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I've become an avid lurker on this site as I gather info to transition into the next phase of life. My current situation is this. I am an AA, 25 yrs young, with a bachelors degree in Business Admin (Marketing Concentration) from Florida A&M University (I know, not the most prestigious of institutions). I kind of coasted and finished slightly under a 3.0. Even though I did not finish with the greatest of marks, I tend to think I am pretty bright.
I've owned my own online vintage boutique in headquartered in Tallahassee, Florida for about a year after graduation. At the same time, I was working a bad Concierge/Marketing Rep job. The boutique was a hit with the college kids but I had grown increasingly tired of Tallahassee, its horrible job market and the Frat/Sorority surroundings (I do love me some FSU football though). Things were going pretty well and all with the biz, but I moved back to good ol' Madison, Mississippi to regroup and save a little.
Sorry for the drawn out synopsis of life but here's my question. I am making studying International Business my meal ticket. Right now Brazil is my target market, as I know they are on the upswing. Right now Howard University and Florida International are my two best bets and here are my motives:
Howard U is located in one of the top three multinational areas in the world. It may not be Ivy League (or even close) but being that close to everything has to have built in advantages. Howard is supposedly has a pretty decent school of business and is thought of as one of the top institutions for placement of minorities after graduation.
FIU gets some recognition as a top International MBA program and being in S. Fla is basically "Little South America". I know they have to have a good amount of connections to Brazil and many other Latin countries. The problem with them is that they have plenty of former MBA alums in that market with no job.
I took a few international business courses in Barcelona for a summer term and I would like to continue to become acclimated to living and conducting business abroad while completing the MBA Program.
I am open to any advice regarding the decision, even if you suggest another school or course of action.
Thanks and sorry if I may seem long winded
Last edited by toobusytoday; 06-26-2011 at 01:38 PM..
Reason: edited curse word
FIU gets some recognition as a top International MBA program and being in S. Fla is basically "Little South America". I know they have to have a good amount of connections to Brazil and many other Latin countries. The problem with them is that they have plenty of former MBA alums in that market with no job.
consider the fact that FIU is cheaper. If the school isn't ranked in the top 10 or 20, cost should definately become a factor if you intend on paying for it with loans.
Tough call. A GPA under 3.0 may be a tough obstacle for admission....even to middle tier MBA programs. Are your GMATs strong?
I would say "none of the above"; although I sort of lean towards FIU. If you really want to focus on the D.C. area, there are many other MBA programs in that region.
When you say "under 3.0" how far under? A 2.8 or 2.9 usually won't keep you out of middle-tier programs if you get at least an average GMAT score and have other strong parts of your application. A 2.5 or lower, for example can definitely make things harder for you.
Have you taken the GMAT yet? If so, how'd you do? My concern with your work history is that you really have no one to give you a strong work related recommendation. Glowing reference letters from current and former supervisors can be a big help when you don't have the strongest undergrad GPA or GMAT scores.
I agree with prior posters that you should definitely consider tuition cost if you're not going to a top 20 school. As a potential MBA, you definitely need to think about ROI (return on investment). Put more simply, paying tuition to get an MBA is an investment in your future (and future earnings), so you want that investment to pay off as soon as possible.
To clarify, my GPA was a 2.8 and my GMAT score was 580. I'm retaking the test soon for a better score. Even though I thoroughly hated the last job I had, the General Manager did give a glowing recommendation letter.
I targeted those two schools but if there are better schools in large markets accepting students with my specs, then I'm all for it.
I am making studying International Business my meal ticket. Right now Brazil is my target market, as I know they are on the upswing.
So are you hoping to get a job with a Brazilian company? Or a job with an American company that does business in Brazil? Are you at least fluent in Spanish? What exactly would you be trying to do for them?
I've been in the corporate world for seven years, and I've done an MBA at a decent school. I've gone from pharmaceuticals to aircraft manufacturing to now high-tech software/internet (with an MBA internship in fast food). My experience has been that it's not good to try to pigeonhole yourself too narrowly into business programs that are like "International Food Science Management with an Emphasis on HR Change Management" - particularly if you're coming at it with sub-par academic credentials and experience. The truth is that you're not an expert in anything when you come out of an MBA program, and nobody considers you as such. These days, you'll be happy just to find a job with a stable company somewhere - international or not. And you'll gain experience in your job and eventually develop expertise and naturally lead your career into specialization that way. The only specialization I did was functional specialization - i.e., I studied corporate finance. And even that can still leave the door open to other career areas within a corporation, once you get your foot in the door.
That's at least the way I've seen it work. But if you really want to go for this, then do it - but have a solid, credible, thought-through story to tell in interviews.
To clarify, my GPA was a 2.8 and my GMAT score was 580. I'm retaking the test soon for a better score. Even though I thoroughly hated the last job I had, the General Manager did give a glowing recommendation letter.
That score may be good enough. FIU has a minimum GMAT requirement of 500; and 3.0 GPA in upper division coursework.
Personally, I'm not a fan of taking the GMAT multiple times. It's a lot of money and the point of it is just to get in (unless you are hoping for a fellowship or something).
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