I am considering doing a part-time (weekend) MBA from a top 10 school. Looking at the numbers, it makes little sense to stay at my current employer after graduation as 1) the tuition reimbursement they pay is a drop in the bucket of the total tuition cost. 2) I would probably get a token pay increase of a few grand rather than double my salary as I would should I join another firm through the recruiting process. Have those that have done part time programs come to this conclusion as well? Is it understood that most people at a top 10 part time program leave their company after they graduate? If so, it seems one would really have to see if the quality of the part-time vs full-time recruiting is there.
I think you are getting way ahead of yourself, but do the weekend MBA. I also did this while working fulltime at a well known Detroit firm … was able to leave 1 year after graduation. Part time programs don’t really have any recruiting support, you’ll be on your own, but it can be done.
yeah and if you don’t pay out of your pocket and just rely on your employer’s contribution, it will take you like 5 years to complete MBA. As DD said - You’ll be on your own.
If you are looking at a top 10. I have heard some good things about the Booth PT program. You have the option to take on full time course load and graduate early. In addition, you will be able to participate in all recruiting events as the FT students do. Has anyone on AF gone through the Booth PT program?
My colleague is doing PT at Booth. You do not participate in the same recruiting events as FT students do. Company pays for it so it’s all good.
I went to the Booth open house and one of the things they said was PT students participate in recruiting along with FT. Maybe I heard it wrong but I doubt it. I know that company sponsored students need to have their current employer sign a wavier form to partcipate in recruiting. I will definitely double check on this.
maratikus can help us here.
$tarving_Banker Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I went to the Booth open house and one of the > things they said was PT students participate in > recruiting along with FT. Maybe I heard it wrong > but I doubt it. > I know that company sponsored students need to > have their current employer sign a wavier form to > partcipate in recruiting. > > I will definitely double check on this. You are right about the waiver. Maybe b/c of the waiver that my colleague is saying that he can’t participate in the recruiting events.
my cousin graduated from Booth in 2006 (PT in Strategic Management) got a job in GS because of this. Not sure whether he was allowed to attend recruting session with FT candidates.
If your employer is paying for a certain %, i’m pretty sure they have to sign a waiver allowing you to attend recruiting events. Just what I hear from my co-workers currently attending the PT program.
^Nice. Not BO at GS I hope. I wouldn’t go to a school where FT and PT students are heavily segregated. First, this could a warning sign that the school recognizes the quality gap. Second, the whole point of B-school, for me, is to expand my network and reevaluate my career options. I need to explore all possibilities. Going to a top 10 and not participating in networking event/seminars/career fairs is like buying a Mercedez Benz C class–you are paying a premium price what is essential a $hit product.
It is interesting when I talk to collegues that have gone to top ten part time programs. It does seem that schools take different approaches and some are more segregated than others. It is interesting as for some it seems the discrepancy is not the school’s fault but the recruiters, i.e. BB ibanking jobs on wall street and top 5 consulting firms prefer the more traditional full time students, however if that is not your goal many of the other firms dont care as much about that.
One of the main distinctions is made based on whether the same faculty teaches at FT and PT, or not. While both programs may have the same content, FT professors are the most distinguished faculty members, while some, it not all PT courses may be taught by less known ones. Probably you’d like to take a look at it.
Starving Banker - He used to work in Risk & Complaince related stuff in his previous bank and now also doing same but at middle management in GS. Makes good money.
I graduated from the Booth MBA program when it was still called the Chicago GSB, and did it on the weekends and weeknights while working fulltime. My company paid 100% of the tuition. I had to cover travel and books. We were NOT allowed to participate in recruiting events. Though I got to know a GS recruiter and she invited me to their events. I found my first post MBA job through a recruiter… and it’s a fantastic degree. I’ve talked with other part time students upset that they couldn’t participate in recruiting events and was told the same story about the waiver … since the companies of the part time students are often paying for a large part of the student’s tuition, the school does not want to irritate the employer by allowing the student to interview…
PS the same full time faculty at Booth teach in the weekend program. I had John Cochrane, Steven Kaplan etc…
What if your company only a portion of your MBA, lets say 10k per year, do you still need to sign a waiver. It seems like Booth is the best rated PT school for the buy-side hands down.
I am currently in the part-time program at Booth and have full access to the full-time career resources (given that I meet some prereqs). I take classes with both populations (full and part-time) and haven’t noticed a quality gap. In fact, I think the discussions in the part-time classes have been more intelligent 80% of the time.
^ How did you arrive at the decision to pursue a part-time MBA?
My recommendation is to go PT if you plan to stay at your current employer. If you’re planning to make a move you should go FT. Part of the reason for this is that an internship between your 1st and 2nd year could and often does lead to a FT offer and this can’t be accomplished via a PT program. A second reason for this was noted above. Recruiters primarily recruit from FT programs regardless of what schools tell you. A third reason for this is that recruiting takes time and energy. Don’t underestimate this. A PT program plus a full time job may not provide you with enough time to acquire the job you want.