Daniel Schweizer is our first blog "guest." An engineer from Germany, Daniel has completed the BPE program (2007-8) and is working on an MBA degree at MIT. Daniel has agreed to answer some of your questions about applying to an MBA program, and/or questions about his experiences as an MBA student. Post your questions here. When we have several questions, I'll ask Daniel to take a look and try to answer them.
Update: Daniel and his classmates have been holding a fundraiser by growing mustaches in March. You can see Daniel's transformation here:
http://sliceofmit.wordpress.com/2009/03/03/all-hail-mustache-march/
You can vote for Daniel's new mustache in the MIT fundraising competition here (Daniel's name appears near the bottom):
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=UgLj7T1_2bB4t90VJGiu3dSg_3d_3d
Hello Daniel. It is a pleasure talking to someone at MIT.
ReplyDeleteI have one question at this time:
1. What is the most important part of the interview in your own opinion?
everybody who is interested in my MBA program at MIT should check out our homepage: http://lfm.mit.edu/
ReplyDeleteThe video (turn on sound) is nerdy but funny...Nancy, you should make this video mandatory LOL
Okay, so you claimed last week that the program was not a bunch of nerds ;-) But, seriously, the video does make explain the whole program well - it's great advertising!
ReplyDeleteHello Daniel, My name is Joanna. I have applied for the MBA for 2009 Fall, but meanwhile I am a little bit confused on whether I should seek for this degree, especially when I think about I need to invest 2 years of time and expensive tuition. Do you think an MBA experience will really help people start a different(higher) career stage? Thank you very much!
ReplyDelete---------------
@ Feras: the most important part of the interview is your passion. I know, sounds very fuzzy, but they are really looking for people who will not only come to the school to get a degree after 2 years, but who want to change and influence something. You must be excited about your life so far, demonstrate that you achieved more than others, and especially that you will continue to have this passion during your studies. The main reason why they take so many foreigners is our experience. However, if you are shy and don't share your insights with others, there is no benefit for your classmates. Just think about some stories of your life and how you can prove this passion. In addition, you should prepare Behavioral Event-Based Interviews. Nearly all schools I interview with (Darden, Wharton,Tuck, Kellogg...) used this interview type. More infos:
ReplyDeletehttp://mitsloan.mit.edu/mba/admissions/MITSloan_interview_guide.pdf
If you need more information, please ask me!
@ Joanna: this is a really difficult question. In general, I would argue that the TOP10 schools definitely help you to start in a higher position (unless you are already VP before). For example, the average starting salary at MIT Sloan was $115,000 last year. In addition, the networking possibilities are extremely great. Many of your classmates will be future CEOs as well as you meet important people now (e.g. I met Michel Dell last month, a VP of Harley-Davidson, a VP of Amazon...in fact, you could meet such people weekly at MIT)
ReplyDeleteHowever, if you will go only to a 2nd tier school, it looks very different. With a degree from a TOP50 school I would not get a better job than my previous one. Especially if you go back to your home country a degree from an unknown university will not really help you. Also your network is often focused on the US. Going home right after graduation doesn't make sense then.
In general, it depends where you are coming from and where you want to go. If you are planning to get a finance or managing position in the US (incl. career-change), an MBA is perfect. Also if you want to start your own company here. If you are only accepted by a TOP 50 school and you want to go back home, then you should think about it. BTW...most female and minority students get generous scholarships...so don't worry too much about the costs.
You can always contact me for further questions