If undergraduate university does not matter, why am I being disregarded and overlooked in the job field and MBA admissions process?

Before test scores or undergraduate college, MBA programs look at prior work experience. Note that an MBA is unlike other degree programs as it pairs academic learning with prior knowledge from previous work.

It is quite difficult and inadvisable to get admission to a top MBA program without at least a couple of years of work experience. Business schools look to build class cohorts that consist of students with varied backgrounds and skills. This allows everyone to draw from real professional experiences in classroom discussions and group projects. The few students who lack such experience -- in business or any other field -- tend not to have anything relevant to contribute.

Thus, I would strongly suggest you look for a long full-time job to follow your college graduation. This will help you sharpen your areas of interests and allow you to build a better profile for your MBA application. Moreover, it will make you a better candidate for full-time jobs after completing your graduate degree. Employers generally look for mature candidates with prior experience when recruiting from MBA programs.

Very interesting question. For starters, it is very difficult to know the true process of the admission's office on how they accept students. I remember I was told when applying for grad school that if it is a school that I am interested in and I meet at least the minimum requirements (as long as I had the funds for the admission fee) I should go ahead and apply. In terms of why they are disregarding you, I will say that it is NOT because of your GPA nor what university you came from. If you are pursuing to get an MBA then what you are missing is test results! So either the GRE or the GMAT. I would argue that one of the most important things in getting a higher education like an MBA is your test score. You need to see what the requirements are for the admission whether they only accept the GMAT, or do they accept the GRE and/or the LSAT. When I was studying for the GRE, I was told that the GMAT is harder and the system of the exam can be stressful. So take the time to research and see what your desired program requires.

The reason for such a test is to see if you are ready for the work in getting a higher education. They want to see how ready you are. And again, there is no certainty on how they fill their pool of admissions so let's say you took the GMAT twice and you send your scores, they might take the average of the two scores and regard your GPA or specific classes you take into consideration.

The second most important thing is your letter of admission. You need to put your own true self into the letter. Show your drive, your uniqueness, skills, and ambitions. You have to show that you took the time to research that program/school and let the admission's officers know that you chose that school because it fits your needs.

To sum up, you should not be worried about your GPA or where you attended, look into preparing for either the GMAT or GRE if the MBA program you are seeking requires it. And take the time to really plan and research before making your final decision. Good luck and I hope this answers your question!

I think Justin (above) hits the nail on the head here. For an MBA, most highly regarded programs will only consider you if you have a minimum of 2-3 years of work experience. As he mentions, this is because you need real life experience to add value/perspective to your classes and discussions.

While I didn't serve on the admissions committee of my program, I know several people who did, and undergrad school and GPA were not at the top of the list of things they looked at. I would almost say they are more of bars to clear in the sense that if you have a really low GPA -- that's a red flag (can be overcome)-- or if your undergrad school is particularly out of step with the caliber of MBA program, they may give more scrutiny, but doubtful they would pass you over because of your undergrad school if you have a good GPA, high GMAT scores and work experience that adds value.

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As for job market after college, the number one piece of advice I can give to you is network. Applying for jobs over the internet is necessary, but it's always better if you have spoken to someone that works at the company who can either refer you or point you in the right direction of someone in HR.

Great Question!

I would suggest you to think about MBA application as a complete package and not as a single make or break factor led process. There are three major areas, an applicant generally gets measured on : Academic, Professional, and Extra Curricular. Academic is your high school, bachelor degree, and other educational qualifications. Professional is your current and past work experience. Extra Curricular are the various activities you have been involved over a period of time.

While Graduating from a top university strengthens applicant's profile, graduating from low-key university necessarily does not weaken, if the applicant can justify the reason or shows promise to improve. In the academic bucket, if you get a good GMAT score, they will be satisfied that you are efficient to complete the course. That's all thy want to know from this bucket that you will not bring class IQ level down and that you have something to contribute. I myself is from a low-key undergrad institution, however, my GMAT score and other academic achievement helped me to convince a few top schools in US and EU of my aptitude.

Think of MBA application as your life story. You want to talk about your past, your current, and your future. However, Why you think it is hard to reach your dreams, and how MBA can assist and prepare you to reach there quicker and smarter. It is not so much about any one factor, but how different factors come together to tell a story that has MBA as a critical part of it.

Rather than worrying about your past, reach out to schools you wanna apply and ask if you can take some course t further strengthen your academic qualifications.