Foster Evening MBA vs Wait another year to try for HAAS

Question

Hey Guys, 
I am in a little bit of a pickle here. I would love some advice.

I had applied to the  Evening MBA  program last year. I only applied to  Foster and Haas  last year (all of them Round 3). The reason was my SO did not want to move further away from Seattle. I did not get into Haas but got into Foster.

Now the situation has changed and I am freer to move around the country.

My first option was Haas and Foster was the closest one to my physical location.

I feel like I can do better and get into the Evening program at Haas. However, there hasn't been much improvement on my resume since the last time I applied. So I don't know if the risk is worth taking.

Could someone familiar please chime in and give me some advice here. Should I bite the bullet and continue with Foster or wait another year for Haas? I don't want to wait if my chances are low. Also, I am 36 and would ideally want to be done with MBA asap, if that matters.

Also, I hadn't applied to Booth and Kellogg. I would ideally not want to move too far but those are too good to not even try.

About Me: 
10 years of Work ex as Software Engineer
700 GMAT
Have my master's in Robotics from UPENN.

I can answer any other question you have.

bb · Answer

Haas Evening MBA has been probably the most competitive part time MBA program. This was before the pandemic and I have not seen the data released yet to understand how pandemic has impacted applications and numbers but that’s how things stand. Particularly it’s been very competitive among the tech workers from the bay area with a very similar profile to yours.

I think if you don’t have professional or other changes to report, I think chances of probably not great. Granted, you apply in round three and this time you’ll be applying sooner but knowing how competitive the program is and how competitive your profile is, and how mobile everyone is these days, I would not bet on it. You may have a better chance at Ross or Kellogg or Booth.

Here’s the thing, though, part-time programs are pretty local. I would consider where you want to be in the long run in addition to the rank of the program.

Posted from my mobile device

navderm · Answer

I don't have any professional changes to report. Have a lot of personal (dad passing away and a divorce) changes to report. Do you think that tips anything in my favor?

Last year I had applied stating that I wanted to work as Healthcare Program Manager.

navderm · Answer

Also, is there any way of finding out if my chances of getting into Booth or Kellogg are above 50%? If so, I'm willing to risk one year.

aab01 · Answer

Thanks  bb  for notifying me about this thread. Happy to help.

navderm  I'm not too familiar with Haas, but can offer my 2 cents on Foster as a current FT MBA student.

If you're looking to stay in tech, then at least in the Pacific Northwest, in my opinion, Foster is perhaps as good as the M7 in terms of the opportunities. Seattle is a host to a lot of tech companies and a majority of them recruit from Foster.
Also you might want to consider things like the fee structure, how getting an MBA earlier will affect your career growth and the fact that there aren't going to be any significant changes in your professional profile. From what I understand, your application does undergo a higher level of scrutiny if you are a re-applicant.

If you have some time on your hands, I would also recommend connecting with a few folks from each evening MBA program to get a better understanding of the program experience and opportunities. Foster is very inclusive and for some, the school culture is an important factor in deciding the fit with the program.

Foster Evening MBA vs Wait another year to try for HAAS

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