I graduated last year in the school of psychology with an emphasis in HR Development and I've been working at a really large and nice company here in Raleigh that just offered me a promotion plus they want me to get a MBA to get to the next level. They told me flat out they want to invest in me but to get to the level I need to get to, I'll have to get a Masters - and they would recommend an MBA. So there's tuition reinbursement involved and written into my new offer letter.

I never thought about getting my masters but since it makes so much of a difference in my employer like this and if I want to be a Divisional or Regional HR Manager it looks to be a must. That being said, I know NOTHING about the GMAT but I suppose I need to start studying soon, yeah? I'm eyeing Fall of 07 or Spring 07 part time. How soon does one have to study, how big is it?

Also, I really hope to stay at State, but my overall gpa was 3.3 / major 3.5 - I graduated cum laude, but I hear they have really high requirements.

Would I have any problem? I've got 2-3 years of professional work experience with my most recent title as a Lead Corporate Recruiter.

8/15/2006 12:34:48 AM

I took the GMAT and thought it was extremely easy. Supposedly it isn't testing what you know, but more how you think.

I dunno, I didn't go to business school (comp sci w/econ minor), but I did buy one of those CD-ROM study guides and went through some lessons and practice tests to refresh on TRIG etc.

I know that with state the reason they have high requirements is because really they want students from other universities. They want to promote fresh ideas coming into their system... or so I have heard. I think lots of universities are like this. Why not take this as an opportunity to go live somewhere else for a couple years, knowing you will come back?

8/15/2006 1:04:55 AM

Quote :

"Why not take this as an opportunity to go live somewhere else for a couple years, knowing you will come back?"

bc her GREAT company that is LOCAL and is willing to pay for her MBA MIGHT, just MIGHT, want her to do it part time while she continues working. This is how most companies work.

Kainen, if your company has offered you this you MUST get all the terms in writing. Some companies like my own will offer to pay your MBA tuition but will then requires me to work for them for four years or meet certain promotional standards or I would have to pay the tuition back. Just make sure that if there is not a written policy on how they do this, get this in writing, signed, notarized, and maybe have a third party that does not work at the company sign as a witness.

8/15/2006 4:06:25 AM

(It's a he by the way. )

But yes, that's the situation. I just wasnt sure if taking your GMAT was an independent process of going to grad school, and if so - how early should I start doing that.

I did mention to my manager that I wanted a 'development plan' with tuition reinbursment details written into my offer, which will be later this week.

But do you think my GPA would be ok for it and all? I'm not worried about a test so much, and having professional experience and a corporate sponsor should make my application pretty attractive right? I hope....I'd go somewhere else to school but my position isn't somewhere else, if they are paying for it which is the only reason i would get it , I need to be in Raleigh.

8/15/2006 8:10:24 AM

http://www.mgt.ncsu.edu/mba/future/admissions_process.php

Your work experience is going to be a definite plus, especially if you have good recommendations.

8/15/2006 8:32:52 AM

like someone already said, the GMAT is really just like a slightly harder SAT. it does not test business knowledge at all and if ur a bright guy you should do fine. i didnt study at all, save for one practice test and i did alright.

i think the gpa should be alright as well. i got into business grad school with a 3.4 overall gpa, admittedly not for an mba though.

8/15/2006 9:44:36 AM

In regards to the GMAT, heres some advice you may find useful. I recently took the GMAT and scored a 620, with a 5 out of 6 on the analytical writing assessment. I took a practice GMAT earlier this year to see what my strengths and weaknesses are in order to use my study time most efficiently. In hindsight, if I would have studied half as hard for the verbal as I did the math, I would have easily gotten a 700.

Things to note:

GMAT, 3 sections - 2 seperate 30 min essays, analysis of an issue/argument
37 question math section (75 mins)
41 question verbal section (75 mins)

Apparently most people earn a GMAT score half of what their SAT was. (assuming you took the sat out of 1600). I got a 1230 on the SAT, and a 620 on the GMAT, so this theory applied for me.
Don't get too intimated by the material, just give yourself at least a month to prepare and take several practice tests before you take the real thing.

Best of luck

Andrew

8/15/2006 10:50:39 AM

The average gpa was 3.3 and GMAT score was 600 for people entering the MBA program and state

8/15/2006 10:51:14 AM

Don't be too worried about the numbers requirements ... I was below the average mark on undergrad GPA, GMAT Score, and Age, but my letters of recommendation and my personal essay were EXTREMELY good. Get to know the program you want to get admitted to in detail and think if it's a good fit.

