I went to UMD, which is a good program but not top tier.
I made some good friends, found a husband for a friend of mine, learned a lot of great skills, took on $20K in loans and got a $20K salary bump for my next job. I'm in Finance, but not one of those really high-paid areas of finance. It can help you get in the door, definitely - some employers think they need an MBA even if they really only need a BA/BS. But unless you are in the right program and pursue a certain career path, it may not make much of a difference in your salary. I suspect I'd be making about the same without the MBA.

I still don't regret it, but then again, I didn't spend a ton on my degree or stop my life. (I went part-time in the evenings, kept my house and life and job here.)

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Went into corp fin year 1. $105k + 15k bonus + $40k sign on bonus. Hated it.
Moved to corp strategy at another firm year 2. $115k + 12k bonus + 100K sign on bonus
Year 3: $125k + 30k bonus
Year 4: $140k + 50k bonus

If I went to mgmt consulting id be closer to $250 to maybe even $300K by now, but the hours are brutal. I prefer my 35 hour unlimited vacation, unlimited sicklifestyle.

Also depends heavily what MBA. Wharton vs AU is no comparison.

I'm a top 15 MBA and went into government consulting. I'm at year 3 and make nowhere near that much. What kinds of companies hire MBAs and give raises like that in the DC area? The lack of DC options for top MBAs was surprising to me when I graduated a few years ago, aside from the DC offices of private management/strategy consulting firms and boutique banking/PE shops, where the lifestyle sucks.

The difference is that you are in government consulting. It's not a high paying area. You also went to a top 15, not a top 5. (Not to be offensive, just stating facts). My friends at a number of firms make this or more: Pepsi friend makes $180k base plus bonus, friend at PayPal in Baltimore is at $170 + bonus + equity, or was 1 year ago. Friend at Diageo makes $160k + bonus. My friends at google, amazon, etc make this looks crappy. Friend of mine 2010 grad went to amazon last year, $140k base + $100k sign on (mostly stock) and $75K annual bonus (cash and stock). Google is even more absurd. Friend at PRTM made $136K + $40K first year out. Friend at a small boating manufacturer makes $175K + bonus as a chief of staff. So on an so forth.

Anonymous wrote:Went into corp fin year 1. $105k + 15k bonus + $40k sign on bonus. Hated it.
Moved to corp strategy at another firm year 2. $115k + 12k bonus + 100K sign on bonus
Year 3: $125k + 30k bonus
Year 4: $140k + 50k bonus

If I went to mgmt consulting id be closer to $250 to maybe even $300K by now, but the hours are brutal. I prefer my 35 hour unlimited vacation, unlimited sicklifestyle.

Also depends heavily what MBA. Wharton vs AU is no comparison.

I'm a top 15 MBA and went into government consulting. I'm at year 3 and make nowhere near that much. What kinds of companies hire MBAs and give raises like that in the DC area? The lack of DC options for top MBAs was surprising to me when I graduated a few years ago, aside from the DC offices of private management/strategy consulting firms and boutique banking/PE shops, where the lifestyle sucks.

Anonymous wrote:I framed it and hung it in my home office.

Me too. I went to a second tier school and got a whole lot of nada. I am not willing to travel. It did give me the flexibility to move to a different functional area. However, if you weren't a high flyer in your last job don't expect to be a high flyer afterwards. I now work for someone 2 years younger who makes twice what I do and has no MBA. Don't kid yourself unless you are going to a top 10 school, it probably won't change your income potential but may give you more opportunities.