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I Don't Believe In Nuthin' No More; I'm Going To [Business School]
Edith_Bagot-Dix
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
This may be a bit outside the usual scope of these threads, but I figured I'd give it a shot.
A bit of background - I worked in the video game industry for several years, and it caused me to question if computer programming was really for me. I went through a pretty extensive process of research, soul-searching and advice gathering, and I decided the thing to do was to go back to school and get an MBA.
I live near my alma mater, and I applied there. Part of the application process is writing a test, called the GMAT. I wrote mine a few months ago and got a pretty good score. Good enough that I started getting recruitment packages from schools. Based on this, I put in an application to a "reach school". Last week, I got an acceptance letter from them, along with a scholarship offer.
So now I'm in a dilemma.
On the one hand, I've been accepted to the school I initially planned to go to. I did my undergrad there, I liked it well enough the first time around. There's no scholarship offer or anything. The school is a pretty regular, Canadian school. Most people probably haven't heard of it. I've researched their program, and it seems pretty decent. I also have the potential to do some consulting with my current employer and keep things in my life pretty normal. I have a house and a long term (5+ years) relationship, so that kind of thing is obviously a concern.
The reach school is very prestigious. It's the kind of institution that big investment banks and the like do their recruiting from. It's the kind of school that shows up in Top 10 and Top 20 rankings for business schools. They've offered me a scholarship. It doesn't cover the full nut, particularly when factoring in the cost of living, but the combination of that and my own savings make this a possibility. That said, I'll probably end up in a lot of debt if I go. It's also not in the city where I live. My significant other has her own program to finish (if all goes well, we'll both finish at the same time) so she's not likely to go anywhere.
So right now, I've got about three weeks to make a pretty huge decision. Obviously I have people IRL to talk to, so my decision isn't hinging on what strangers on a web forum say. On the other hand, having that kind of outside perspective can be valuable. So....thoughts?
A bit of background - I worked in the video game industry for several years, and it caused me to question if computer programming was really for me. I went through a pretty extensive process of research, soul-searching and advice gathering, and I decided the thing to do was to go back to school and get an MBA.
I live near my alma mater, and I applied there. Part of the application process is writing a test, called the GMAT. I wrote mine a few months ago and got a pretty good score. Good enough that I started getting recruitment packages from schools. Based on this, I put in an application to a "reach school". Last week, I got an acceptance letter from them, along with a scholarship offer.
So now I'm in a dilemma.
On the one hand, I've been accepted to the school I initially planned to go to. I did my undergrad there, I liked it well enough the first time around. There's no scholarship offer or anything. The school is a pretty regular, Canadian school. Most people probably haven't heard of it. I've researched their program, and it seems pretty decent. I also have the potential to do some consulting with my current employer and keep things in my life pretty normal. I have a house and a long term (5+ years) relationship, so that kind of thing is obviously a concern.
The reach school is very prestigious. It's the kind of institution that big investment banks and the like do their recruiting from. It's the kind of school that shows up in Top 10 and Top 20 rankings for business schools. They've offered me a scholarship. It doesn't cover the full nut, particularly when factoring in the cost of living, but the combination of that and my own savings make this a possibility. That said, I'll probably end up in a lot of debt if I go. It's also not in the city where I live. My significant other has her own program to finish (if all goes well, we'll both finish at the same time) so she's not likely to go anywhere.
So right now, I've got about three weeks to make a pretty huge decision. Obviously I have people IRL to talk to, so my decision isn't hinging on what strangers on a web forum say. On the other hand, having that kind of outside perspective can be valuable. So....thoughts?
Also on Steam and PSN: twobadcats
Edith_Bagot-Dix on
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But the support network offered by the school is also worth quite a bit. Having an active recruiting network makes it much easier to actually use your degree after you graduate. It doesn't get you the job, but it opens doors you may not have even realized had you not gone to the school. Of course, part of that is how active you are when you're actually in the program -- the local school may have similar involvement and opportunities.
Now, as for your underlying dilemma -- the house and the relationship -- you are looking to grow your career with a masters degree. What do you see yourself doing after you finish the MBA at either school? Do you plan to continue living in your current town? Do you see another move so you can explore the best opportunities? Will your significant other follow you then, or does she have her own career goals that necessitate a move as well?
