candylips:

Guys very nice analysis here.

IMHO no MBA is not worth 100k . That amount is just too expensive. What will they teach you in Harvard that they can't teach in another 15k university.

People are been duped by these universities.

oyinda.:

so is wake forest not good enough or what? it's freee!!!

Sagamite:

Yes, it is duping. The reality is that if you go to Harvard, Wharton, Booth and the likes, you will get an advantage over others for the highly paying and top jobs. But my question to people is where is the limit before you question whether you are being ripped off? Before the gloss does not shine as brightly in your face? $300K? $500K?

For me the limit was circa $70K. Anything above that is enough to start a flourishing business comfortably.

If I was recruiting for a trader or VC position, and some MBA came for an interview, I will tell him to get the Bleep out my face. You had $150K to invest and you put it into an MBA, not some start-up or growth company.

Sagamite:

Bargain!!! I know I have seen the name as one of the good MBA schools even if not the top ones, it is good. What's the catch, nothing can be that free?

SEFAGO:

Ok the problem with this thread is that
1) Most people dont know how elite companies think
2) Assuming the American mentality and nigerian mentality are the same
3) Initiating a successful business is extremely easy.

American like to believe their society is a meritocracy but this is never the case. people are still judged by where they go to school and where they live. For one, not everyone is capable of running a successful business. All those people running their mouth about using that money for business, dont even have an idea of what business they would do with it and how to make that money profitable. The so-called entrepreneurs have not started a business themselves and are still employees.

Well for us who are smart enough to know that if you want to start a business you must learn how it works, an MBA at a top school would be worth it especially if you plan to work for a top company. No fortune 500 company is going to immediately employ someone with a Wakeforest MBA .

I have multiple business ideas in incubation at the moment and all funds would be going towards the idea, not an MBA

I have worked for companies you can only dream of to consider you with just a Bsc and function with senior executives you hear of in the press who seek my opinion even outside the remit of my role.

I have warned you earlier to watch the people you run your mouth against, it does not bode well on your intelligence.

SEFAGO:

an MBA at a top school would be worth it especially if you plan to work for a top company. No fortune 500 company is going to immediately employ someone with a Wakeforest MBA .

SEFAGO:

kai naija ppl dey vex. I wasn't even thinking abt u or anyone on this forum, relax your horses. At least if you are going to call me son act mature enough and not like an agbaya.

Well you proved my statement right again. Your business plans are in incubation not yet successful. When you build a successful business then u can actually talk with pride. I have many business plans myself doesnt mean they are going to be a success. Even kerosene sellers in naija have business ideas.

English. Congratulations u are a boy-boy. Man relax and act mature, u should knw that is an online forum, i dont care about who you work for or where you have worked thats your business mate. Stop pulling the i am more experienced and older than you crap. I don't dream about working for any company, lol, I actually plan to be in academia.

lol, my intelligence is doing very well. I dont need to prove anything on an online forum. However, when i see people saying something wrong i think i have the right to mention it,

SEFAGO:

Ok the problem with this thread is that
1) Most people dont know how elite companies think
2) Assuming the American mentality and nigerian mentality are the same
3) Initiating a successful business is extremely easy.

Well for us who are smart enough to know that if you want to start a business . . . . . .

TheSeeker:

Hey guys, chill out already. . . . we're just here analyzing the differences. Both have their advantages, alright? Let's cool it already.

candylips:

Guys going to top schools doesn't make sense to me . here is my analysis.

Top schools are usually rated based on research. The quality of teaching is not fantastically better than another other average school.I used to know one indian guy who spent a year in Oxford university and ran away to another school Manchester university.

His argument was that they hadly teach you stuff in -depth in Oxford. 90% of the time you have to figure things out urself though rigoruos coursework and assignment given by the professors. When he switched to Manchester he was plesantly surprised that they actually taught him. the professors there were more approciable , they also didn't have an inflated ego

Going to a Top school just probably will look very good in your CV. It will not in any way define who or what you will/can acheive in life. You might probably have an edge in an entry level position but after a couple of yrs its the experience and what u can do that will speak for u

candylips:

Another funny thing i find strange is this. To get into a Top business school you have to have a very good academic record. Most likely a First class, a very high GMAT score and you must be in the first 1% of your graduating class. -- so in short you most be VERY SMART.

So if you are VERY SMART [/b]you are [b]more likely to be VERY SUCCESSFUL either in biz or as an employee.

