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Boston2009
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ROI [#permalink] New post   16 Jul 2009, 10:01
So being rather new, both in this process and in this community, I wanted to toss around a few ideas related to ROI of an MBA.

My situation: I'm 28 years old, male, American. I have worked in Non-profit finance for 4 years now. Recently purchased a business that I am managing part time. If I attend B-school part time, I would receive partial (75%) sponsorship and I can more than easily pay the rest. As you can see in my profile, I have an different mix of schools that I am planning applying to:

PT MBA: If I end up attending BC or NYU, having the firm pay for most of the education is a major plus. If I end up at NYU, I would most likely crash at my folks place over the weekends.

Pros: No loans, I can continue running my business and maybe buy a BMW :lol:

Cons: Longer time to complete the degree, if I want to shift to Investment Management, it will be an up hill battle with little support from the career offices, which means some crazy networking for jobs in Boston prior to graduation.

European B-Schools: If I end up at Oxbridge, IMD, all being 1 year programs, I would have to quit the job, sell the business and move out of Boston. But I think that I could switch to IM much quicker and comparatively easier because I would going full time to make a career shift. In terms of tuition payments, depending on how much my business sells for and UK/Swiss exchange rates I could end up paying the full tuition or partial payment/loan mix through the liquidity event of selling the business.

Pros: 1 year MBA, quick return to the job market. International experience, would like to work in the Middle East at an IM firm.

Cons: Selling the business (reduction of income stream), probably taking out some student loans, economy questionable for career changers.

So I think I have laid out my reasoning for applying to such an odd mix of schools. I now that many people here are thinking of the big three or the top ten but my background and goals are much different from many of you guys, so please bear that mind. Your input would be most appreciated.
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Re: ROI [#permalink] New post   16 Jul 2009, 10:06
I don't know you undergrad background, but also check out Kellogg's one-year program, which might better fit your personal situation than going overseas (it requires some business education background).

Otherwise, I think you need to assess how important the career switch is to you. If it is huge, then full-time is probably the best choice. That said, these days even a full-time program is a roll of the dice on switching careers, particularly into IM I imagine.
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Boston2009
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Re: ROI [#permalink] New post   16 Jul 2009, 11:13
rca215 wrote:
I don't know you undergrad background, but also check out Kellogg's one-year program, which might better fit your personal situation than going overseas (it requires some business education background).

Otherwise, I think you need to assess how important the career switch is to you. If it is huge, then full-time is probably the best choice. That said, these days even a full-time program is a roll of the dice on switching careers, particularly into IM I imagine.


Thanks RCA. Econ Undergrad/Top ten program as per BW. Will check out Kellogg. The good thing is that I still have time to recalibrate the application choices.

Career switch: That is just it. I mean graduating from PT MBA say 3 years from now, might mean a better economic reality. I would still have to network like a madman, and conduct a job search without any help from the B-School but I would have NO loans and an existing job, so I could hopefully target the right firms.

With a FT 1 yr MBA, I start in 2010, graduate in 2011 with loans and the pressure to find the right IM job. Also no one has a crystal ball on how well the economy is going to turn around. A bit dicey there, but I'll have support from the career services office.

Btw, I forgot to mention: If I do end up going the FT 1 Yr. route, I will spend Summer 2010 doing a "pre-MBA" internship to facilitate the career switch, because I am well aware that everything is compressed in a 1 yr MBA program with little to no intern opportunities. For this proposed summer internship, I'll pretty much cast the widest net possible and will be working for free so who wouldn't want free slave labor? :lol:
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Re: ROI [#permalink] New post   16 Jul 2009, 11:19
Boston2009 wrote:
rca215 wrote:
I don't know you undergrad background, but also check out Kellogg's one-year program, which might better fit your personal situation than going overseas (it requires some business education background).

Otherwise, I think you need to assess how important the career switch is to you. If it is huge, then full-time is probably the best choice. That said, these days even a full-time program is a roll of the dice on switching careers, particularly into IM I imagine.


Thanks RCA. Econ Undergrad/Top ten program as per BW. Will check out Kellogg. The good thing is that I still have time to recalibrate the application choices.

Career switch: That is just it. I mean graduating from PT MBA say 3 years from now, might mean a better economic reality. I would still have to network like a madman, and conduct a job search without any help from the B-School but I would have NO loans and an existing job, so I could hopefully target the right firms.

With a FT 1 yr MBA, I start in 2010, graduate in 2011 with loans and the pressure to find the right IM job. Also no one has a crystal ball on how well the economy is going to turn around. A bit dicey there, but I'll have support from the career services office.

