Expert: Jay Cutts - 10/21/2009

Question
Hi,
I'm thinking about going to graduate school in a year or two, I know my GMAT scores will tell me where I can and can't go, however I was interested in one private school in particular.  The admission standards are lower than others that I have looked at but I like the curriculum there.  The problem is that this graduate school isn't accredited by the AACSB.  How will this affect what kind of jobs I can get after graduation?
The private school I'm interested in is University of St. Thomas, the more competitive public school is U of MN Carlson.  I'll be graduating with an U-grad from U of MN next year.

Thanks! JB

Answer
Hi, Joe.

You should probably check with AACSB to find out the pros or cons of attending a non-accredited school.  I would have some concerns about it but I don't know how big of a deal it would be when you go to get a job.

If St Thomas is really a dramatically better deal for you than any other school, maybe it will be worth it.  If others schools would give you a worthwhile education for a comparable price, I would think you'd be better off with those.  There's usually a good reason why a school is not accredited.

As for the GMAT, it is quite learnable. You've got enough time to make some significant improvement on it, so hopefully that wouldn't limit you.

I've been teaching the GMAT and related exams for 19 years.  I've got some helpful free information on admissions and the GMAT on my site at:

http://www.cuttsreviews.com/gmat/

I'm also available to work with you on the test.  Feel free to contact me with any other concerns you have about admissions.

I hope this helps for now.

Regards,

Jay Cutts

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