[轉貼] Top MBA: Myth making alumni -- From BW MBA Forum

[william]

All:

I graduated from an MBA a few years ago ranked in the top 10 in most rankings. When I graduated, I landed a job paying 150K base on my own, without the help of my career center. Prior to my MBA, I made 60K in a different career, so I guess you could say my time in school was a success.

I didnt think much about this until recently when I met a graduate of a no-name state school recently that I interviewed for a post-MBA job - he blew me away with his knowledge of finance, statistics, and modeling (I had him show me a student project he did in a 3rd round interview) In my opinion this individual knew 10 times more than students that graduated from my MBA. And, this isnt the first time I have noticed quality issues from some 'top' MBA programs.

(Note: I am not knocking opportunity to network and BRAND of top schools, I am asking about what you actually LEARN on those programs based on my experience in one)

However, there were a lot of issues I think people on these boards need to consider:

1) My career service center constantly tried to talk me out of my desired career change - at several points I was told 'go back to what you did before, you will get a nice raise and remember: placement helps our rankings!'

2) We were reminded constantly that we 'protected' our schools brand, and that therefore we MUST BE SURE to always answer survey's about our school to 'play up the good points' Any negatives were to be addressed 'internally'. When classmates complained about things, they were told either 'you need to learn to respect our tradition as a business school' or 'we know what we are doing, you are just a student here, be glad to be here'

3) Despite my school being supposedly 'top 10' most exam answers were basically given away in special 'tutorial' sessions. Exams in our year were remarkably similar (75% or more sometimes) to previous years, and frankly many of the students that didnt focus on finance the day they graduated really couldn't read a balance sheet and/or know how it ties in to an income statement. When some students complained about how easy this made some courses they were told 'we are all a team here, the case method requires this kind of instruction, and anyone that fails can blame their student learning teams for not 'pulling them up'. Occassionally a professor would joke 'the hardest thing for all of you was getting in, this is the easy part' (I believe our graduation rate is around 99%)

To add a bit of irony to the above, I was recently asked to talk at a career day on campus about how 'school X's MBA helped me to land my first job'!

Ironically, my decent salary and salary increase from pre-MBA is helping the rankings a bit, even though I landed my job through networking! Additionally, many of the students I graduated with that didn't place in the first 3 months of graduation lied and said they did, others lied about their salary, all in the name of 'protecting our brand and out rankings' Additionally, many of us landed ou jobs through pre-MBA networking (rich dad connected with the CXO of firm Y 'makes a call') vs. those that struggled who came in thinking the 'brand would land them a job'.

Im actually considering writing a book on my MBA experience, but probably can't because my house would likely be firebombed by other alumni for 'hurting the brand'.

Thoughts? Any other alumni out there with similar experiences or was your school 'perfect'? I'd be interested in the book idea if enough other people went through similar things - perhaps it was just my 'top' school?

[william]

A response to the article:-

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I agree with your observations about how the top schools really apply peer pressure in a negative way to keep everyone in line about preserving the "Brand".

This is especially true at my school, a "Top 10" school (according to BW anyhow). Because the school is not truly recognized as one of the top schools and its trying hard to climb up in the rankings, there is a lot of punishment (indirect, socially) doled out to people who don't mimicry the party line.

We are not allowed to say even one thing critical of our classes, our classmates, or our school - else we suffer the wrath of our classmates. And since the school is small, once you are ostracized, you are pretty much done for, socially. I have never before experienced such widespread censorship. I am wondering if it is like this at other business schools.

I have been told (paraphraisng): This is not mandatory, but if you don't participate, then we are going to consider you to be letting everyone down.

[kristayang]

Thank you for sharing :) That's why we should find the "fit-in" school not just the
top-ranked school.

[william]

Thank you for sharing :) That's why we should find the "fit-in" school not just the
top-ranked school.

Can't agree more....

I thought you are in Holland now?? or you are replying me all the way from the other side of the world??

[fortylove]

I also agree to the points mentioned in the articles.

Actually when I worked in Chengchi University's MBA program, I used to handle a little bit financial times ranking survey. Some statistics are provided by the school; others depend on the responses from the alumni. (These will partly be audited by KPMG)

The answering(reply) rate from the alumni is also important, so it is the b-schools resposibility to well educate their students.

[william]

I also agree to the points mentioned in the articles.

Actually when I worked in Chengchi University's MBA program, I used to handle a little bit financial times ranking survey. Some statistics are provided by the school; others depend on the responses from the alumni. (These will partly be audited by KPMG)

The answering(reply) rate from the alumni is also important, so it is the b-schools resposibility to well educate their students.

Hmmm so I presume a school's ranking might be hurt if the school is being too honest??