Poets & Quants for Executives

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More Einstein & Tolstoy Than Welch & Gates

3 Comments

A new partnership between IE and Brown is just one of the more novel EMBA programs

TRIUM: A Unique MBA in New York, London & Paris

1 Comments

"I'm asked, ‘Why would you go through the pain of this program?’ I want to be a better leader."

The ABCs of Executive MBA Programs

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Our New Ranking of the

Best Executive MBA

Programs in North

America (1,010 views)

The ABCs of Executive

MBA Programs (316

views)

An Entrepreneur Applies

to B-School (299 views)

The Most Innovative

Global MBA Programs

(271 views)

The Argument Against

Business School (223

views)

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Asking the hard questions and getting the answers before you sign up

The Argument Against Business School

11 Comments

Forget the EMBA. Josh Kaufman thinks you should open the pages of classic business texts and learn on your own

An Entrepreneur Applies to B-School

by Adam Banks

Adam Banks is going to Chicago Booth's EMBA program

Business school was something I always dreamed of doing “one day.” I just took quite a round-about way to get there. A week after I graduated with my undergraduate degree, I was hired as a commuter airline pilot. It was exactly the job I had been working toward since I was a kid (I “soloed” at the age of 15). At 23, I was thrilled with my exciting new career. Unfortunately, the career trajectory of a pilot in a post-9/11 world didn’t quite live up to what I had forecast. What had seemed like a promising career that would allow me to move up the ranks quickly became stagnant. I realized that being a pilot was not how I wanted to spend the next thirty years.

During the doldrums of my pilot career, I began to lay the groundwork to start a small company with a close friend. It was in a field I knew nothing about—physical therapy and sports medicine–but I had good ideas about how to run the

business and make it work. Once we launched New York Sports Medicine and Physical Therapy, it quickly took off and it grew rapidly. The operations of the company required my full time attention, so I left my first career as a pilot to focus on my startup.

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degree. At a minimum, my company will hopefully continue to grow. I want to be prepared for that growth and I want to be one of the most educated employees in the company. After all, I am the CEO.

Another reason I am now seeking a business degree is that I see it as the ultimate insurance policy. There may be a day when I no longer own my own company or when I want to do something different. It’s important to me to know I have the ability and the knowledge to get a high level job in another company if that time comes.

When I first got serious about entering an executive MBA program, I was looking for the easy way out. I wanted to either do something online or attend a local program, the kind that’s advertised on the radio –-something easy and quick. At the time, I was really just chasing the credentials of those three letters, MBA, but was not quite as interested in the quality of the education I would receive.

Then, a friend of mine challenged my decision. He asked why I would waste my time and money on a no-name MBA when I had the skills and ability to go to one of the top business programs in the country. This conversation was a wake-up call for me. My friend was right and I realized I was selling myself short by not trying for the best programs out there. I applied (almost manically) to five or six of the top-rated programs. I didn’t want to take any chances of not getting in. I also chased ratings (almost manically). In hindsight, this was a mistake. Instead of focusing on which programs were rated the best, I should have focused more on which programs worked best for me. When it comes down to it, factors such as travel time and how many weekends I need to attend classes, matter to me. So does the school’s academic focus and rigor. The delta between a ranking of three and a ranking of four doesn’t really make a difference.

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An Entrepreneur Applies to B-School

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Mike Kutrieb said: On June 10, 2011

Nice work! I couldn’t agree more on your take regarding program mind-sets. It does seem backwards, but the reality is that they are the “gate-keepers”.

Reply

2.

Linda Abraham said: On June 15, 2011

I couldn’t agree more with the comments about researching schools vs relying on rankings.

I also think your perspective on the difference between a customer’s perspective and an applicant’s perspective is very helpful and spot on. Ultimately, I think the admissions process is more like dating or match-making than luxury goods marketing or a business deal: They woo you, the applicant. You woo them, the school. You both ultimately decide if it’s a match.

Best, Linda

Reply

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