Ball State University

Date: Apr 03 2009
Major: Business - Management and Administration (This Major's Salary over time)
I had already finished college and a master's degree from so-called "elite" schools when I started working at BSU. They offer great tuition benefits to their employees and Muncie was very boring, so I did the MBA program in the evenings and summers in order to add another credential and go for better jobs later on. So, I had a lot of experience at other schools before going to BSU.

This was also in the late '80s, when MBA programs were hot-hot-hot.

Most of the people I saw in my MBA program were older students, grownups who were already employed but needed to keep up with the young hotshots. They worked really hard and took school seriously, and got a lot out of the program. I did too—I am a nerd by nature and love school, and it was interesting and different to study business when my previous education was in the liberal arts. Professors were good, really rose to the occasion when they found students who were motivated. Academically I found the material easy and cruised through the program with straight A's (even in statistics!).

The undergrads…well, they were nothing special. Kind of immature and interested in partying more than studying. I kept to the older students.

Now that I am out I find that the business knowledge I got has stood me in very good stead and helped me in my career, especially at first when MBAs were not a dime-a-dozen. It was impressive to have a MBA degree and everyone knew Ball State, so I kind of cruised there too.

So, yeah, get your MBA at Ball State but if you are serious about it, take the night classes and hang out with the grownups.