Kellogg "The Managers Program" (TMP) Changes Name

Question

Now it will be called "Kellogg Part Time MBA Program".

I think this is a wonderful decision. I am in that program and TMP sounds stupid. It was hard to explain to people that it was the Part Time program. 

There's also a new Saturday MBA program with a set curriculum.

sm176811 · Answer

Is it a good program? How competitive is it to get in and do you have to be physically located in the Chicago area?

klong009 · Answer

Another Kellogg part-timer! Hi Java Programmer! I'll be starting there this spring.

It's great news that they officially changed the name of the program. I always referred to it as "Kellogg's part-time program" when explaining it to others - calling it the Manager's Program made people think it was somehow "less" than an MBA. The Saturday program sounds interesting too - will there be any chance for Evening students to take those classes? Do you mean the Evening or this new Saturday program? The Evening program is definitely a good program. Same classes, same profs as the full time program - just at the downtown campus. I would say admissions are less competitive than the full time program based on sheer numbers, but the quality of students is still very high. The ave. GMAT is 690 and the ave. work experience 7 years. The program admits students 4 times a year - total of about 400-450. For the Evening program, you do have to be located in the greater Chicagoland area and you have to maintain full-time work the entire time you are in school. For this new Saturday program you don't have to live in Chicago.

Java Programmer · Answer

sm176811, Kellogg's FT and PT programs are both highly ranked. The Saturday MBA is probably to compete with Chicago's Evening program. Kellogg expects to have students from outside Chicago attend.

klong009, congratulations! Be prepared for a LOT of work over the next 2-3 years!

I hated the TMP name, it was meaningless since most students are not managers and want to become one. Besides, it didn't have name recognition.

rk4g63 · Answer

Guys, 
This post is with respect to the Kellogg Saturday MBA Program -

I have checked out the Kellogg Saturday Part Time Program in detail. 
No course choices. I went through the course list and it looks like they've cobbled together some courses from their Exec MBA program - you know that's going to be an abridged version of the actual corresponding FT course.
In addition, the essay questions are not what I would expect of Kellogg - I mean COME ON - they even ask "Why opt for a Saturday Program?" Not "Why Part Time", but "Why Saturday". The word limit on all essays is lesser than they allow for the FT Kellogg program (actually the word limit is the lowest allowed among all Programs I investigated) - they clearly do not want to read too much at all. Its like "yeah yeah tell us some stuff but not too much, we just want the money you'll bring in to the school, and we'll offer you the Kelllogg brand name in exchange".

Kellogg's emphasis is clearly on the FT program; the PT Program has been obviously pulled together just to get some of the lucrative business they were losing to other PT programs for out of state students. In addition, financial aid does not exist for PT programs, so it becomes a lucrative proposition for any school to have a PT or an Exec Program.

For example, the Kellogg Saturday Program allows no course choices or when you can take a certain course. Its like - "don't inconvenience us by having to provide course choices and having to work out the pre-reqs for each, we're giving you the Kellogg brand name, aren't we?"

About one month ago, I visited Kellogg and asked them about the Saturday Program - they were definitely interested in starting one, but intended starting it in 2008.
Looks to me the Saturday program for 2007 was hastily thrown together in order to be in time for 2007. MY Inference of the this fact combined with my discussions with the school - they are losing many students to the other part time programs (Chicago residents even come to Carlson for a PT MBA in Minneapolis, MN), since people shelling out 100k for the program + travel expenses ranging from 20-60k are now demanding more flexibility in terms of a weekend program. They are losing that market segment - so they're now applying excellent marketing techniques and cashing in on the Kellogg brand name to attract students for what appears to be a lower quality Saturday program.

In my opinion, after analyzing the top 8 PT programs (as ranked on Forbes), the Kellogg program appears to be a quick attempt to make some cash for 2007 in exchange for allowing students to gain the Kellogg brand name.

