Torn between programs

I graduated this past May and decided to do a MSF for all the usual reasons. I looked at absolutely every MSF program that is half respectable, took my GMAT (630) and I think I'll be retaking it. I definately have a 680-690 in me. Anywyas, I missed all the deadlines for Fall 2011, and found St.Gallen's MBF to be quite respectable in Europe. It is the only respectable program that admits students in Fall and Spring. Every other school seems to be only admitting in the Fall which really sucks as I don't want to wait until September.

Here is my dilemna: I have a decent shot for St.Gallen admission in February BUT i have a lot of reservations about it. It's a decent school but I am not exactly excited about it because of the whole German language preference. Maybe I missed something in my original search. Would anyone know if there are any other programs, at minimum atleast half decent, either in US or Europe that accept in the Spring?

I know Villanova starts in May I think, but my preference is to start in the Spring for a variety of reason, including prolonging school loan payments and such.

 

Just call up your student loan provider, tell them you are doing grad school in May or whatever and get a temp hardship extension.

I wouldn't do St. Gallen.

 

Yea, I don't want to do something I won't be looking ffully excited about. I know choosers can't be beggars, but I can't be completely stuck, right? I heard that St.Gallen is not that bad and has opportunities but the main thing is that the program is dirt cheap. I remember seeing Villanova's program cost to be around $32,000 which is a lot for me, but relatively low compared to other US programs. I like the everything about it except the price tag and that's why I looked at Europe, especially having a EU citizenship.

" A recession is when other people lose their job, a depression is when you lose your job. "
 
Best Response

Dude, it really makes no sense to do a program that you obviously aren't sure of and that has a very average reputation because you don't want to wait til fall. Apply for the short term extension/hardship from your loan provider and use the intervening time period to retake your GMAT. In 10 years, you will regret going to a shady program and the subsequent job you land a lot more than you will regret waiting 6 months and doing it right.

If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses - Henry Ford
 
happypantsmcgee:
Dude, it really makes no sense to do a program that you obviously aren't sure of and that has a very average reputation because you don't want to wait til fall. Apply for the short term extension/hardship from your loan provider and use the intervening time period to retake your GMAT. In 10 years, you will regret going to a shady program and the subsequent job you land a lot more than you will regret waiting 6 months and doing it right.

Last year I was deciding between work and matriculating at the MFE program in UMich but I felt unsure about the program and was asking around for advice just as the OP is today. I think another part of me wanted to justify going to the program by thinking along the lines of "that the program is reputable and would open up doors."

happypantsmcgee put it best - "it really makes no sense to do a program that you obviously aren't sure of" - if you're online trying to find justification on attending or proof that you should be attending then you really shouldn't be thinking about it in the first place. The program (just like other masters programs I'm sure) will take up 1-2 years of your life, not to mention sucking your pocket book dry. That's a lot of resource to devote to a program that you're asking strangers on the 'net about.

 

Let me chime in and say St Gallen is a great Swiss program, but happy is right. I have wanted to do an MSF for a while and was committed in my decision. I quit my job to do it. If you are not committed don't do it. An MSF degree is game time dude, you got one year to get it done or else you are fucked. Know this before you sign the papers.

 
LLcoolJ:
St Gallen isn't a shady.... probably the best central european/German b-school.

Yea sorry, that was poor word choice on my part I more so meant a program that isn't exactly what you want but more what's available at the moment. My bad.

If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses - Henry Ford
 

RealDeal is quite right about St. Gallen being dirt cheap. The brochure for the MBF programme mentions that the average pay after the course is 90000-120000 CHF. So, the ROI makes it one of the best (the fees is only ~2500CHF). Language is a huge issue. Huge. Almost everyone speaks Swiss-German (A dialect, which makes it all the more difficult to learn) and not German.

 

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