Cambridge PGDip - Should I accept?

Hello monkeys,

Looking for some advice. I've just been accepted onto the part-time Cambridge post-graduate dipoloma in Entrepreneurship. In essence, the class is delivered remotely over the course of a year with an inclusive 3 weeks residential in Cambridge. During the course, you create a business plan based on an entrepreneurial idea you have. You can read more here: http://www.cfel.jbs.cam.ac.uk/programmes/diploma/index.html

My question: is it worth it?

Goals:
- Currently applying for Harvard 2+2 and Stanford deferred entry for MBA
- I want to work in Silicon Valley for a startup in the not-too-distant future

Background:
- Undergrad degree from a Top 5 or Top 10 in the UK depending on where you look. Major: business. Grade: 1st
- Exchange semester to 'Public Ivy' - GPA: 4.0
- MSc from top UK school (not Oxbridge, but think LSE/Imperial/Warwick)

Work experience:
- Internship: F100 oil company in finance
- Internship: large hedge fund in research team
- Part-time current: non-profit consultant
- Part-time current: sales at successful startup
- Grad offer from tech company (think Google/Facebook/Dropbox) in business division to begin fall 2014 [European office)

My thoughts are that it could be better for me to set up a small business over the summer and then continue to run it in the evenings whilst working at Google/Facebook/Dropbox, but on the other hand it would be great to have the guidance and network that the Cambridge diploma avails.

I know that organisations in the Bay Area and Silicon Valley look down on MBAs/qualifications as the culture idolises dropouts and hustlers (which I don't necessarily disagree with), but the fact of the matter is that there are still many people in the Valley with lots of letters after their name and I think it can open doors (just from seeing the name Cambridge, for example).

Will something like this help with an HBS/GSB application? Or would 'going it alone' look better?

Very interested to hear thoughts...

1 Comments
 

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