My opinion is obviously open for discussion, but keep in mind that this is my inference based on data I've shared. I'm disappointed in the Kellogg Saturday program. They obviously will improve it for 2008, but for 2007 - its a bust (in my opinion).

Don't get me wrong - Kellogg is still a fantastic school and I myself will be applying to Kellogg. In fact, if at all I apply to the Saturday MBA and am accepted, I'll take it up - I just will be paying for the brand name of Kellogg rather than a great education (which is what I expect from Kellogg), that's all. Howver, it's their apparently mercenary attitude that pisses me off - with regard to the Saturday MBA program.

klong009 · Answer

You seem to be confusing the Evening MBA program at Kellogg with the new Saturday MBA program, rk4g63. They are two different programs.

I agree that the rigidity of the Saturday program is a weakness. I don't know if they will be offering more Saturday classes in the future or not. However, that doesn't necessarily imply that the quality of those classes is low. The classes are still at Kellogg, taught by Kellogg professors. I doubt the Admissions Office is going to risk seriously diluting the Kellogg brand by admitting weak students. Even now, the average GMAT for the Evening program is only slightly lower than for the Full-Time program, and the average Evening student has two more years of experience. It's not that easy to get in - so it's not just "giving them money in exchange for the Kellogg name." You do have to earn it.

I don't know what essays are required for the Saturday program - but I don't think "why the Saturday program?" is an unreasonable question given that Kellogg also has the Evening, Executive and Full-Time programs. It's a specific way of asking "Why Kellogg?" And as for essay length equaling the quality of the program or the commitment of the Admissions Office, consider Stern's part-time program. It's ranked #1 for part-time programs, yet it only asks for two 250 word essays and one creative essay up to 500 words. Short essays just force you to be clear and concise.

You have some legitimate reasons to criticize the new Saturday program, but your message is hard to take seriously when you are making such broad generalizations about the whole Kellogg part-time program.

ETA: You are, of course, welcome to disagree with me.

I just don't understand why you think the flexibility of a program affects the quality of the classes.

prude_sb · Answer

HI Java Programmer & Kloong, We don't see many part-timers in this website, would you be able to share your profile ? It will certainly benefit many part-time MBA aspirants like me

Thank you very much Kloong Congratulations on your admit !!!

rk4g63 · Answer

klong, 
You didn't get the point. I was criticizing ONLY the Saturday program - something I made abundantly clear when starting off.

At NO POINT have I specifically criticized the Weekday Program.

klong009 · Answer

rk4g63 -

I understand your intent was to criticize the Saturday program, but when you make a statement like this one:

rk4g63

In my opinion, after analyzing the top 8 PT programs (as ranked on Forbes), the Kellogg program appears to be a quick attempt to make some cash for 2007 in exchange for allowing students to gain the Kellogg brand name.

You are painting the ENTIRE Kellogg part-time program with the same brush. I appreciate that you have gone back and edited your post to try to make it clearer - but your initial post made several references to just the Kellogg PT program without making it "abundantly clear" that you were talking about only the Saturday program.

Also, the classes are NOT "cobbled together from their Exec MBA program" - they are regularly offered classes from the FT and PT program. Go to this page: https://www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/par ... majors.htm and click on the course number after each listed class (save Capital Markets Finance). You'll be taken to the Course Catalog page for that class - which lists all the times in the current and upcoming quarter that class is offered in both the FT and PT locations.

klong009 · Answer

Hi prude_sb!

We definitely don't see enough part-timers on here - happy to share my profile. Where are you looking to apply?

710 GMAT
3.77 GPA from elite liberal arts college (Political Science and Economics double major)
3.75 years WE in litigation consulting
Good extracurriculars in college, little since then
Solid essays and letters of rec.
Strong story for "why MBA?"

Applied to and accepted at both Kellogg and Chicago GSB part-time programs for Spring 2007.

Katyatall · Answer

Thank you for this information

Kellogg "The Managers Program" (TMP) Changes Name

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