Top MBA programs


As one of my dreams is to secure an MBA degree from a prestigious US business school, I did some research into the rankings, course fees, etc.

According to a reputable site (QS Quacquarelli Symonds Limited), these are the Top 10 MBA programs in the US, ranked according to PROGRAM STRENGTH:

1. The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
2. Harvard Business School
3. Stanford University Graduate School of Business
4. The University of Chicago Graduate School of Business
5. The Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University
6. Columbia Business School
7. Stephen M. Ross School of Business, University of Michigan
8. Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley
9. Marshall School of Business, University of Southern California
10. The Fuqua School of Business, Duke University

Maybe the ranking is flawed? I doubt it, since Wharton's reputation is undisputable. Let's look at another ranking site (Business Week), the Top 10:

1. University of Chicago
2. University of Pennsylvania (Wharton)
3. Northwestern University (Kellogg)
4. Harvard University
5. University of Michigan (Ross)
6. Stanford University
7. MIT (Sloan)
8. UC Berkeley (Haas)
9. Duke University (Fuqua)
10. Columbia University

To be sure, here is another site (Financial Times) giving the Top 10 MBA programs:

1. University of Pennsylvania: Wharton
2. Columbia Business School
3. Stanford University GSB
4. Harvard Business School
5. MIT: Sloan
6. University of Chicago GSB
7. New York University: Stern
8. Dartmouth College: Tuck
9. Yale School of Management
10. Northwestern University: Kellogg

And yet another site (US News & World Reports) ranking the Top 10 MBA programs:

1. Harvard University Boston, MA
2. Stanford University Stanford, CA
3. University of Pennsylvania (Wharton) Philadelphia, PA
4. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Sloan) Cambridge, MA
5. Northwestern University (Kellogg) Evanston, IL
6. University of Chicago Chicago, IL
7. Dartmouth College (Tuck) Hanover, NH
8. University of California--Berkeley (Haas) Berkeley, CA
9. Columbia University New York, NY
10. New York University (Stern) New York, NY


So, to combine all the sites' rankings, we get the TOP 5:

1. Wharton
2. Harvard
3. Stanford
4. Chicago
5. Kellogg


Therefore, I will pursue this dream of mine to get into one of these top programs in the US, if not, my baby's university's MBA program. I mean, might as well make it count, since I am spending so much money to get it.

Not easy, getting in to Wharton (Average GMAT Score = 713), Harvard (714), Stanford (721), Chicago (710), Kellogg (700). If you are not already gaping, maybe you didn't know that the full score of GMAT is 800, and getting 700 and above is like crazy. On the average, 68% of the test takers score between 400 to 600.



We all know that many of the world's richest CEOs, Chairmans, Presidents, etc. like Donald Trump, Rick Simonson, Edmund T. Pratt, Jr. graduated from these top schools of business. Is that why they are so expensive? The course fees are (in USD) $102,275 (Wharton), $109,342 (Stanford), $91,000 (Kellogg), $94,223 (Chicago), $100,200 (Harvard)! Woohoo....... It's ok, just check out the average graduate salary, and employment rate... More than enough to pay back in 2-3 years' time. Here's the list of the average graduate salary (should be annual, I'm sure):



Stanford = $111,956

Wharton = $100,000

Harvard = $97,000

Chicago = $95,000

Kellogg = $94,000



Besides, if I excel and become top of the program, it is possible to get scholarships and exemptions! So who's talking about paying back?



At the current exchange rate of USD 1 = RM 3.5, I'll be earning about 10 times of what I am currently earning in Malaysia. Imagine that... 10 times faster to be a billionaire. 10 times faster to retire earlier. But wait, who's talking about being a billionaire in Malaysia? Duh! As if that means anything much... Let's talk about being a billionaire, in USD!!! Woohoo!

Let's GO!