Tepper ($$) vs Wharton EMBA vs Re-apply

Congratulations on getting into the Tepper MBA program and the Wharton EMBA.

I have a feeling, you could possibly ask the Wharton admissions team to reconsider you for placement this year. The executive MBA program is a lot more flexible with what they can do and how they assemble the class so if you were eager to start sooner than later, they may be able to help out. Or perhaps you already asked and they said no?

Thank you for posting by the way. This is a pretty rare topic and when people often split hairs, in this case we are comparing completely different species so it’s a lot more fun First of all, the full-time and executive programs are meaningfully different. You would be expected to have a job while you’re doing the executive program or you probably want to have a job so you can pay the bills. It makes the executive program cost a lot more palatable since you don’t have to quit your day job. I can’t remember if the Wharton program is two or three years but either way, The total cost including the opportunity cost, he’s probably going to be about the same or maybe a little cheaper for Wharton.

At the same time, the executive programs don’t usually focus on transformation or switching industries. They tend to be designed for accomplished and experienced individuals Who don’t need to be rebuilt or rebranded but rather augmented or improved. As the result, there’s no recruiting component usually embedded into the executive programs. Often executive students are not invited to recruiting events or other full-time engagements. There are reasons for that and many of them a logical, often the opportunities for recruiting would be Junior to work you would be looking. Which brings a good question, will the full-time program really fulfill your needs? Would be employers coming to hire mid-level consultants or project managers be attractive to you? Would those jobs be a fit for you? I’m not asking if you want them but rather would you feel he will work hard to get them and then you would fit once you got them? A lot of times the recruiter would’ve been a graduate who graduated five years ago and is probably in their mid-30s. It makes it tougher for older candidates to recruit on campus and full-time programs. It’s a less traditional track. Most well experienced candidates tend to recruit around or network off campus.... are you expecting Tepper to help you land a job?

Asked to your aspiration of taking any class you want, it’s not as good as it sounds. First of all, classes tend to be limited in size. That means you have to bid for them will compete with other people which means you may not get all the exact classes you want. Not all classes are offered every semester. Some classes overlap with others or take place during very inconvenient time creating gaps and holes in your schedule. Also, by the time you are in your second year, you have done 15 presentations, five projects, taking 12 finals, and sent out 100 resumes to get an internship. At that point you’re looking for a job and the last thing you need is an interesting elective class that will keep you away from recruiting, keep you up at night and threaten to torpedo your GPA. It’s kind of like an all you can eat buffet for two years with the same dishes. He gets tiring after a year. 😉 I don’t think the class selection in Tepper is going to beat Wharton. I would not be worried about it. I am a little bit unsure about your comment about getting a masters degree on top of an MBA. I don’t think it helps. You can do it for personal reasons but it’s almost never worth the effort....

To me it sounds like you’re looking for a change and sooner than later perhaps. I don’t think executive MBA would be enough change based on what you’re saying so your options are to try to change your job or to go to Tepper if change is something you feel you have to do in the next 3 months. Your other option is to potentially spend the next six months and change your job and get your personal things in order before starting the Wharton executive program but what do you expect for the MBA to do for you?

I am not sure you can improve your situation significantly by reapplying. It’s definitely possible but statistically unlikely due to the age component and your experience. Schools tend to have a certain sweet spot for applicants and certain career track that fits well consultants and tech project managers. Graduating in the second half of your 30s, does not fit that track. I think your options are either Tepper in three months or taking a year to sort things out and join Wharton if you still think MBA is the right choice at that stage. (you can ask to join the Wharton sooner but it sounds like you need to sort your work situation first).

That’s how I see it.
It feels like Wharton would be the less risky option as well.

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