Be Fearless

YellowJacket

I hope my words are motivational for those would-be applicants who belong to another category of people here: mature professionals. You may be hesitating with your decision to do MBA right now because there are so many things to weight against with: juggling with the kids, being a bread-winner for the family, concerning with the age factor, or worrying about the disruption of current career.  On the brighter side, most of the MBA programs are really meant for professionals who are already well established in the career.   A young applicant ‘wants’ a MBA degree for pursuing of an aspiring career path. A mature applicant ‘needs’ a MBA degree for advancing his/her established career.

I am 36 years old, married with 3 kids.  I came to the United States with a scholarship when I was 19 and got my Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering at 26.  I decide to apply for a MBA program after ten years of working experiences in different roles: architect, engineering director, research scientist, and industry strategist. I am applying for three programs:

1. Haas/Berkeley Part-Time MBA – Round 1 (great strength in innovation business + technology)

2. Wharton MBA for Executives – Round 1 (leader in corporate finance)

3. Harvard MBA – Round 2 (strong in leadership)

I did my GMAT in last month, completed my Hass application, and had an interview with Hass in last week. I am still working on the application for Wharton and Harvard.  I have been seeing this forum too loop-sided with posts from younger professionals and wish that my foot-prints here could inspire others who are in the cross-road of their MBA dreams.  I will post back to this forum with the results of these three applications.

 

YJ

iammad

Best luck on your applications. ^_^

wall2006

Looking into LZ's profile, I bet he will easily get into (2), pretty good chance into (1), and with luck, (3) as well

YellowJacket

For me, #2 is hard because Wharton's program cares a lot of your employer's endorsement.  My company's internal policy requires me to get approval from the people in very high command chain.  I also need to work out with my boss to take some work time away to attend Wharton's class.  In the past few weeks, I rounded up some Wharton folks through my networking to see how I should position myself. I think I am spending significant more time on Wharton than Haas and HBS.

yaoyao99

Have you considered executive MBA at MIT and the SDM program there at all?

YellowJacket

My personal preference is not to consider any programs that do not give me a MBA degree.  Both Part-time and Executive MBA programs give me the same MBA degree as the full-time MBA programs. MBA carries the charm that is hard to find in other favors.

As for Sloan’s EMBA program, I do not know too much about it.  I believe in the quality of Wharton's EMBA program because I know several people who did the program and they are doing very well right now in their career. 

ctian

Be fearless, that is exactly what I have thinking about myself.

I am 2 kids'mom.  I have been working about 10 years.  Now I feel it is my turn to get my MBA. SO I applied Columba regular, and Wharton R2.  Just summitted my applications.   My friends told me that I have no chance at all.  Well I am kind of person, once I decide to do something, even in chineese saying"  come back when you hit south wall".  For me, I am going to hit the wall, and dig a big hole, and walk through it.

Through the process, I got to know a lot people, and a lot support, and discourage too.  I know myself better.

as long as you have dream, do not care too much, just go ahead.  Life will be much different as long as you have tried. 

redwavezheng

AZA!FIGHTING!

YellowJacket

ctian, I just had a chat with an in-program Wharton person.  He thinks 'diversification' is the key.  For people with rich experience, we can bring more values and perspectives to the program than people with little.  I will be bored if other classmates in a program have nothing to share except talking about how great their parents are.

Whitney

Try MIT sloan fellow?