Cornell-Queens vs. Stern vs. McDonough vs. IE

bouncer5454
Tue, 22 Oct 2013 14:35:39 +0000

Hi All -

My company is sponsoring me for an EMBA program, need some advice on which school to attend. I am using this to spring-board into a CFO role - have a JD and BBA in Finance, and will be taking over the finance/accounting department at my current firm. Really looking for a program with a strong finance focus that will supplement my real-world experience. I am committed to staying with the company post-MBA (at least for the immediate future), so recruiting is not a huge concern at the moment. That being said, the brand is certainly important to me as I look at the long-term value to my career.

I’m based in the DC-area, so am limiting myself to this region for the sake of convenience. Also am looking at programs that don’t require the GMAT as I just don’t have time at the moment to prepare for the exam. With all that being said I’ve narrowed down to the following schools:

Cornell-Queens: The format of this program is the most convenient, with boardroom classes in DC and just 3 weeks out of office. Also is a relatively quick program at 16 months. My concerns are 1) it is a lock-step program with no electives, so not sure if it will provide the depth in finance and accounting that I am looking for, and 2) the involvement of Queens (I think) waters down the teaching quality here a bit. I understand at the end of the day you get a Cornell MBA but I’m just not sure this will be the same calibre of teaching.

Georgetown: Again, conveniently located in DC. More flexibility than the Cornell-Queens program, and should afford ample opportunity to network in DC. The down-side is that this is the lowest ranked of all the programs I am considering and wouldn’t let me walk away with an “elite” MBA on the resume.

NYU: Great brand and offers a finance concentration, so from an academics perspective is great. Would have to make the drive to NYC. Another consideration is cost - my company will pay for up to $130k, so unless I get some scholarship here I will have to go out of pocket for a portion. Is the Stern brand worth the extra financial investment over the others?

IE: I’ve been tracking this program for a while now. On the positive side - very flexible program, opportunity to spend time in Spain, does very well in rankings, has a finance concentration. On the flip side, not sure how the brand is perceived in the US, and have heard conflicting reviews about the level of the students in the program.

I have also looked at Duke and would strongly consider if they would waive the GMAT requirement, but would be a 5 hour drive to Durham every other weekend. Not considering Darden as I did my JD at UVA and would want to expand my alumni network.

Any thoughts and suggestions from you guys would be very helpful. Thanks!

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