Admissionado
Joined: 30 Nov 2009
Posts: 9211
Location: Chicago, IL
Schools:Brown University, Harvard Business School
Can MBA Candidates Transfer to Different Schools?
[#permalink]
09 Jun 2011, 23:09
Whats up gang. Another great question just rolled in from Shanghai. Thought I'd share...
===============
Hi Jon, is it easy to transfer from one to another MBA program? I applied for MBA this year, got in to a program which is not so good, and I want to attend for now but transfer to a better b-school once i get there. What is the feasibility of this idea? Thanks.
===============
[Hello there—I am glad that you asked this. For whatever reason, many folks have reached out to us on this very issue. So let’s get into it.
I want to be very clear here: your proposed transfer is VERY difficult to accomplish. It is also a bad idea. Clear enough for ya? In fact, let me list the following 3 key reasons why you should NOT seek to transfer from one MBA program to another.
1) You will likely not get in. Whys that? Well now, you need to write a VERY compelling “Optional Essay.” You need to explain why you didn’t get into the school you wanted at the beginning, and why you aren’t happy at your current school. This is a VERY difficult case to make. To give you a sense, we have worked with literally 2 clients on this task ever, out of 3,000 clients over the past 5 years. And while we were successful, it is a TOUGH sell.
2) More time, more money. If you do get in, you will have to redo your first year, and double down on both time and money. Gosh. And here I thought that my two year MBA was long enough—now you’re gonna add 50% more time and money? A very aggressive move. And by the way, if you DON’T get in, your grades and experience at your first school will surely suffer. Why?
3) You need to focus 100% on the school you are attending. Don’t sell your experience short; dig deep into academics, reach out to professors, develop your network both on campus and beyond. Don’t take yourself out of the game, by pursuing other opportunities. Focus on getting the most of your MBA. Everything else is just a distraction.