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B-School: Is Anything But Ivy a Waste of Your Time?
By Luke Visconti
October 12, 2007
In Do You Need an Ivy League MBA to Succeed? the White Guy says some companies' overemphasis on Ivy League brands devalues the perceived worth of an MBA. This is a reality with which people of lesser economic means--or connections--must contend, but an MBA from a "decent institution" can elevate your career to the next level. A reader disagrees. How does the White Guy respond?
Here's what she said:
While I respect Mr. Visconti's answer to the "MBA" question and believe there is some value in the original poster's pursuit of Visconti's suggestions, I'm going to give it to you real ...
For anyone out there (especially diverse professionals), do NOT attend a school outside of the top 30 programs ... it's a waste of your time, effort and money--sorry. Now, this comment is aimed at those who want to "significantly" advance their careers. I define "significantly" as being slated (and given those "stretch" opportunities) to be on the slate for upper-management or leadership positions.
To qualify this, I'll give my background: CPA, 7+ years [of] professional experience before B-school, top 30 MBA (finance), and I currently am part of the Black MBA (finance) recruiting team for my Fortune 500 company. Believe me, a school's ranking has a lot to do with the quality of its curriculum and thus its "product"--YOU!
For kicks, I'll share my "worst" recruiting answer from this year's Black MBA conference: I asked a prospective MBA 2008 graduate to explain the concept of NPV. Her response: "What?" Come on ... how could any prospective MBA finance grad get through the total finance curriculum and not at least understand the question ... this isn't my only experience with folks who have attended third-tier or non-ranked MBA programs.
Other advice for the poster: What about your current employer giving you an educational leave and sponsoring (financially supporting) your MBA program such that you could go full time? There are also "quality" part-time programs. Best of luck.
--Angela Hicks
The White Guy's Response:
I agree with much of your e-mail, especially when you define "significantly" as being slated for upper management. However, in my opinion, most people simply want to get from a $60K plateau to $120K. An MBA from a decent (but not top-tier) school can help that happen.
This is not to say that you are incorrect in your assertion that some lower ranked or unranked schools do not produce graduates with an acceptable level of knowledge in their chosen field. Just because a curriculum matches up in course description doesn't mean that the quality is commensurate (or the emphasis on academic accomplishment is). In essence, you are buying a product when you pay tuition. Buyer beware.
However, the problem for companies solely relying on top-ranked schools is that they tend to segregate by socioeconomic level. Given the fact that people of color are attaining high-school, undergraduate and postgraduate degrees faster than their growth in the population, I think companies will find the best combination of quality and drive in schools that may not have been considered traditionally "top-tier."
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