So...were you fortunate enough to have to make a decision?

People tend to think life is a race with other people. They don't realize that every moment they spend sprinting towards the finish line is a moment they lose permanently, and a moment closer to their death.
 

Don't lie.

Your self esteem has been chipped pretty good. Nothing wrong with that.

"It is better to have a friendship based on business, than a business based on friendship." - Rockefeller. "Live fast, die hard. Leave a good looking body." - Navy SEAL
 

I know one who went to Stanford. State school undergrad too.

People tend to think life is a race with other people. They don't realize that every moment they spend sprinting towards the finish line is a moment they lose permanently, and a moment closer to their death.
 

I know more than a small handful of people who regret pursuing their MBAs-including a couple from H/S/W (though they don't go around advertising it-no one would ever feel bad for them anyway).

What I find they mostly have in common is some combo of: didn't have clear career goals, took themselves off paths w/ great upside and pay to chase "prestige", strived for "unicorn" jobs that few people can access, or switched into industries for which they were ill-suited (more temperament than skill).

One just had to-gasp!- IBR his massive loans after getting laid off from a start-up a few months back and taking a freelance/ contract consulting gig. He's been interviewing for F500 Strategy jobs in the interim.

That's prob the most shocking thing I've seen that these schools never mention-just how many people get fired or laid off within a year of graduating, especially in some of the more high pressure/ high turnover fields. Your degree doesn't mean dick in those instances. We also never consider just how unappealing some of the "best" outcomes might be for some people-the e-mails/resumes I get from folks looking to escape particular "high prestige" fields or companies would make you chuckle.

That said I'd still take an MBA business schools ">M7 degree in a heartbeat, just for the optionality and credibility it affords. Even if I got a "bad" outcome (for me), it's tough to quantify the value of that network or attention from recruiters assuming you're not out there constantly chasing the next "unicorn" job. But that's just me.

 
Noelle90:

You're lying. Anyone who goes to Harvard MBA wouldn't say that. Shit, I wouldn't say that even if I attended Goizueta.

I was just at a talk given by two startup founders, both Harvard Business School Grads, one of them even had his B-School paid for by his MBB consulting firm.

It was basically two hours of them saying why you should forget about going there and not drink the Kool Aid lol. Founder #1 said that if he had taken those two years of his life plus the other four which he was bound to his firm in exchange for the free MBA and started his company, he might be close to an exit now. Founder #2 said that if he had taken that money he used for HBS and not incurred the amount of student debt needed to go, he wouldn't have had to raise as much VC money. About networks, Founder #1 said his HBS MBA gave him like one relevant lead for his current startup. Founder #2 said he hasn't really been able to use his HBS network significantly.

"Be the Disruptor, not the Disrupted" - Clayton Christensen
 

Finished my RC year. Taking time off but agree with this sentiment. I don't want to go back for my EC year but I will just to finish. Place has a lot of negatives to it.

 

As someone who has counseled even Brady, and also as someone who has gone to grad school, I can assure you that getting into Stanford or Harvard is not as make or break for your career as getting into TAS was.

Your prestige-- your success-- is what you produce every day.

I think the forum is correct in pointing out a mild (perhaps only slightly above average) inferiority and/or rejection complex. Some of us probably share it. But I don't think it's unhealthy to say that you don't need a Stanford or Harvard MBA to succeed. I also don't think pointing out that what matters is what you produce each day risks making your ego too big. I think pointing those things out helps keep you more grounded.

Good luck to you. Back to my rusty Honda.

 
IlliniProgrammer:

As someone who has counseled even Brady, and also as someone who has gone to grad school, I can assure you that getting into Stanford or Harvard is not as make or break for your career as getting into TAS was.

Your prestige-- your success-- is what you produce every day.

I think the forum is correct in pointing out a mild (perhaps only slightly above average) inferiority and/or rejection complex. Some of us probably share it. But I don't think it's unhealthy to say that you don't need a Stanford or Harvard MBA to succeed. I also don't think pointing out that what matters is what you produce each day risks making your ego too big. I think pointing those things out helps keep you more grounded.

Good luck to you. Back to my rusty Honda.

very much agree. I know people who are from "supposedly" inferior/superior programs who feel I shall be entitled or they could be entitled, but once the levers approximately match, it's really what your brand says about you. There's a lot of surprises once you see who you can win against

back to my rusty Toyota. offered to upgrade too but we'll see if that happens any soon

 

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