Graduated from Eastern Michigan University with 3.4 GPA, Odds of getting into University of Chicago MBA?

[motega]

I graduated from Eastern Michigan University in Finance about a year ago with a 3.4 GPA. I took two finance internships while in school at small finance consulting firms. I also managed a small family business during this time and continue to do so as well.

I haven't taken the GMAT yet and I plan to work in the finance for the next 5 years before applying to business school. I am an average test taker, but hopefully with a ton of studying I can get a bit above average. I would really love to get into The University of Chicago's Part Time MBA program. Although coming from a third tier school it seems as if my chances may be a bit lower than most. My brother in law came from Albion University with a 3.6 gpa and average GMAT scores but with 8 years work experience an got into Booth's part time program.

I am a pretty good interviewer and I definitely have interesting experience, coming from a entreprenurial background. Do you think 5 years from now I have a shot getting in? Or at least into one of the prestigious business schools?

[gillivray5]

Depends entirely on what you do with those five years. If you're successful and manage to take on leadership roles, and you do well on the GMAT, then your undergraduate background doesn't matter as much. (Your family business experience definitely will be a talking point and set you apart from the other would-be finance tycoons.)

[aingeni]

You don't have to wait five years. You already have good work experiences. Whether you can get into Chicago you can find out only by applying. Consult the Official MBA Guide. It's a comprehensive free public service with more than 2,000 MBA programs listed worldwide. It allows you to search for programs by location (US, Europe, Far East, etc.), by concentration (finance, marketing, aviation management, health management, accounting, etc.), by type of program (full-time, distance learning, part-time, etc), and by listing your own criteria and preferences to get a list of universities that satisfy your needs. Schools report their accreditation status, tuition cost, number of students, class sizes, program length, and a lot of other data. Schools provide data on entrance requirements, program costs, program characteristics, and much more. You can use the Guide to contact schools of your choice, examine their data, visit their web site, and send them pre applications. You can see lists of top 40 schools ranked by starting salaries of graduates, GMAT scores, and other criteria. It's the best service available at http://officialmbaguide.org.