Btw, I forgot to mention: If I do end up going the FT 1 Yr. route, I will spend Summer 2010 doing a "pre-MBA" internship to facilitate the career switch, because I am well aware that everything is compressed in a 1 yr MBA program with little to no intern opportunities. For this proposed summer internship, I'll pretty much cast the widest net possible and will be working for free so who wouldn't want free slave labor? :lol:


Hmm, it is definitely a dilemma. I'm not sure I know enough about PT programs to understand the odds of career switching. That said, it seems you understand the challenges and are adapting to them. The pre-MBA internship would be a great idea, but would need to be reconfigured if you do pursue Kellogg's one-year program, which starts in June and ends the next June so that the students graduate with the rest of the school. Best of luck!
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Boston2009
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Re: ROI [#permalink] New post   17 Jul 2009, 05:51
rca215 wrote:
Boston2009 wrote:
rca215 wrote:
I don't know you undergrad background, but also check out Kellogg's one-year program, which might better fit your personal situation than going overseas (it requires some business education background).

Otherwise, I think you need to assess how important the career switch is to you. If it is huge, then full-time is probably the best choice. That said, these days even a full-time program is a roll of the dice on switching careers, particularly into IM I imagine.


Thanks RCA. Econ Undergrad/Top ten program as per BW. Will check out Kellogg. The good thing is that I still have time to recalibrate the application choices.

Career switch: That is just it. I mean graduating from PT MBA say 3 years from now, might mean a better economic reality. I would still have to network like a madman, and conduct a job search without any help from the B-School but I would have NO loans and an existing job, so I could hopefully target the right firms.

With a FT 1 yr MBA, I start in 2010, graduate in 2011 with loans and the pressure to find the right IM job. Also no one has a crystal ball on how well the economy is going to turn around. A bit dicey there, but I'll have support from the career services office.

Btw, I forgot to mention: If I do end up going the FT 1 Yr. route, I will spend Summer 2010 doing a "pre-MBA" internship to facilitate the career switch, because I am well aware that everything is compressed in a 1 yr MBA program with little to no intern opportunities. For this proposed summer internship, I'll pretty much cast the widest net possible and will be working for free so who wouldn't want free slave labor? :lol:


Hmm, it is definitely a dilemma. I'm not sure I know enough about PT programs to understand the odds of career switching. That said, it seems you understand the challenges and are adapting to them. The pre-MBA internship would be a great idea, but would need to be reconfigured if you do pursue Kellogg's one-year program, which starts in June and ends the next June so that the students graduate with the rest of the school. Best of luck!


I think I have pretty unique circumstances in this matter, so it would be great to get some advice for the esteemed members of this community.

I can reconfigure my pre-MBA internship if I end up at Kellogg (or any other school). It would be a question of leaving my current job and selling the business a bit earlier than usual.

Others, please feel free to chime in!
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Re: ROI [#permalink] New post   18 Jul 2009, 09:05
Columbia has a shorter program too, the January start....and Cornell has an accelerated MBA. I know nothing of them other than they exist.
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Re: ROI [#permalink] New post   18 Jul 2009, 12:40
Columbia's starts in January and goes straight through for 1.5 years, including the one summer. So for their next entry, you would start in January 2010 and end in May/June 2011. Applications for the January 2010 start started in April or so and are done on a rolling basis until early fall (I think).

I don't know the timing of Cornell's program, but I do know that it requires you to already have some other advanced degree (anything post-bachelors).
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Boston2009
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Re: ROI [#permalink] New post   20 Jul 2009, 07:53
riverripper wrote:
Columbia has a shorter program too, the January start....and Cornell has an accelerated MBA. I know nothing of them other than they exist.


I don't think I'll be eligible for Cornell but Columbia is looking good. Just need to have the GMAT in on time.

Thanks!
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Boston2009
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Re: ROI [#permalink] New post   20 Jul 2009, 08:10
rca215 wrote:
Columbia's starts in January and goes straight through for 1.5 years, including the one summer. So for their next entry, you would start in January 2010 and end in May/June 2011. Applications for the January 2010 start started in April or so and are done on a rolling basis until early fall (I think).

I don't know the timing of Cornell's program, but I do know that it requires you to already have some other advanced degree (anything post-bachelors).


Thanks, RCA.

I think Columbia calls it a J-term start; it’s specifically designed for entrepreneurs, folks who want to stay in the same industry etc. Even though 1.5 years is pretty close to the standard 2 year program, I am still intrigued mostly because of the rep of the school (top 10) and the location (NYC).

I know that the European schools: Oxbridge, IMD would probably fall in the Top 20 range in the U.S. but that’s not a huge factor in my application decision. They are all shorter programs, would give me a European perspective, and I wouldn’t mind working internationally for the right firm. I mean if I am going to uproot myself from Boston, might as well go all the way :D

The local (BC, NYU) PT programs are great and cushy but I do have concerns about the career change situation. I know it can be done, but would feel much better talking with a PT MBA grad who went about a career shift. So no clarity on the issue.

I just might apply to all the schools on my list and see what happens.
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Re: ROI [#permalink]
20 Jul 2009, 08:10

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