MBAs and Graduate Schools

[The Yankee]

No kidding? What kind of person usually gets into a UK program? Though I highly doubt I'll be going abroad, it would be interesting to note some of the differences, between domestic and abroad, prestigious programs and those designed for mid-career workers, etc.

 

[GoodGame]

I'm not a business type, but I have heard of MBA's where the thesis project is to actually do a business start-up. That'd be interesting and worth something on a resume.

Figure too that you can often take like 2 semesters part-time at any graduate level school and still transfer them (about 12 credits). That might be a good back-up plan for finding the best school for you, and building some work experience at the same time.

I've noticed a fair amount of MBA (or other business degree) programs don't have a thesis, but it's probably the case for degrees in other fields. I'd definitely have to look at all requirements and see how possible it would be to complete all of them within a reasonable amount of time (i.e. not spending 5 years or more chasing the degree(s), even part-time)

 

[The Yankee]

That would be interesting. I'm not sure yet whether I'd want to try my hands with a start-up or use the degree as a springboard to land myself a decent position with a firm to stay for at least a few years. But I do suppose I'll have more of a clue as I approach the time to decide, if I need to decide before entering.

I'd like to stay at one place for the duration of my program, but if need be, transfers would be an option. I'll have to study programs to find out how much easier or harder it would be to go the part-time route rather than full-time. Some don't even allow part-time programs. Columbia is one of them, for example, according to Barron's.

 

[Perfection]

University of Minnesota does part time!

 

[The Yankee]

Are you influencing my decision, Perf?

 

[Perfection]

I'm trying to!

Is it working?

 

[The Yankee]

Well...make me mayor of St. Paul and I'll give it greater weight!

 

[Perfection]

Are you Bush endorsing democrat?

 

[stormbind]

No kidding? What kind of person usually gets into a UK program? Though I highly doubt I'll be going abroad, it would be interesting to note some of the differences, between domestic and abroad, prestigious programs and those designed for mid-career workers, etc.

Don't know

There are hundreds of sites with relevant information. The following quote is from the first of my random selections via Google (http://www.wmin.ac.uk/mba)

If you have a first degree and at least three years of significant work experience beyond graduation, then you can explore this website to see how well our London-based programme meets your needs for a professional MBA qualification.

There is nothing remarkable about Westminster University and their entry requirements appear very ordinary.

 

[GoodGame]

According to Princeton Review: (I assume this is based on student feedback)



Best Overall Academic Experience
Based on the Academic Experience Rating
1-10 of 10 schools

1 University of Pennsylvania
2 University of Massachusetts—Amherst
3 Massachusetts Institute of Technology
4 Dartmouth College
5 New York University
6 University of Florida
7 Northwestern University
8 Stanford University
9 Yale University
10 Harvard University


Best Career Prospects
Based on the Career Rating
1-10 of 10 schools

1 Stanford University
2 University of Chicago
3 University of California—Berkeley
4 University of Michigan—Ann Arbor
5 Columbia University
6 University of Pennsylvania
7 New York University
8 Harvard University
9 University of California—Los Angeles
10 Northwestern University

 

[The Yankee]

Are you Bush endorsing democrat?

Nah, more of a Norm Coleman type rise. From Brooklyn to St. Paul, then to Senate, then to doing exceptionally well for my Fantasy Congress team, then to having a hilarious election season with Al Franken.

Fun fact: I'm living six blocks away from the high school that produced Norm Coleman, Chuck Schumer, and Bernie Sanders. They rejected me since I was already accepted by what was supposed to be a better high school. Wish I had gone there instead.

 

[The Yankee]

Don't know

There are hundreds of sites with relevant information. The following quote is from the first of my random selections via Google (http://www.wmin.ac.uk/mba)



There is nothing remarkable about Westminster University and their entry requirements appear very ordinary.

That sounds much like the usual standards to get in over here. Though most programs wouldn't have a policy of saying "You MUST have three years," they do weigh that fairly heavily. If I can get in two-three years, I'll have a much better shot and it'll probably allow me to wise up to the normal grind.

At least I hope I won't have to face a grueling work schedule similar to the one I had for the campaign last year, taking up around 90-100 hours weekly.

