ColonelSanders wrote:
Hey there,
Thanks for your post. I wanted to pick your brain on your decision to attend the Erb Institute. I've visited Michigan on two occasions now and will definitely apply in Round 1 this year. I'm also looking to apply to MIT,UPenn, and maybe Stanford. In terms of career path, I'm looking at entrepreneurship after my MBA (perhaps go back in consulting for two years to pay part of my tuition back). Moreover, I have a real interest in Cleantech and the concept of sustainable systems. However, given my background in business, I need to understand these concepts further in an educational environment. While I undoubtedly agree that the Erb Institute is the premier program for my interests (possibly Stanford), how did you choose going to Michigan in a 3 year program vs. going to an MIT/UPenn 2 year program with an emphasis in Sustainability? For entrepreneurship, I feel MIT / UPenn would open more doors (although Ross' dept is quite underrated) but Michigan would provide the foundation I seek in Environmental Management.
At your convenience, let me know your thoughts and any advice you can give from your experience.
Cheers,
The Colonel
I don't know much about MIT or UPenn's programs in sustainability. I believe both are fairly new. I'd ruled out those two schools early for various reasons - including location. The other program I was deciding against was Berkeley, and probably for the same reasons you're considering MIT and UPenn. The other well established dual degree programs are Yale and Duke - Stanford's is also new.
I thought a lot about 2 versus 3 years and spoke to a current students and alums at Berkeley and Michigan. For me, it came down to the following:
- I have no background in environmental science so I wanted the formal education in it. I also wanted the MS to distinguish myself from other MBAs looking to do the same thing as me. More importantly, I felt it would be difficult to learn about cleantech, sustainability, social enterprise, etc. on my own while also doing schoolwork, club activities, case competitions... And I can tell you that as a student for about a month now, I'm totally overcommitted (but in a good way) and would not have had any time at all to do that research on my own. Recruiting starts immediately and there is no time for reflection on what you want to do with your life. With 3 years, I have two internships and a Master's project to really gain that experience and knowledge.
- The student, faculty, and alumni base are unbeatable. Erb is the largest dual degree program in terms of # of students who do it. It's the most well coordinated which is important if you're looking at dual degree programs elsewhere. It can be difficult to coordinate classes across two schools. Erb has faculty that are jointly appointed to SNRE and Ross and because there's 100+ students across the three years in Erb, it's easy to coordinate classes across the two schools. I can't say enough about being with a class of 30 students who are all motivated by the same cause - and also having the support and guidance of 70 other 2nd and 3rd years.
- Alumni base is important to me. While there's about 250 Erb alums, the community is tight. I spoke to several alums while I was deciding on Erb and they all set aside time to talk to me. Because we're a small community, we all support each other and they're going to be a valuable part of my job hunt - not to give me a job, but to help me learn about different career paths, industries, etc. The one disadvantage I could see from not being at Berkeley was networking with companies on the West Coast, but there are Erb alums out there and Erb students who have interned out there, so I don't think I'm at a disadvantage.
- There's the Erb Advisory Committee of folks in for-profit and non-profit who help shape the strategy of the Erb Institute. They are also a resource for students to contact and ask questions to.
So those were my main deciding factors. Plus I got some $$ from Ross which made the third year not so bad financially. Hope this helps!
23 Sep 2009, 21:17
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