I have already established that these TOP schools are rated based on research . quality of teaching is not really that different from an above average school. So in other words as a VERY SMART person going to a TOP school or otherwise will not neccessaryly make any difference to your SMARTNESS

So going to a TOP schools doesn't make sense for SMART people because they [b]CAN  [/b]be successful anyway regardless of the school they go to 

SEFAGO:

You know i am still a student so stop asking these questions. I still have the right to post though. if you think my post is crap you take it or leave it. I didn't say in any of my post: I am so correct and sagamite is wrong. Have u noticed that? Instead you are the one pulling the seniority crap. But look, I understand you live in the UK and things are really different from the US. But in the US let me give you atypical scenario of free speech:
In one of my classes, the professor works for the federal reserve, has consulted for mckinsey for years, worked for goldman sachs in his youth. His experience mops yours by far. He comes to class. Asks the class, what do you think about this or that? what do you think the fed should do? He listens to every student, most of them just left their home for the first time but he still pays respect to their opinions. They argue with him when he argues with them. He doesnt pull his experience into the debate, instead he provides more constructive arguments. He doesn't use scare tactics. Like "who are you, why are you arguing with me, I have a PhD in economics, I have so much expeirnce" If this was a nigerian university i am sure it would be different. That is what breeds innovations.

Now could you learn from him?

It is called freedom of speech. you have made similar statements yourself. wouldn't you be angry is someone else came and told you shut up? what do you know? who are you? hw many years have you worked? people with your attitude are what causes problems in our society. Power show. Its weird because in the US our professors treat us as equals. I give respect to who is due, but that is all, you are no different than i am mate, you just think you know more than me because you are older.

You should do the same

I have the freedom to be arrogant. You take it or leave it. You should also have figured out that this debate is slightly pointless, you are not going to influence someone who has the chance of getting his MBA at any top school. You haven't even convinced me--the small boy--about the demerits of getting an MBA. All you have done is engage in scare tactics such as: "who do you know", "who are you", "who is your father", something that is sadly common to nigerians and which i strongly dislike. I would not argue with you anymore anyways, I am sorry sir. You know far more than i do. I would sit down and go back to reading the (cough cough) articles i have been reading.




Business School (The actually Important debate and not peoples overinflated ego)

Nigerians who live in the US

Why go to business school? Well i have problem analyzing this for various reasons. The main reason is that business school is a personal reason. i would go. Davidif himself would go. Those of us who understand the benefits would go. It depends on you.

Scenario 1: I have a science/engineering background and I want to cross over to the business/finance part. Also, I work for a pharm/biotech but i am tired of mixing chemicals/ doing DNA microarray and i also have a kid coming so i need more money. You would probably need an MBA.

Scenario 2: I studied the liberal arts in college because i did not know what to do. I was lucky to attend the usual elite schools so i got a job at bain/goldman sachs and i need more credibility. i would like to go for an MBA.

Scenario 3: I studied economics/business in a top college and went the typical route. Internship at Jp Morgan/Goldman/BNP Paribas, got a job offer after college. Work 3 years. Follow the herd mentality, get an MBA. work a couple more years and then exit and start my own business.

Scenario 4: Wasn't rich enough or smart enough to attend a target school so I get some work experience at the back office of a good company. Work then get my MBA and join the investment banking division.

Nigerians I actually admire

Scenario 5: Went to Unilag/OAU/Other schools. worked in nigeria for years then want to get an MBA (By the way you will see hell in the American embassy from experience).

So basically the MBA is primarily for people who plan to work with the best and use the exit opportunities available to maybe start there own companies. The reason people want to work for these companies is because from them you can gain experience on how a successful business is run. If you are like someone who has incubating business ideas (some pun about dont count your chickens before they are hatched come to mind), it would be a good idea to gain experience in these companies.

An MBA is good period. It is not a requirement for success and will never be. It has, however, has davidif put it a tool that leads the path to success.


I don't want to argue with mr know it all, but i have to challenge some misocnceptions. Top Business schools rarely give scholarships is any. They don't have to. Especially if they are in the US. People usually finance their studies through loans. And guess what banks are really willing to give loans to people who are getting their MBAs from Harvard. Infact, its virtually impossible for an international student to get a loan from an American bank without a cosigner. However, for a harvard mba some banks are willing to take the risks. Beats any argument for the quality and versatility of an MBA.

SEFAGO:

Well for us who are smart enough to know that if you want to start a business you must learn how it works, an MBA at a top school would be worth it especially if you plan to work for a top company. No fortune 500 company is going to immediately employ someone with a [b]Wakeforest MBA . 

davidif:

SAGAMITE AND SEFAGO PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEASE DON'T TURN MY THREAD INTO A PLACE OF PERSONAL INSULTS ABEG, WE NO DEY NAIJA O.

MBA's can be costly but when you think about the exposure and the connections you make.

Being in the same class with the guys who formulated the theory.

University of Chicago alone has over 100 Nobel laureate winners