That may be the case if I do full time work and a program, but at least it'll be with something else in the evenings, and I usually do fairly well adjusting from one environment to another.

 

[The Yankee]

According to Princeton Review: (I assume this is based on student feedback)



Best Overall Academic Experience
Based on the Academic Experience Rating
1-10 of 10 schools

1 University of Pennsylvania
2 University of Massachusetts—Amherst
3 Massachusetts Institute of Technology
4 Dartmouth College
5 New York University
6 University of Florida
7 Northwestern University
8 Stanford University
9 Yale University
10 Harvard University


Best Career Prospects
Based on the Career Rating
1-10 of 10 schools

1 Stanford University
2 University of Chicago
3 University of California—Berkeley
4 University of Michigan—Ann Arbor
5 Columbia University
6 University of Pennsylvania
7 New York University
8 Harvard University
9 University of California—Los Angeles
10 Northwestern University

All those were taken from Princeton Review? I think they have a new update on business schools coming in the fall, so I'll definitely look at that. The interesting thing is that across the different rankings, the pecking order would be quite different, only because graduate programs seem to be in tiers where they're similar to one another, but there are gaps between the tiers.

That said, there are several in those lists that I've bookmarked for myself: Columbia, NYU, Northwestern, and University of Chicago. Even if it probably is overreaching on my part to think of those.

 

[GoodGame]

You can get their multiple lists free by opening yourself up to spam on their website.

 

[CIVPhilzilla]

I'll be heading into Drexel next year. The nice thing is I got into their BS/JD accelerated degree program, meaning I'll get both my Mechanical Engineering and Law Degree in six years. Assuming I don't fail out of college or bomb the LSATs I'm guaranteed acceptance into Drexel's Law School, meaning I get to bypass the application process for grad school.

 

[The Yankee]

You can get their multiple lists free by opening yourself up to spam on their website.

I've got my old Yahoo! e-mail account created when I applied to college to soak up spam, no problem.

I'll be heading into Drexel next year. The nice thing is I got into their BS/JD accelerated degree program, meaning I'll get both my Mechanical Engineering and Law Degree in six years. Assuming I don't fail out of college or bomb the LSATs I'm guaranteed acceptance into Drexel's Law School, meaning I get to bypass the application process for grad school.

Hey congrats! Drexel accepted me into college also. Though I remember it was quite expensive. Still, pretty good choice there.

 

[Goonie]

If you'd like an exceptional MBA program, I would point you to Queen's University. Ranked #1 outside of the USA.

Non-U.S. Top 10 MBA Programs

1 Queens University

2 Western Ontario (Ivey)

3 Toronto (Rotman)

4 IMD

5 London Business School

6 INSEAD

7 ESADE

8 IESE

9 York (Schulich)

10 HEC - Montreal

 

[Goonie]

p.s.

that and there is going to be an OT meet in Kingston in september. Win win.

 

[The Yankee]

Forgive my ignorance, but haven't not considered heading a bit north, what would it take for an American to get into a Canadian university? What kinds of visas would I need, if any?

Though, I could probably expand my search to Ontario...I probably wouldn't end up anywhere else in Canada that quickly. Might as well see what I could find.

 

[The Yankee]

Might as well revive this, since I have more questions.

Which would be the best programs to launch a career into investment banking, derivatives, or even hedge funds? There's still some time before graduate school, hence the varied interests.

Tangential: What's the difference between a CFA, CAIA, and a CFP? I've seen basics, but what's the nitty-gritty and the fields they're applied to?

What would be the best work related experiences to get into an MBA program? The far majority of things I could get at this stage are financial advisor positions, pitching products and insurance and the like, heavily commission based (I'm not a fan of commissions, but I suppose I'll have to bite it here).

Sadly, it seems much of what I turn up in the Twin Cities area is for an accountant.

I could still inquire about Ameriprise, but, like all Financial Advisor roles, I've heard you're leaned on heavily to milk your "natural market" (which somehow assumes you have some fairly well off family in suburbia that just can't wait to buy your mutual funds and insurance plans). I don't have that...so I already start out behind.

Sorry for veering off purely MBA questions, but they do tie in....especially if I find out I'd rather change into a different line of financial work (I hope it's possible so I can weigh my options!).