Quote :

"In hindsight, if I would have studied half as hard for the verbal as I did the math, I would have easily gotten a 700."

I think I reviewed the math section for 2 hours the morning of the test. Had I studied months ahead of time for hours on end, I probably would have pulled a much higher score. Not worth the time in my opinion, though that's also a choice for you to make.

8/15/2006 12:18:38 PM

Quote :

"comp sci w/econ minor"

when did you graduate? I graduated with comp/sci and an econ minor.

8/15/2006 3:47:29 PM

there's some great in advice in here. Thanks. I can certainly get letters of recommendation with high level company sponsors and champions. That isn't a problem.

I'm kinda worried about the 30 min essays, I HATE those - and I'm a terrible handwriter and just wish to hell you could type that part out and then I'd have no worries.

8/15/2006 6:46:00 PM

Those dont really matter...they just want to see that you can write a decent essay, it doesnt have to be good at all

8/15/2006 6:53:31 PM

Hey Kainen, I should have mentioned this earlier. The entire GMAT is taken on a computer, so you will be able to type the essays.

8/15/2006 7:39:35 PM

^ SWEET. That makes all the difference in the world for a corporate monkey like msyelf

That's great news.

8/15/2006 9:25:27 PM

I was the exact opposite. I don't touch type so the essays were a PITA. The score for the GMAT essay is highly correlated with length, so you'll get a higher grade for being verbose than succinct. The GMAT math is straighforward -- just refresh your memory on basic statistics. The verbal is pretty easy too -- just do some practice sentence correction questions so you know what they're looking for.

Your undergrad GPA seems high enough if your GMAT scores and recommendations are good.
http://www.mgt.ncsu.edu/mba/future/class_profileFT.php

I'm starting my second year in the MBA program and overall I'm enjoying the experience. There's a lot of work and it's stressful but it isn't rocket science. I think it's actually less difficult than my jr/sr undergrad classes in engineering. I believe good time management is more important than being a brainiac.

Good luck!

8/15/2006 9:36:24 PM

You freaking gizmos who said the GMAT was easy are either leaps and bounds better at standardized testing than most folks, or you're just looney.

That test was hard as hell. Not necessarily difficult, but how much freaking work can you do on a gay dry-erase board with about 50 seconds per Q and 5 answers, 3 of which could potentially be right on any given Q (A, A+B, only A+B, neither A+B, you get the idea).

I graduated Magna Cum Laude but that GMAT pwned me, even after studying like crazy for weeks. I got a 590, which was def. good enough for me, but it was torture. Had I done awful, I would not take it again. Plus, it's $250. I mean that's just bumped up.

[Edited on August 15, 2006 at 10:20 PM. Reason : a]

8/15/2006 10:20:00 PM

shrug, if you are good at math those things are pretty easy. i had a hard time with some of the verbal, but most of the math was pretty straight forward. i dont recall what i got but it was like a 620/630. i think i could have also done better (got around 700 on the 2 practice tests i took), but i also didnt think it was worth the extra effort.

8/15/2006 10:45:13 PM

Well what's considered pass/ fail on the GMAT then?

anything over 550?

8/15/2006 11:31:44 PM

No pass or fail, but each school has a different "requirement" that they usually bend a bit depending on your GPA & work experience.

The GMAT's lowest score is a 200, and highest is an 800. So 500 would be about middle-of-the-road. NCSU's MBA program looks for anything near 600, but lower scores are very likely to work if a) your GPA is ~3.5+, b) you have any full-time work experience, or c) [big one] you went to NCSU as an undergrad.

For you, if you get a 550 or higher, I'd bet you're in like flynn.

Also, if you haven't heard this tip, please read this: The VERY FIRST QUESTION on the GMAT (actual math question, not the essays which are literally first) is the single most important one. Get that 1st one right, and you're almost guarenteed a 500+ unless you REALLY botch the rest up. Miss it, and you're digging yourself up from ~350-400 the whole time. The 1st Q determines whether to give you a harder set (i.e. you know more/are smarter) or easier set (i.e. you're an idiot 'cause you missing the 1st one) of questions. I spent 12 (yes, 12) minutes on the 1st one just trying to make sure I got it right, and of course, I'm 100% positive I got it wrong. The 1st question is TYPICALLY quite difficult, as it sets the bar (or lowers it) for the rest of the test. Spend a lot of time making sure it's right

8/16/2006 12:11:25 AM

whoah, what's an example of a first question then?

