Need info on Johns Hopkins Carey Business School

JHU's Carey is a new school without accreditation, thus not ranked. I would not expect Carey to be ranked any time soon. There's going to be quite a lot of growing pain. It would need to convince people to make a risky move by going to an unaccredited school, with little to no recruiting relationship with major MBA employers. I expect some people will be attracted because of the UG reputation, but I really don't think many top tier applicants will take the risk without some sort of incentive (i.e. full ride + stipend). The future for Carey is really unclear. It wants to be a top tier school. I don't see that happening, as there is a lot of competition at that level. There are plenty of more prestigious UG schools that are struggling to make a name for themselves. Rice, Emory, and Notre Dame comes to mind.

I would not recommend going to Carey over a top 30 school unless you get a really big scholarship. Even then, I wouldn't do it.

The Carey Global MBA program is truly an interesting case.

Full disclosure first; I applied to the program, was offered a nice financial package and am quite seriously considering (even leaning toward) going over other offers from top 30 schools (though in the 15-25 half of that group).

Yes the program is new but there is so much to be said for it. First, and most obviously, is the environment in which it is situated. Hopkins is a first rate school in every sense of the phrase and at the top of many fields... fields that segue so well with any business program (bio med, life sciences, tech, engineering). The University broadly is such a pinnacle of achievement and class that there is a sense that Carey simply will not fail and will, in fact, succeed quite thoroughly. You feel that sense of excitement and intellectual innovation in everyone you speak with.

The faculty they have recruited is really top notch and certainly on par with what you would find in many of the top 30 schools.

Regarding recruitment and career opportunities. It is certainly true that they don't have a well-developed program of on campus recruiting. Not having a full time program until now, they simply couldn't. That being said I think there are some real mitigating factors that helped assuage my concerns in this area.

First, take a look at the companies and executives that have thrown their names and support behind this endeavor as presented by the Board and the Advisory Council. Impressive for a new program. Second, while on campus recruiting may not be established and robust, the career services staff certainly is. And considering that the entering class will have fewer than 80 students, personal attention will be abound. Third, while this particular program doesn't have an alumni base, Hopkins has been doing business education for years and has a large and impressive alumni network in the business world. Going one step further, the JHU alumni network is a vast resource of powerful people in excellent positions. Finally on this front, the Hopkins name carries a lot of weight, especially on the East Coast and in the areas Hopkins is strongest. I think that we, in the b-school admissions rat race, often have a tendency to get hung up on the rankings. Rankings are a great indicator of a program's strength, but for many employers, their judgment and perception is far more subjective and brand based. The Hopkins brand of intellectual rigor is a strong one to be associated with.

The bottom line in terms of career development is that the people at Hopkins and the Carey School are very savvy. They know that the success of the program and the school will be determined in large part by the profile and success of their inaugural class. Significant resources both from the Carey School and JHU institutionally are being deployed to ensure this program is successful.

One of my main concerns with the program was that I had no idea what the entering class would look like. Carey recently launched a (surprisingly nice) social networking site for admitted students that has put many of my fears to rest. The academic/professional profiles, life experiences, and geographic spread of the applicants seems to be almost identical to what I've seen at other top B-schools. The only difference is that it appears there is a more pronounced interest in social issues.

The program probably isn't the right place for someone who needs traditional structure and is interested in walking into management consulting or finance. If you have the profile, there are places you could go that would make your life much easier. There is no doubt that the program will experience some "growing pains". But for the right kind of person who is excited by the program's unique philosophy, the Hopkins brand and the idea of building something new, I think it would be a great fit.

It also turns out that Baltimore is much nicer than I was led to believe...

I'm a JHU alum, and much of what you said is true. I spoke to them about the MBA, I met some MBA alums, I think they're good people, and ultimately anything the school puts its name on will do well. The immediate benefits of a JHU MBA are unclear though, and for me, it wasn't worth applying to. I wanted a new alumni network, my focus is on finance, and there's a lot of reasons I didn't consider it.

Now, I do disagree with you that Rice, Emory and Notre Dame are more prestigious. I'm considering going to Emory's MBA program, and I was there this weekend. I have friends and colleagues that went to each of these schools, I will defend JHU's rigor and prestige against virtually any other school in the country. Frankly, as much as I like all of the schools you mentioned, I don't think Notre Dame is in the same league as the other two, and I think Hopkins as a whole is better (or at worst on par with) the other two schools.

So, your point is valid that these are good schools having growing pains with their MBA programs. I don't expect Hopkins to come in and just fly up the rankings....they won't. It will take time. I can't imagine them ever taking the spot of a top 10 school. I think in 50 years, you will be talking about them as a top 25 program though. I think you'll continue to talk about Emory as a top 25 program too.

I love the education I got from Hopkins, I respect the place a lot, I think they do adapt to change fairly well and make improvements to the school and listen to input from students, BUT I think Baltimore is a miserable place to spend 4 years (or 2 years). Baltimore has improved over the past 10 years, but it's not a nice place.

