Research MBA Programs

I've been moving forward with the application process for a full time MBA program. I recently scored a 760 on my GMATs, have 3.5 years of full time work experience (consulting), and a 3.9 undergraduate GPA.

I've narrowed my school options down to four (Harvard, MIT Sloan, Stanford, Tuck-Dartmouth) and plan to apply during round two (January deadlines) for the 2010-2011 academic year.

I'm now reaching out to potential recommenders. I just spoke with my current supervisor to ask for a recommendation and she strongly suggested that I apply for an Executive MBA program. She attempted to sell me on the opportunities associated with having an employer pay for some of your education and continuing your career development without losing key industry contacts. Obviously, the primary goal of encouraging me to apply to an emba is so my company can keep me here. While there is no formal executive MBA sponsorship program at my organization, she said that she would work something out to fit into a revised compensation package.

This throws a wrench into my entire process! I have not researched Executive MBA programs up until this point and do not fully understand the advantages/disadvantages of choosing an emba program over full time. Additionally, my target schools do not offer emba programs. I also did a quick search for emba admission statistics and most emba students have much more work experience (10-15 years) compared to me. I did not see this coming based on the fact that my company does not historically support this type of sponsorship.

The idea of having someone help pay for my education while I work is appealing, but what are the advantages/disadvantages?
Am I even an eligible candidate for the top emba programs?
Would I be giving up any opportunities associated with a full time program?
Should I continue with my full time applications and add an emba program to the list to appease my employer and explore all of my options?
At this point, do I even have time to create a solid emba application?

I look forward to any insight/advice you can offer. Thanks in advance!

Pygmy13 wrote:I've been moving forward with the application process for a full time MBA program. I recently scored a 760 on my GMATs, have 3.5 years of full time work experience (consulting), and a 3.9 undergraduate GPA.

I've narrowed my school options down to four (Harvard, MIT Sloan, Stanford, Tuck-Dartmouth) and plan to apply during round two (January deadlines) for the 2010-2011 academic year.

I'm now reaching out to potential recommenders. I just spoke with my current supervisor to ask for a recommendation and she strongly suggested that I apply for an Executive MBA program. She attempted to sell me on the opportunities associated with having an employer pay for some of your education and continuing your career development without losing key industry contacts. Obviously, the primary goal of encouraging me to apply to an emba is so my company can keep me here. While there is no formal executive MBA sponsorship program at my organization, she said that she would work something out to fit into a revised compensation package.

This throws a wrench into my entire process! I have not researched Executive MBA programs up until this point and do not fully understand the advantages/disadvantages of choosing an emba program over full time. Additionally, my target schools do not offer emba programs. I also did a quick search for emba admission statistics and most emba students have much more work experience (10-15 years) compared to me. I did not see this coming based on the fact that my company does not historically support this type of sponsorship.

The idea of having someone help pay for my education while I work is appealing, but what are the advantages/disadvantages?
Am I even an eligible candidate for the top emba programs?
Would I be giving up any opportunities associated with a full time program?
Should I continue with my full time applications and add an emba program to the list to appease my employer and explore all of my options?
At this point, do I even have time to create a solid emba application?

I look forward to any insight/advice you can offer. Thanks in advance!

Hi Pygmy13,

I don't think an eMBA would make sense for you since you only have 3.5 years of experience. eMBA programs are tailored for managers who have much more work experience. Perhaps your manager wants you to apply to part-time programs. A part-time program would make sense if you want your employer to help pay for your education and you plan to stay with the company following your MBA. I guess you really need to think about why you want an MBA. Do you want an MBA to just boost your current career to the next level or do you want to get into a completely different field? If the latter, then a full-time program would make much more sense. If the former, then perhaps a part-time program would make sense.

There are a lot of other things that you would need to think about as well. For example,iIf you attend a part-time program and continue to work, you need to find a local bschool. This could be a problem if you want to attend a top school.