8/16/2006 12:34:05 AM

it isnt some profound riddle or something, it is just on the harder end of the spectrum. everything i read suggests the first 10 are the most important, the first (as noted) being the most important.

basically the first 25% have a sharp weight and after that it is just minor tweaking to your score. for example, good on first 10, bad on rest = 550-700. bad on first 10, good on rest = 400-550.

8/16/2006 9:48:43 AM

variable weight front-loaded like that is just plain weird. Now I'm nervous about it and prolly study for near 3 months.

I saw one above average difficulty practice question online and it was pretty damn difficult...so yeah, I got work to do.

8/16/2006 12:31:28 PM

it's not variable weight front-loaded. it's "computer adaptive" like the GRE.

get a question right = next question is harder. get a question wrong = next question is easier.

8/16/2006 1:09:51 PM

^ Right on.

I studied for weeks and would've probably done 95% as good (probably made like a 570-580 vs. my 590) without studying, because unless you're just "good" with trig, algebra, and off-the-wall grammar, you're not likely to "learn it."

Why did I major in Supply Chain Management over CSC (Which I wanted to do initially)? Math. I hate it.

8/16/2006 1:24:07 PM

What kind of jobs do you get with a Supply Chain Management degree? What's the pay like?

I looked on the COM website and they say things like "beyond purchasing" and "beyond logistics" but what does that really mean?

8/16/2006 4:14:42 PM

God there's a million jobs for that. My company alone has an entire function and revolving 40+ requisition/job openings in Supply Chain function alone at any given time.

If you have a big manufacturing company, it's always a big part of the way your business works.

8/16/2006 5:08:56 PM

Supply Chain is wide open, if you go for NCSU's MBA, definitely concentrate in Supply Chain.

NCSU Supply Chain MBA grads roll out making darn near $100k at firms in Raleigh right out the gate.

I got my undergrad in Supply Chain (getting MBA starting in Jan.) and am working for DuPont now in their Sourcing & Logistics division. It's basic purchasing/contract negotiations right now, but the ladder up is laid out for you and the money gets pretty big fairly quick. I'm making just over $50k w/ my undergrad degree (mofo government steals like a third of that, though ) right outta school. It's pretty easy work, very little stress, 8 hours a day and I just walk out 'til tomorrow.

You can't go wrong w/ supply chain, it's getting (and will remain) to be a huge deal w/ companies trying to lean our production to get an edge. Fast paced societies will always have a need for supply chain gurus.

[Edited on August 16, 2006 at 8:55 PM. Reason : .]

8/16/2006 8:52:41 PM

The mean starting salary for SCM majors from last year's fulltime MBA class (3-4 years work experience) was 71K, with at least one student making 90K or more. Hope that helps.

[Edited on August 16, 2006 at 8:53 PM. Reason : .]

8/16/2006 8:52:46 PM

^ The man

8/16/2006 8:55:45 PM

i know of 5 MBA SCM students who started at over $90K from last year's class (most with IBM Consulting I believe)

the need for good supply chain people is out there...i actually had a lunch meeting with 3 supply chain people at SAS earlier this week and it's an exciting field to be in. i graduate with my MBA - Supply Chain in may so feel free to ask me any questions if you want.

8/16/2006 9:05:55 PM

does state's MBA program have a 2 year work requirement or did they let u go straight in

also any MAC students/alumni....how's the program?

8/16/2006 9:19:16 PM

I wouldn't say that it's a requirement, more of a recommendation.

I worked throughout my undergrad degree and was accepted without a "full-time" job, but i had a lot of "self starter" experience and interviewed well...also, great recommendations never hurt

8/16/2006 9:21:51 PM

Get you're MBA at Meredith and beat out all the undergradute sl00ts

He's right about the first question, try at all cost to get it right. It's similar to the GRE i think in that it starts off with like a (700) level question. If you get it wrong it drops to like 400, but then goes higher if you get the next ones right. It sucked literally seeing that I got questions wrong on the GRE verbal because the questions got way easier, yet it was nice to see the math getting harder.


That being said I thought the GRE verbal was way too hard. Math basically was high school level, but verbal was like words I never dreamed of, and it sucks you have to know what both words mean.


[Edited on August 17, 2006 at 6:09 AM. Reason : .]



[Edited on August 17, 2006 at 6:13 AM. Reason : .]

8/17/2006 5:59:09 AM

Quote :

"Get you're MBA at Meredith"

irony

8/17/2006 2:30:30 PM

^ but not unexpected.............................

Quote :

"verbal was like words I never dreamed of, and it sucks you have to know what both words mean."

8/17/2006 4:53:32 PM

nm

[Edited on September 26, 2006 at 1:46 PM. Reason : nm]

9/26/2006 1:42:44 PM