Jon, Thank you for your kind words and suggestions. Although my current position is operations manager and I do manage a pool of consultants, I stll engage in many hands-on work and generate substantial amount of billable hours. I would say my role is simliar to those law firm partners who need to manage a team but also need to go to courts. I feel my root is in IT consulting and don't see myself as a pure "behind-the-desk people manager" in the near future, especially if I'm going to work in th U.S.. That's the reason why I'm reluctant to choose MBA programs. Having said that, I do understand that attending MBA program doesn't necessarily mean I will have to become a general manager after graduation. Nor does it mean I will need to ditch my entire IT related experience. I feel that big part of the reason why I choose MIS programs over MBA ones is that I want to get a degree as easy and soon as possible. So my conclusion based on your answers and my line of thinking is, MBA is definately more valuable than MIS, but it surely requires more commitment and investment. The question really is, am I up for it? I guess I need to do a lot of soul searching before I can answer that question. Your suggestions on one-year MBA and EMBA are quite valuable to me. It is clear that I should diffrentiate myself from younger crowds. Otherwise my age and experience will only be a drawback for me. And this applies to MIS programs too. The option of one-year program in Cornell is especially good because my potential client, if I decided to take up on my boss' offer, is located in Corning/Elmira area which is 1 hour drive away from Ithaca. The question again is , am I willing to commit to that and will I be admitted. As for the mentioning of immigration intention and boss' offer, you are right and I shouldn't put any emphasis on them. Last, thanks for boost my confidence on the subject of GPA  -- by 会员 mikeyan23 (2012/6/29 13:35:59)
Its great to read your long and honest answer, Now I don't want to push you towards an MBA if this is not your dream nor where your strengths lie, I just wanted to open up some more possibilities to you. If your strengths are technical, and this is what you wish, then yes, an MIS program will probably make more sense for you. And I think even in an MIS program you will have to work hard! (Even if you might be a bit more comfortable with the challenges). The thing is to think about not necessarily aiming for what others tell you is more “prestigious”. Its nonsense that an MBA is more prestigious than a good MIS. You need to simply figure out what will get you best doing what you want. i.e. How to reach YOUR goals. Now, its entirely possible, that you have goals that could be well served by EITHER an MIS OR an MBA. I’ve had such clients in the past, and if that is your case, then you can apply to a mix of appropriate programs. So for example in your case, maybe a 2 year MBA doesn't make sense because of time and commitment and anyways its not really what you want, but as you have pointed out the accelerated Johnson MBA might be perfect, in which case you could apply to it simultaneously as you apply to MIS programs.
Lots of lovely options here!
Jon Frank |