Should You Apply for an MBA Right After Graduation? Pros and Cons

As millions of aspirants around the globe scramble to get that MBA degree from a prestigious college, it is likely that among these would be a bunch of fresh graduates that are wondering whether they should go for this degree right away, or work and gain professional experience as many suggest. This dilemma is not new – in fact, it is a valid one, as most think along their lines of finishing their education in a single stretch versus taking a break from it and going back after a few years.

Benefits of Getting an MBA Right After Your Graduation

1. Time-saving

Getting that MBA right after you graduate means you continue studying without taking a break from your career like you would do otherwise. This also means that you would not be missing out on career years per se when doing a full-time MBA. Such a program is called a deferred MBA and is an arrangement wherein the student enrolls himself for an MBA program at the school of his choice after his undergraduate or postgraduate degree to save a seat in the class for future once he has accumulated the required work experience. They start the program only after they have met the minimum work experience required.

2. Better Early-Career Work Quality

Getting an MBA right after your graduation means that you enter the job market with a slight advantage. This means that even that entry-level job could mean a little more responsibility and be more interesting than the ones you’d pick up after only a graduation.

3. More Time to Reap that ROI

When you get into b-school after you graduate, you’re giving yourself an early edge, and have more in-career time to earn back the big bucks you dropped on a top b-school admit. This, however, also tends to be debatable as your MBA is of more value if you do it with a few years of experience tacked on, and thus can sometimes equalize with the early advantage of an early MBA.

Disadvantages of Getting Your MBA Right After Graduating

1. Lower Chances of Being Accepted at Top B-Schools

Most top B-schools require you to be able to contribute to classroom discussions and have knowledge about the ground reality in business. This is possible only in two cases – when you have some professional experience, or when you have a clear plan for your career and are steeped in its knowledge. In fact, some top business schools such as HEC Paris and London Business School recommend that aspirants have a certain amount of professional experience before they set out to wade the MBA waters.

2. You Might Not Be Able to Contribute All That Much to The Classroom

Considering that the average age of candidates at top business schools is around 26-29 years, with most having a minimum of 2-3 years of professional experience, walking into a class full of such people would render you a rookie, without a lot to add.

3. It Is Difficult to Make the Right Choice at This Stage

Making the correct choice of your MBA program is imperative so that you enjoy the full benefits of the degree. However, during the time before you gain professional experience, it would often be difficult for you to really know your career trajectory unless you are that clear-minded and focussed about your it from an early stage.

From what we see above, it is clear that it is better to wait out that MBA for several reasons. However, like we mentioned earlier, if you do indeed have a clear plan sketched out for your career, an MBA right after graduation might just be apt for you. Weigh your decisions, maybe get some career counselling and make the right choice instead of rushing in hastily.

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