Final Decision - Admit Recd

[samy]

Hey,

Please could you help me in making a decision. Your inputs will really help.

• I have been admitted to the Robert H. Smith MBA Program for Class of 2010.
• However, I have not been offered any financial reward.
• Deadline for confirmation of a final decison is in a week.

• Please could you provide any insights into this particular school
• What are the pro's/cons
• What is your knowledge of the career opportunities available here and how difficult it is to fund the education considering nill financial backing.

Do you think 2 yrs of an MBA is worth it here or should i wait.
Will have 3 yrs work ex when i join.

Thanks.

[Amy]

Hi samy,

I think this is a highly personal decision. I would take into account your financial concerns, tolerance for risk, and beliefs about how an MBA is going to impact your long term career.

BusinessWeek provides an MBA ROI calculator that may be useful to you:

https://www.businessweek.com/magazine/co ... han=search

I would also speak with alumni (at least 10 years out) and ask if they are happy with the investment they made.

Maryland will be able to provide you information about loans, etc. that are available to you.

Good luck!

Amy

[samy]

Thanks. Am Really grateful for that resource.

For the time being if we ignore the financial angle.
1. What is your knowledge of the school?
2. Do you see this as a school which can provide a comparable program to a Top 10 Business School?
3. Do you see this school advancing in the rankings significantly?

5.Wld waiting for 2 more years help in terms of improving my chances of getting into a top 10 MBA? or starting an MBA early wld give me a jump start, while I can progress in the corporate ladder to eventually be the winner?

Everyone in this forum is welcome to provide your views.

[parore26]

Hi samy,
1. I don't know much about the school. Sometime in September I was invited as a guest to a Chief Information Officer conference through my manager. There was a speaker from that school who was doing Information Systems research. So I think if that is your interest this maybe a good opportunity for you.

3. Given that this school hasn't made (or isn't looking to make) significant changes lately I don't see it advancing in the rankings. If you look at a few schools that have really shot up in the rankings, in particular, Yale and LBS, they have made significant changes in their curricula or student recruiting services. Please also note that rankings are not truly reflective of the quality of education. Some rankings are reflective of the reputation and alumni connections and those are important attributes to consider.

5. This depends on what you currently do and what you can achieve in the next two years. If you feel that your experience isn't going to change significantly enough then perhaps two years down the road you may have to come back to Smith school of Business. That would be a loss for you.

Hope that helps if you could provide more specific details (what you'd like to do after an MBA, what you currently do and why u chose this particular school) It would also help if you have any other schools that you are currently waiting to hear back from.

[faraji13]

What are you trying to do post-MBA? Smith is a good school, but i don't know that much about the program or how it relates to what kind of work you intend to do.

[Amy]

Hi Samy,

We have seen that Robert H. Smith is showing up more and more in the rankings, and certainly seems to be poised to grow its reputation and reach.

There are clearly no guarantees when it comes to rankings, since many factors go into the rankings process, and overall brand takes years to build.

Good luck!

Amy

[samy]

Plans are to get in IT Consulting in one of the Top 5 Firms.
Play the role of a Business development manager.

Any others on any insights on this school.

Please help

[samy]

Hey Guys,

Please help with your knowledge !!!
Will a one/two year wait be worth it?

How is this school for IT Consulting jobs.

Thnks

[Lisa Anderson]

Dear samy:

You will need to look at the placement statistics for the school to determine if it will provide you the IT consulting jobs you seek. You could ask the career center for information over the past three years or so as one year will not really give you an accurate picture. Likewise, you want to see the schools that recruit the students not just where students accepted jobs. If you don't feel the list is deep enough, ask the career center staff what outreach is being done in this industry.

As for whether to wait, that is a decision only you can make based on how ready you are now and will your opportunity cost be greater in one or two more years versus now.

Good luck!
Lisa