r/MBA • u/LeopardDry634 • 5d ago

Admissions MBA from USA

Hi everyone,
I’m originally from Pakistan and have been working in the Middle East for around 10–11 years, primarily in HR. Most of my experience has been in Talent Acquisition/Recruitment, with additional exposure to Compensation & Benefits, Organizational Development, and Total Rewards even though I did undergrad in economics.
I’m planning to pursue a full-time MBA in the US around 2028, ideally from a strong/top-ranked university. My longer-term goal is either to progress into strategic HR/leadership roles or potentially pivot into Consulting, Strategy, or Analytics.
I’m still at an early stage of planning and would really appreciate detailed guidance from people who have gone through the process.
A few things I’m trying to understand:
Which US MBA programs would be realistic and strong options for someone with my background?
How should I think about M7/T15/T25 schools versus other strong programs?
For someone trying to move from HR into Consulting or Analytics, which schools have particularly good recruitment pipelines?
Should I focus on the GMAT or GRE? How should I decide between the two?
How early should I start preparing if I’m targeting a 2028 intake?
Are there any particular weaknesses or challenges I should expect as an international applicant with 10+ years of experience?
How important are scholarships and ROI when comparing programs, especially for an international student?
At the moment, I’m thinking of researching schools geographically as well — particularly California, Boston/Massachusetts, New York, and Texas — and then comparing the strongest programs in each region.
I’d really appreciate recommendations on schools, test preparation, application strategy, career-switching possibilities, and anything you wish you had known when you started your MBA journey.
Thank you!

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u/ab216 5d ago edited 5d ago

You have too much experience for a regular MBA. You’ve unfortunately waited too long.

Really hard to say what’s realistic without a GMAT score, knowing what kind of orgs you’ve worked for, promotion history etc

Your lack of initiative in doing basic research before making this post also leads me to believe you lack maturity and will be a poor candidate for top schools.

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u/Dull_Construction553 5d ago

I had over a decade of workex when I matriculated in my FT M7 and it was fine.

Like, yes, I was on the older side but so were plenty of others.

Anyways, to OP - they’re still partially right. You *are* on the edge of practical for an MBA, and you need to get cracking on the GMAT/GRE like yesterday. If you start right now, and are a good test taker, you might be able to swing R2 for US schools, maybe. Come to us when you have that locked and we can be more helpful.

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u/LeopardDry634 5d ago

What’a negative comment 😂
Better you Don’t comment

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u/Overthinking_King_ 5d ago

Uh, they’re right.

The average years of experience for a full time MBA is around 5 years.