Dear Wusappenin,
Your age of 31-33 in the MBA program is not an issue. While you would be on the older side of the age range for the class, you would not be the oldest person and truly be in the mix as most MBA students are between 25-32. I think you need to figure out what you are wanting for your career and from your MBA experience. The Cross Continent EMBA program at Duke is a great program and there would be an advantage to having your MBA done when you finish your service commitment (thank you for your service, by the way!). On the other hand, there are definite benefits to being a full-time MBA student as well and having that time to transition from military life to civilian life, if you will.
My advice is to really think about what it is you want out of your MBA program--do you care about having an opportunity to do an internship? do outside consulting projects? focus 100% on school? how much career services assistance do you want? There are some differences in what services and extracurriculars will be available to you in the EMBA, so you need to make sure you understand what is truly available to you. Then, prioritize how important these things are against taking the extra time for school when you are discharged. Likewise, think about what your long-term career goals are, as well as your post-MBA goals. How realistic are those goals from the EMBA program versus the traditional, full-time program?
The Duke brand versus a top 10 brand is probably on par in the general marketplace; variances do exist in specific industries and specialties. Your profile, based on your post, is competitive for a top 10 and for the Duke EMBA. Your decision comes down to which option makes the most sense for you, your goals, and your expectations.
Best of luck,
Lisa
Your age of 31-33 in the MBA program is not an issue. While you would be on the older side of the age range for the class, you would not be the oldest person and truly be in the mix as most MBA students are between 25-32. I think you need to figure out what you are wanting for your career and from your MBA experience. The Cross Continent EMBA program at Duke is a great program and there would be an advantage to having your MBA done when you finish your service commitment (thank you for your service, by the way!). On the other hand, there are definite benefits to being a full-time MBA student as well and having that time to transition from military life to civilian life, if you will.
My advice is to really think about what it is you want out of your MBA program--do you care about having an opportunity to do an internship? do outside consulting projects? focus 100% on school? how much career services assistance do you want? There are some differences in what services and extracurriculars will be available to you in the EMBA, so you need to make sure you understand what is truly available to you. Then, prioritize how important these things are against taking the extra time for school when you are discharged. Likewise, think about what your long-term career goals are, as well as your post-MBA goals. How realistic are those goals from the EMBA program versus the traditional, full-time program?
The Duke brand versus a top 10 brand is probably on par in the general marketplace; variances do exist in specific industries and specialties. Your profile, based on your post, is competitive for a top 10 and for the Duke EMBA. Your decision comes down to which option makes the most sense for you, your goals, and your expectations.
Best of luck,
Lisa
