scoonian wrote:
1) Haas (Part-time) vs 2) Anderson (Full-time) vs 3) Reapplying next year
(This is going to be a long post. Please bear with me. Your inputs to help me make this crucial decision would be highly appreciated.)
I am glad to be selected to Haas EWMBA program and Anderson full-time (with $50K fellowship) program. I am trying to figure out the pros and cons of the two programs. I am also considering skipping this year and applying full-fledged next year.
Given below are the details about my profile and plans.
Profile:
Indian, Male, Age: 29, GMAT 730, (Q49, V40)
Bachelors: Civil Engineering, IIT Madras, GPA: 7.32/10,
Masters: Transportation Engineering, Texas A&M University, GPA 3.9/4.0
Certifications:
CFA Level 3 Candidate.
Professional Engineer, State of California.
Graduate Certificate in Business, Mays Business School, Texas A&M University
Work experience details:
5.5 years with California Department of Transportation. Worked in different engineering roles for the first 3 years. Working with project management division (present role - Assistant Project Manager) for the last 2.5 years.
Post-MBA plans:
Path A: Would like to move into management consulting in firms like PWC, Bain, and KPMG. Prefer to work in infrastructure management and PPP (Public-Private Partnership) roles, but open to explore other areas too.
Path B: In my present job in project management I spend a significant amount of time on data-analytics. Along with Infrastructure Industry, Data Analytics is my passion. If I chose this path, ultimately, I would like to set up my own data-analytics firm. I still need to figure what kind of roles would be suitable and are of interest to me in this field, post-mba. Any insights in this regard would be helpful.
Given my profile and plans, below are the pros and cons that I could think of:
1) Haas EWMBA:
Pros:
a) Family settled in Bay-Area, so it would be easier on that front.
b) Berkeley vs UCLA brand (I am not sure how much importance I should give to this with respect to my MBA. Being an Engineer, UCB brand for me is second to none, and on par with MIT and Stanford)
Cons:
a) career change might be difficult
b) might be missing that full-fledged MBA experience
c) network (not sure how much a part-time MBA would help me build a strong personal and professional network)
2) Anderson full-time MBA
Pros:
a) easier to change careers
b) full-fledged MBA experience might be a positively life transformative experience, especially with respect to my soft-skills and people management skills.
c) network, both personal and professional
Cons:
a) Anderson brand (I am sure Anderson has its own strengths, but I am concerned how much I am losing compared to a M7 or Top 10 MBA)
b) Family Relocation (I know I can't complain moving from NorCal to SoCal, given that many people shift countries for MBA. Nevertheless, it still is a concern)
3) Reapplying (full-time):
Due to personal constraints, this year, I had to start my application process in the very last minute (First week of January). I applied three schools - Kellogg full-time, Anderson full-time, and Haas EWMBA). Spent a week on Kellogg, another week on Haas, and 3-5 days on Anderson. I am confident of my story, and am sure that I can put a better application next year. However, with respect to age and work experience, I’ll fall closer to extreme right on averages at most top 10 schools. I am not thinking of Harvard or Stanford, but I am hopeful of getting into at least one M7 school. This is what my thinking is:
Kellogg/Booth/Sloan/Columbia
- I think I have a decent chance of getting into at least one of those schools if I put my best application. I’ll be happy if I get into those next year.
Haas/Tuck/Stern
- I am confident of getting admitted to at least one of these. I’ll be satisfied.
Any other school
- I guess, one year later, I would feel that I might have been better off joining Anderson when I had the option.
Thank you for taking time to read my long post. Please reply with your suggestions and comments. They would be immensely helpful for me in making this crucial decision.
Ram
My advice for you is to wait a year and apply to schools that you truly want to attend.
Business school imposes a lot of cost on students. Not only does it cost $100K over 2 years just in tuition alone, you also lose your earning powers during that time period (although you don't have that issue with a part-time program).
To me, it sounds like Anderson does not fit perfectly with your career plans. Although you have an option to attend Anderson as you have been admitted, it's your prerogative to turn down the offer extended to you.
During my process, I did think briefly about applying a year after to "higher ranked" schools but at the end of the day, I felt comfortable with what Anderson had to offer and joined the community.
It's a substantial investment on your part. You want to join a community that you truly want to belong.
02 Apr 2014, 14:33
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