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sandrew03 · Wed Nov 11, 2009 2:57 pm

Hello

I am looking for some advice, specifically if my general profile would be a good fit for an EMBA.
I am 36, president of a commercial real estate company with 60 employees and looking seriously at Kellogg's EMBA Miami program or the Wharton East EMBA program.
Had a bit of an unusual career path: spent 11 years in GE; the first Australian on GE's highly regarded Financial Management Program; one of the first Australians on Corporate Audit Staff(from which most of GE Leadership has graduated); Six Sigma certified black belt and was on the fast track GE management route until leaving in 2008 for a private equity firm on the east coast which folded 7 months after we started due to economic crisis. Worked in 7 countries with GE in many different businessesand have nothing but good things to say about the experience.

Undergrad in Australia with Bachelor of Business in Accounting ... did well but not sure how grade would compare to US as we don't have GPA system.

Currently work for private real estate company looking to take their platform (of which I am president) to the next level and an executive MBA would be a good fit with that goal.
My responsibilities include complete operations and financial management responsibilities for the company (7 direct reports), quarterly board of directors' meetings and analysis of acquisition and other strategic opportunities. I have had positions of increasing responsibility over the past 10 years with my last 2 roles (including current) being senior management involved with running businesses.

Post EMBA goals: continue to progress in managing larger and more complex businesses

Outside of work, I have a young family I like to spend time with. I very much enjoy golf, hiking and overseas travel although i dont do enough of any of these at the moment.

I havent yet taken GMAT although I have been working my way through online problems and coaching sessions. Guessing GMAT somewhere in the 650 to 675 range.

Inclined to favor the Kellogg Miami program due to strong emphasis on teamwork and fact that I am in Florida every month and the program is a once a month format instead of the typical 2x month format. Wharton east EMBA would be #2 choice based on my mid-atlantic location. Highly likely I will get my board to financially support me.

Any thoughts on whether i would be a good fit and successful if applied for both programs. Also interested if, in your view, the programs are generally viewed equally by students and/or business community.

Many thanks for your advice.

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Lisa Anderson · Fri Nov 13, 2009 12:13 pm

Dear sandrew03,

You are definitely a candidate for an EMBA program. I think both programs have potential for you, and I highly encourage you to contact both to arrange a visit--sooner rather than later. You will find visiting them, possibly attending a class and meeting with current students, valuable in determining where the best fit is for you. There are probably some small differences in curriculum, but there could be big differences in culture. In terms of reputation, you have two strong brands in Kellogg and Wharton. I don't think there is a "wrong" decision here, so it comes down to which program you feel offers you what you need in terms of education and where you feel most comfortable when you visit. Finally, visiting with the programs will also give you additional insight into the admissions process, so be sure to contact the admissions office before you go too far down the road.

Best of luck,
Lisa

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