Hi,
My GMAT score is 620. 3.5 years experience (IT+ Family business). I intend to work sometime in US post MBA.
From that perspective,I want to target reach schools.I feel it's important to choose universities in states where there are lot of industries Eg CA, NY, PA, IL, WA, GA, NC

Should I stay away from ND,SD,CO,WY...these states have very less industries and I think it will be more difficult to find employers who will sponsor H1B. Is my assessment right ?

Guys...what do you think.

Thanks !!!

It really depends. The larger states with the bigger economies will have more job options, but more competition as well.

It will also depend on industries, which in turn depend more on individual cities than whole states. Colorado is a great example of this - even if it has fewer large industries than a state like California, a school like University of Denver (Daniels) would be worth looking at if you wanted to work in mining or for a local consulting company. Likewise, Boulder - Leeds would be worth considering for a career in consumer products, real estate, etc.

And another note: if you were to re-take your GMAT and get 680+ you would be able competitive at a higher tier of ranked MBA program, which would obviously increase your chances of landing a job after graduation.

It really depends. The larger states with the bigger economies will have more job options, but more competition as well.

It will also depend on industries, which in turn depend more on individual cities than whole states. Colorado is a great example of this - even if it has fewer large industries than a state like California, a school like University of Denver (Daniels) would be worth looking at if you wanted to work in mining or for a local consulting company. Likewise, Boulder - Leeds would be worth considering for a career in consumer products, real estate, etc.

And another note: if you were to re-take your GMAT and get 680+ you would be able competitive at a higher tier of ranked MBA program, which would obviously increase your chances of landing a job after graduation.

I think what Ralph was trying to say is that you should take your career goals into consideration before location. Like if you wanted to work in automotive Michigan would be a safe bet. Eliminating vast swaths of a large country based on hearsay isn't the best way to approach the decision.

With 620 you're looking MBAs at the bottom of the BW rankings:

Fordham
UNC Jenkins
South Carolina Moore
Tennessee Knoxville
etc.

You probably won't be competitive at the quant-heavy b-schools like Simon.