DC - you're thinking about Hopkins vs Indiana? That's a tough call. I can put you in touch with a Hopkins MBA if you'd like. I think your decision will ultimately come down to these two things: 1) where do you feel more comfortable? 2) what are you looking to do, and how will your school help you get there?

Hopkins doesn't have that MBA network that established schools have, and it's part of any newer program. If my undergrad experience is any indication, you'd get one heck of an education at Hopkins, but you might lose out on the more social aspects of school.

PM me if you want to know more about JHU.

DC2012, have you made a decision yet?

Were you invited to interview? How fast was the process? I just applied this week.

Also, can you send the link to the social networking site?

I just received my admissions notification from Carey regarding my acceptance into the Global MBA program for this Fall. I am extremely excited about the program and am very impressed by the interactions that I have had thus far with the staff at Carey. I agree with what was written above regarding the caliber of the incoming class. The inaugural class contains some very successful candidates with very diverse backgrounds, high undergrad GPAs, and GMAT scores in the 700+ range.

I conducted a phone interview and it was a very positive experience. I was asked a few questions about my work experience, my educational background, how I found out about the new program, my impressions of Johns Hopkins, etc. Really enjoyed the interview compared to some of the interviews I had with several other MBA programs.

Are there any other admitted students here who have made the decision to attend the program? I would be interested in getting in touch with you.

Thanks for sharing your experience! How many people are in the innaugural class thus far?

I also got accepted at Carey, they offer me half tuition. I also got accepted at GW and Smith. Even though I find the Carey program really interesting I think I will go for GW or Smith. Everything at Carey seems to be great, faculty, location, facilities and program but I'm not sure how long does it gonna take the school to get ranked??

Hi everyone...
I also got accepted to the program and am having some last minute jitters on accepting...
I initially applied to MIT's LGO, Kellog's MMM, and Stanford. Needles to say, I wasnt accepted to either.
I do love JHU's program, specially the Discovery to Innovation aspect, but I'm concerned on cashing out 96k plus living expenses without any kind of information of what I may be making after graduation. I was offered a bunch on different types of loans but no scholarship money and after reading the above I wonder if it was because I applied on the very last day. Anybody else on the same boat regarding costs?

Jgras, when you said that they offered you half tuition, what that through loans in the finaid department or an actual grant/scholarship?

By the way, I have been living in Baltimore for 7 years and I love this town... it definitively has it rough spots, but overall between Canton, Fells, Mt Vernon and Fed Hill, there is enough fun to be had with easy going people of all age groups and social status. Be sure not to expect it to be a NY or a Miami...

Hi,
So when did you get acceptance? I applied late too, maybe we are in the same boat I worry about 96k +living expenses for a brain new program I am not sure if it is worth it without scholarship, I am not saying that it is not a good program it is just a risk one should think about.

I got my acceptance about two weeks ago. I literally applied on the very last day (June 11th). I will be accepting though, I have a meeting with my boss today to submit my resignation. There are a lot of things in this program that I really love. The social entrepreneurship aspect, the discover to market projects, the Hopkins name, etc,etc. On top of all that, I love living in Baltimore and not having to relocate and make my wife quit her job to follow my studies is also a plus. Yet, the ~63k/year of living expenses calculated by the Fin Aid office required to attend the program leave a small gap for "expenses" after tuition is covered at 43k+books and what not.
I may be in a different boat than others, but after working for 7 years, going back to school is a tough choice, I have a mortgage on a house that is worth less than what I own on it, if I try to rent it it would be at a loss, I am married, I have a dog and a cat, etc,etc,etc... so the calculation the FinAid office made of a person movign in with roommates or renting a cheap appartment for two years doesnt quite apply for me. I think they did this so the cost of living would look cheaper in papaer after the very high tuition they are charging (in my opinion). In any case, we will have to REALLY tighten our belts, and maybe start waiting of bartending a couple of nights a week, but we are going for it!
I believes it is a great program that will indeed change my life and being part of the charter class is a very exciting prospect!

Hello,
I will graduate from the Carey Business School in April of 2011 having completed 36 credits thus far. Hence, I have to disagree with many of the posts on this board regarding the accredidation factor because you are missing a very important point, employers want to see more then just an MBA foot note on your resume. Whether it is from Stanford of Hopkins means very little for a seasoned senior managment professional applying for a new role. I have worked in biotech for (20) years and have been at the management level for (9) and can tell you from experience that employers want to see people that offer concise value propositions and that has little to do with an AACSB accredidation. The Hopkins MBA gives you the tools to ask the right questions, and many young people today think that they will land a prestigous job just because they attended Wharton or Kellogg, wrong, if you cannot ask the right questions during an interview, its all moot. While I will admit the Hopkins MBA is not of the same caliber as an MIT Sloan, or Wharton, if you have on the job corporate experience, it will matter very little. Focus your energy on building your brand, and presenting to a prospective employer what benefits you will bring to that organization and ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS. Many people feel an employer is captivated by a "know it all" candidate with some flashy MBA on his or her resume, wrong again. The President of my company makes 7 million a year and only has a BA in marketing, however, he is gifted at presenting, communicating, and creating value. Bottom line, $200K for a Kellogg MBA vs 55K for my Hopkins MBA, the ROI is not there for Kellog, and Hopkins gives you what you need and they have the brand to back it.

