| Topic Name: |
Ode to all the 'arrogant' ivy league idiots |
| Message Name: |
JD/MBA thanks for the advice |
| Date Posted: |
08/19/1999 |
| In Reply To: |
I am a JD/MBA who currently works as an associate a one of the top two I-banks. I went to a state school for undergrad (graduated with a 3.9), worked two years as a CPA, got a a 720 GMAT and a 164 LSAT and got into all of the top MBA programs (Harvard, Wharton, Stanford) and almost all of the top law schools outside of the top 3 (Yale, Harvard, Stanford).
Here is my advice to you. A JD/MBA is extremely marketable as it gives you an advantage over your classmates at business school who just are getting an MBA. It gives you a solid chance of entry into I-banking, private equity, LBO, consulting, and venture capital. Most top MBA schools have grade nondisclosure policies, which means that many MBA candidates look alike. Thus extra credentials are a must.
MBA advice: I have a friend who had the same exact credentials as mine (GPA from same school, GMAT, work experience) and he did not get into any top 10 MBA schools. The reason is that the application must be very solid. You should spend inordinate amounts of time making sure your essays and recommendations paint a strong picture of what you have done, what you want to do and how an MBA will help you to do it. As far as going to MBA schools, Harvard, Stanford, and Wharton are vastly superior to all others in the mind of recruiters. Chicago, Columbia, Kellog, and MIT and considered the next tier. After that, you are really losing the recruiting advantage by going anywhere else. Even at top schools, you need extra credentials to differentiate yourself from classmates.
Law Advice: It will be hard for you to get into a top law school because GPA and LSAT mean everything. You need to be very high in both to get to a top school. A 3.5 from a state school is not competitive for a top school even if your LSAT is out of this world.
Once you get to law school, grades mean everything. Firms seem to care about nothing other than grades. Consequently, the top students get offers everywhere and the rest struggle but end up getting good jobs. The tier structure in law school is not as pronounced as in business school because the firms hire at all of the top 14 schools. Harvard, Yale, and Stanford are the elite schools. Columbia, Chicago, UC-Berkeley, and Michigan are right behind them. Finally, Virginia, UPenn, Georgetown, NYU, Cornell, Northwestern, and Duke are all also considered top schools.
Any one of these schools will get you to any of the top firms if your grades are solid. You are better off kicking ass at Penn or Duke than graduating bottom 1/3 of the class at Harvard or Stanford. Yale is only for true geniuses and grads get whatever jobs they want!!
Good luck!!!! |
| Message: |
I just wanted to thank you for your advice regarding the JD/MBA. Everything thing you said was true. I guess now my burning question is what type of work experience will help me get into Harvard. I hear so much that work experience is the key (of course behind GPA and LSAT/GMAT). The thing is that I would love to go through an analyst training program for 2 or 3 years before grad school, but my chances are slim. In your opinion, what would be a wise career choice upon graduation? Accounting, commercial banking, I am just not sure what is the best path to take. Would you reccomend getting a CPA, CFA, or CMA? I know what my long term goals are, but just don't know the best way to get there. Thanks again for your advice.
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