I don't like young MBA students who are straight out of college. Here's why:

Usually the only experience they have is completely theoretical. They've probably done a ton of case studies about businesses but have never experienced anything first-hand. Until you've seen a company succeed or fail from the inside you don't really know how it works. Having only theoretical knowledge is just like saying you know how to preform heart surgery after having read a book about it.

They are too willing to take risks. While risks can occasionally be a good thing, the only tried and true, proven method for expanding wealth and growing business is slow, thoughtful growth. An overwillingness to take risks is a surefire way to destroy a business.

They also don't come in with a bias that the older candidates could have developed over the years of working in certain environments. I think younger candidates are unlikely to say "At XYZ we used to do ABC so that's why we should approach this problem with ABC"

They can probably work longer and harder than older candidates, crunch the numbers etc. And are more up-to-date on theories as you've mentioned.

There are pros and cons both ways, I'm pretty sure that there are reasons why top MBA programs allow fresh out of college students - those excepted could be probably more exceptional than you and me.

As for risk taking, I don't think that's entirely bad. The younger crowd might be more open to entrepreneurial ideas where as you might be more of a middle management who doesn't want to rock the boat. Grow the company by 3% a year and it's all good, but that's not necessarily the best thing. All great companies encourage entrepeneurial thinking and calculated risk taking, maybe that's why the younger students are there - to learn calculated risk taking that would propel them to super stardom.

Maybe. I do believe that there is the occasional student who's right out of college who is an amazing MBA candidate. Unfortunately, that student is one in 100,000.

It's scary to me that so many young people can't get the jobs they want, because then they are more likely to enroll in MBA programs where they will be completely out of their league. So much of an MBA is analyzing what you've experienced already and putting in terms of an academic understanding.

Maybe some whiz-kid has the best theoretical understanding of business, but theory is just that - theory! Until you have hands-on experience, I don't think you should even try to do an MBA.

They also don't come in with a bias that the older candidates could have developed over the years of working in certain environments. I think younger candidates are unlikely to say "At XYZ we used to do ABC so that's why we should approach this problem with ABC"

They can probably work longer and harder than older candidates, crunch the numbers etc. And are more up-to-date on theories as you've mentioned.

There are pros and cons both ways, I'm pretty sure that there are reasons why top MBA programs allow fresh out of college students - those excepted could be probably more exceptional than you and me.

As for risk taking, I don't think that's entirely bad. The younger crowd might be more open to entrepreneurial ideas where as you might be more of a middle management who doesn't want to rock the boat. Grow the company by 3% a year and it's all good, but that's not necessarily the best thing. All great companies encourage entrepeneurial thinking and calculated risk taking, maybe that's why the younger students are there - to learn calculated risk taking that would propel them to super stardom.

I'll like to know your statistics on 1 in 100,000. How did you derive that number, or is that just gut feel?

By and large, the top schools only select the best students with possibly the ideal projected paths. While I do agree that a student straight out of college isn't that fantastic, I don't discount younger students.

If younger students were that bad, then there must be a reason to why HBS has a 2 + 2 program for senior undergraduate students.

You discount the fact that there could be younger students that have working experiences that even somebody with 5 years working experience may not have faced. Some start their own companies young, or have worked in family owned businesses and have gained different exposures from you.

A suggestion to your problem of not wanting unqualified young students/students fresh out of undergraduate would be to apply to top 10 business schools. I think once you're in there, you're pretty safe, students there tend to have a certain quality.

You have a point, but part of an MBA program is about bringing into the classroom a diverse body of students who can learn and develop from one another's experiences.

Although I see your point, taking straight out of college is part of adding depth to the classroom. The young learning from the old, and the old learning from the young what they had forgotten long ago. MBA programs generally realize that work/life experience is important, and that's why most programs have average ages of 29 or so. And the only young people let into most programs are superstars anyway. The type of people you would want on your side when classes are over. I don't see a problem with it.

By the way, teddykgb, are you all in?

By the way, teddykgb, are you all in?

Well, with four stacks of high society, you can stick it into any body!

Actually, it might be the kids that do their MBAs right out of college that would benefit the most - the interaction with the more mature and experienced students coupled with the intensive learning that will be a continuation of what they've been doing. Given that most KSOOF (kids straight out of college) that are accepted at top programs are very accomplished and mature in their own right, they would probably have an accelerated learning.

Ideally, of course you should have some experience, which would explain why Harvard goes for a 2 + 2 for undergrads. But then again, maybe the way to look at it is, if we're going to really train the leaders of society, captains of industries and the bsd's of tomorrow, we may as well start young.

Again, most IB/MC companies like them young with as few bad habits as possible and minds that will expand as fast as possible.