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Sep 1309:30 AM EDT
-12:30 PM EDT
Top scores are possible when you enroll in a powerful EA course, taught live online + 6 months access to TTP OnDemand video courses included! Perfect class schedule and easy course access for working professionals. Class starts Sundays Sept. 13th.
Sep 1612:00 PM PDT
-01:00 PM PDT
Grab your favorite beverage and spend time chatting with Melissa Rapp, Associate Dean of Graduate Admissions, and Brian Mitchell, Associate Dean of the Full-Time MBA Program. The topic for this Coffee Chat is Entrepreneurship and Innovation.
Sep 1712:00 PM EDT
-01:00 PM EDT
Virtual Roundtable Discussions connect you with prospective students, admissions team members, and student ambassadors. Ask questions, explore the student experience and life in Bloomington, and learn about the MBA program, Kelley culture, and admissions.
Sep 1708:30 PM UTC -05:30
-09:30 PM UTC -05:30
We’ll discuss how top programs in these regions differ in terms of career opportunities, international exposure, location, and post-MBA prospects, and what applicants should consider when building a well-balanced global MBA shortlist.
BlueOwl
Joined: 03 May 2017
Last visit: 21 Apr 2021
Posts: 17
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 7
Location: United States (CA)
Concentration: Technology, Entrepreneurship
Schools: MIT SDM "22 (I)
GMAT 1: 710 Q47 V41
GPA: 3.86
WE:Engineering (Aerospace and Defense)
22 Mar 2021, 22:35
Kudos
Bookmarks
Hi all,
I applied and got into MIT's SDM program: https://sdm.mit.edu/
Here's my profile:
27 w/ 7 years work experience at NASA
4 promotions, including team lead and recent senior engineer for ^
C tier undergrad in CS, 3.86 GPA
S tier Master's in CS, 3.93 GPA
710 GMAT (91%)
I thought the combination of Sloan plus engineering would serve my desire to be a PM/Lead/VP/CTO and start a company there. My friends are telling me to just go the full B-School route because of the networking / weight of the degree. SDM also appealed to me because I can get it to only be 1 semester's worth of lost wages vs 2 years.
So, should I go to SDM? Or should I apply for a proper MBA?
Edit: I should probably mention that my career aspirations are IC > Tech Lead > Engineering Supervisor > VP > CTO.
I applied and got into MIT's SDM program: https://sdm.mit.edu/
Here's my profile:
27 w/ 7 years work experience at NASA
4 promotions, including team lead and recent senior engineer for ^
C tier undergrad in CS, 3.86 GPA
S tier Master's in CS, 3.93 GPA
710 GMAT (91%)
I thought the combination of Sloan plus engineering would serve my desire to be a PM/Lead/VP/CTO and start a company there. My friends are telling me to just go the full B-School route because of the networking / weight of the degree. SDM also appealed to me because I can get it to only be 1 semester's worth of lost wages vs 2 years.
So, should I go to SDM? Or should I apply for a proper MBA?
Edit: I should probably mention that my career aspirations are IC > Tech Lead > Engineering Supervisor > VP > CTO.
24 Mar 2021, 10:31
Kudos
Bookmarks
BlueOwl:
It sounds like the MIT SDM program would be a nice-to-have degree, but not a game changer. You will likely need to work very hard (and get somewhat lucky) to make a move into this type of role without a long-term degree. The MBA will much more important for qualifying for PM/LEAD/CTO/VP post-MBA programs that could serve as a viable entry point.
Do you have a sense for where SDM graduates are being placed post-degree? How many are going into tech roles that interests you? That will be a great starting point for you to understand how useful the SDM degree can be for your career. Then, I would compare it to the MBA at your schools of interest.
The MBA is valuable because it is a well-known and versatile degree. That being said, there is a slight stigma from the Silicon Valley community about MBAs doing tech-oriented work. Some places prefer you spend the time coding, working on product directly, etc. rather than getting a degree to teach you about the management of that process. Stil, if you personally go the MBA route, you might have a leg up on your classmates given your pre-MBA technical experience.
It sounds like the MIT SDM program would be a nice-to-have degree, but not a game changer. You will likely need to work very hard (and get somewhat lucky) to make a move into this type of role without a long-term degree. The MBA will much more important for qualifying for PM/LEAD/CTO/VP post-MBA programs that could serve as a viable entry point.
Do you have a sense for where SDM graduates are being placed post-degree? How many are going into tech roles that interests you? That will be a great starting point for you to understand how useful the SDM degree can be for your career. Then, I would compare it to the MBA at your schools of interest.
The MBA is valuable because it is a well-known and versatile degree. That being said, there is a slight stigma from the Silicon Valley community about MBAs doing tech-oriented work. Some places prefer you spend the time coding, working on product directly, etc. rather than getting a degree to teach you about the management of that process. Stil, if you personally go the MBA route, you might have a leg up on your classmates given your pre-MBA technical experience.
BlueOwl
Joined: 03 May 2017
Last visit: 21 Apr 2021
Posts: 17
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 7
Location: United States (CA)
Concentration: Technology, Entrepreneurship
Schools: MIT SDM "22 (I)
GMAT 1: 710 Q47 V41
GPA: 3.86
WE:Engineering (Aerospace and Defense)
24 Mar 2021, 22:46
Kudos
Bookmarks
Admissionado
Thank you for the thoughtful reply! I honestly don't think even an MBA would be a game changer for me unless I wanted to take an entry level PM. I'll be working during the first year, where I can position myself for an internal PM job.
It does seem that SDM Fellows take roles that would be more along my desired path; I want to be in technical leadership, not business leadership (yet). I think given that, the prestige of my current job, and my ability to get on as a Senior Software Engineer might make SDM the right choice given its lower cost and distance option for the first year.
SDM Career Outcomes: https://sdm.mit.edu/industry-employers/ ... -outcomes/