One thing to absolutely do is (tactfully) making Program A aware of Program B's scholarship offer. Often times Program A will shoot back with a revised package with more favorable terms, which you can then bounce off of Program B and possibly get even better terms. I've known people that went from 0 in scholarship money to having 3/4 of their tuition covered at the more expensive institution.
After you've gone through that song and dance you'll have a better idea of what the true cost of going to X or Y school is going to be. In addition, you have the added benefit of possibly knowing how badly they want you to attend, and how well the administration works in both schools.
You might find that the local school is willing to give you more than initially offered. Maybe they only offered you the package they did because they figured you weren't going to take it (it happens more often than you think). If you let them know you are seriously considering them they can get their "real" offer in order.
From there, it's up to you!
Just off the cuff I would suggest the more "prestigious" school, simply because of networking and recruiting opportunities.
My SO is from the opposite side of the country. She doesn't have a real connection to the area where we live, and the plan, since Day 1 of her course, has been that we will go anywhere that we can both get reasonably satisfactory jobs. She's already survived one big move with me.
I'd be happy to stay where I currently am, but I'm also very comfortable moving around. I've been in the IT sector for just over a decade (I'm weird - I dropped out of a BA during the DotCom boom, worked in Canada and US, got laid off during the bust, went back to school and got a Comp Sci degree, and then got into video game programming) and it has entailed a lot of moving around.
The lucky thing is that Canada's a fairly small country when it comes to actual population centers. My SO's reasonably likely to be able to find a job in her field in any major center, and in particular she spends a few months every year in Toronto doing her clinical work. That's also pretty much the financial heart of the country. We've also discussed the possibility of going to Europe (I have dual citizenship with the UK). Right now she has tentatively ruled out any move to the U.S. (I'm ambivalent, but the immigration related stuff has only gotten worse since I worked there before so any offer would need to compensate for the additional pain in the butt).
One of the real hang ups for me is that, even with the scholarship, I'm likely to end up about $100K in debt going to the reach school. The local school is more affordable and I have some options for income here that will help defray the cost. Right now I'm pretty much debt free, other than my mortgage, though my SO has a loan for her program.
Also on Steam and PSN: twobadcats
I wouldn't worry (much) about the debt. MBAs aren't quite doctors, but you will have a plenty comfortable salary and it sounds like you're in solid financial shape. Again, it depends on your goals, the ROI of finance is much higher than non-profit work, but hopefully you're going back to school to either do what you love or to figure it out. I would worry slightly about the SO, as an MBA is a brutal time sink and you need to make sure you two are on the same page. If things will work with her and the reach school, go for it!
If you're going to sell out, you should do it all the way.
That being said, you are up shit creek if you can't get a job post-prestigious MBA. The safer option is the local school, but that doesn't make it the better option.
Ultimately you're able to say "I can not only function well in the industry I'm in, but I understand the business elements as well." It's rarely a career changer, making it different from other masters degrees, but it's definitely an augmentation. There is an academic basis behind the degree, and the majority of programs are moving away from the "how do you make the most money" element and towards effective communication and a deeper understanding of decision-making and leadership. Heck, most have ethics classes as a lead-in class nowadays; a far cry from "the power point should be green, because that's the color of money."
Also, networking is a really, really big part of being in any sort of business type program so going to a school with better networking and recruiting possibilities is huge.
So far, I'm liking BU. The other schools either: are lacking a working professionals (part-time) gig, are flying under my radar, or are at the level I don't think I have the grades/time for.
At this point, I have no clue what I'm doing. I just requested a guidebook from BU for information but I really don't know how to proceed. Especially since my circumstances are different than traditional applicants.
Let 'em eat fucking pineapples!
It matters. Go to the reach school.
And yes, I have a metric asston of debt. Guess how fun it was graduating in 2009 with that.
This shouldn't even be a dilemma. I get the convenience of staying at home and not wanting to add additional bills. I get wanting to be with the significant other. Even with both of those concerns, you should go to the prestigious school.
Main thing you need to do is study for/take the GMAT. Any decent book store or library will have study guides available.
After that, I'd see if they have any open house events at the school and then go to one of those. Then do the application.