Hi Everyone,

I'm thinking of applying to Johns Hopkins Carey Business School for the Fall of 2011. I recently just took the GMAT but received a 550 overall score (did considerably well on the Quant section than Verbal). I didn't have too much time to study for the test due to the demanding nature of my job. However I feel I have done well in my other areas with 4 years of banking experience in Equity Derivatives at Citi and double major in Math and Economics with a 3.6 GPA at Binghmation University. Can someone please let me know if I am considered competitive candidate for the GLOBAL MBA PROGRAM.


Thanks for your feedback!

citi 1984... I'm part of the 2012 class at the Carey GMBA... From what I have heard at school, I would guess that the average GMAT score is around 700 (my own guess...), although I think the spread is quite large. I have friends that scored as low as 620 and as high as 780. I scored 640 with 6.0 myself. Although your score is definitively on the low end, I wouldn't bet completely discouraged since JHU's Carey Buss. School, kind of like Stanford, bases much of their acceptance decision outside of the GMAT score. From what I see, they are looking for entrepreneurial, driven, passionate, and 'out of the ordinary' applicants applicants. So, if you have a good story, good undergraduate grades, interest in the human side of business, and entrepreneurial spirit... you should apply regardless. You never know. The atmosphere here is great. I have many good friends at MIT, Stanford, HBS, and Wharton and it seems there is much more of a camaraderie aspect going on at Carey with much less ultra-competitive/cut-throat stuff going on. I haven't been there myself, is just my perception from conversations with them... I guess having this be a new program and the risk-sharing nature of everybody that decided to study here is more conducive to a close and cooperative group of students. There are certainly many growing pains... but I have not doubt in my mind that this program is going places soon... They are pulling out all the stops at Johns Hopkins for the GMBA to compete with top b-schools soon...Good luck!

Are there any current students willing to trade contact info? I would love to get more information about this program.

Is there anyone on this board that has been accepted or denied for c/o 2013 yet?

Kudos.

As a current student of the charter class of the GMBA at JHU Carey, I can attest to many advantages and disadvantages of this program... and I wouldn't mind discussing them with you personally if you wish (these will of course be my personal opinion and cannot be comparative to other schools since my experience is limited to this school).
At the moment, the entire class is engaged in our Innovation for Humanity project. We were all given a choice of four countries (Kenya, Rwanda, India, and Peru), we were asked to rank them by preference and also rank our areas of interest (Micro finance, Healthcare, Energy, and Entrepreneurship). Based on your choices they did their best to meet your interests and create groups of 5-6 students to go to these countries and work with locals developing specific projects for 3 weeks. At the moment I am in Rwanda (Kigali) and have been here for close to two weeks. Our projects have been very intense and we have been working a lot, this has been an outstanding experience and for this I do have a comparison to make with other top B-schools.
Harvard and other schools have come here to do similar projects since the beginning of the year, and we have met with many of the same people (Government Ministers, Chamber of commerce, businessmen, tour operators, drivers, etc) and they have all told us that we are a stark contrast to the other schools. They all seem to agree that we have a very different attitude about being here, that we are here to work, not vacation, and that we don't mind getting our hands dirty and work out problems from the bottom up. The other 'better' schools seem to only want to deal with very high level people and are disconnected from the reality of the people. Oh yeah, and we are much friendlier...

Needless to say, we are all very happy and proud to hear these comments, but we believe this is part of the spirit Carey is trying to create in its students. We don't think we 'deserve' anything, we don't think that people owe us anything for being here. We work very hard everyday and believe it is our privilege to be here, we are here to help and learn, not to do anyone a favor.

Therefore, I think that at least as far as these types of projects are concerned, I think we are learning more and getting a lot more out of this experience than the other schools are.
Oh, by the way, all of our expenses (flight, hotel, cash packets, tours, meals, etc) are included in the tuition... I don't know about other schools, but students from Harvard told us that it cost them more than 5k each out of pocket to come.

The internet is really unstable here, so I have tried to upload the message a few times unsuccessfully, I hope I am not flooding the board with the same message 5 times... if I did, my apologies...

My two cents...

Howdy - accepted here. Was thrilled to get the letter!

Like joanorana, I'm worried about the actual expenses vs. the financial aid package. Every school I've visited has said don't dream of getting a job your first year, but I have no idea how else to afford everything!

mvanbusk, where did you end up going? To JHU or Fuqua?
I am a potential Jhu class of 2014. I got the letter 2 weeks ago.

Cheers!