightly higher at Chicago and slightly lower at Smeal.</p>