big4sucks wrote:
im guessing evening programs are easier to get into than full-time programs but is there a disadvantage to being in the part-time program when it comes to recruiting? will the MBB's view a candidate differently if they see that their a part time student rather than a full-time one?
also, is it possible to switch from part-time to full-time? i know this is possible at law schools where you can enter as a part-time student but can switch over to full-time by just taking classes during the summer after ur first year. i was just wondering if this was possible for MBA programs as well.
Evening program- yes it's easier, although it's not a shoe in. You need the numbers (for example at Chicago there are still plenty of 700 GMAT people who get rejected if they lack good WE or GPA's). As for recruiting it may or may not be a handicap depending on the position you are recruiting for. For MBB it is a huge handicap. Yes every year 5 or 10 PT people form Booth make it to MBB but they are anomolies, and usually from a Consulting background already. You can do an internship in the PT program, but have to get it on your own. For MBB to get an internship out of the PT program I don't really know if you could. You don't have access to the same meet and greets and everything. I have one of those "friends" who got one, but seriously don't go PT if you want to make a career switch to MBB. While you "might" be able to do it you would be much better served by a lower ranked (10-15 program) than by a PT MBA (and on that level I would say Booth and Northwestern are the only PT programs that would even give you a slim shot). For F500 roles I actually don't see a handicap, at least at Booth from the students I know. If you want to work at a Dow or a GE it might be more difficult from PT but for the vast majority of F500 roles being recruited at Booth I've seen that most Part-timers get offers at the same rate as full-timers. For BB front office roles and MBB this is not the case. They have very structured recruiting systems, and as such if you don't take the traditional path (FT M-7 MBA, Internship, offer) then you are trying to be the anomoly which doesn't usually bode well for the party involved.
MBB's may or may not view PT vs FT candidates differently come 2nd year OCR if both had say a F500 internship, but this is only true on a basic level. Recruiting events are huge. they are a major part of why you go to a top business school. If you are PT you are limited to the use of these events and as such you are handicaped. From the conversations I've had, once you get a first round interview for MBB PT vs. FT doesn't matter, it all comes down to your cases and how you leverage your experience. The trick is whether you get the interview, which as a FT student you have an advantage (can usually get more bids for interview spots, have spent a year going to the casual meet and greets/dinners). For a firm like McKinsey who normally gives a bunch of first round interviews this might not be a big deal, for the rest you are fighting an uphill battle. Remember if you don't meet the 3.5 threshold and the 700ish GMAT score that firms use as a screener this stuff doesn't even matter. At Booth most PT's have these stats, at a UCLA or UCB type school the PT program median likely puts most of these guys out of the running.
I think it used to be possible to switch to FT at Chicago, that door was closed 5 or so years back. You could take all FT classes down at the Hyde Park campus, but cannot switch into the programs. From my knowledge of Northwestern the same is true for them, but I don't go there so cannot ensure this is 100% correct.
As to MBB my summary would be this: It's possible if you fit the stats, but don't count on it. If you want to make a career switch go FT, PT is not set up to make these goals happen and just because it sometimes does doesn't mean this is the norm.
22 May 2011, 19:41
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