Difficult decisions

elliott_wu

2 3

Posted Sep 26, 2010 10:41

Hello all, I've been getting my confidence kind of shattered as of recently and I felt that I need to gain some perspective.

A bit about myself.
I'm married, Asian male, age 29, been working since 2004, and I'm currently a solution architect for one of the first start up WIMAX companies in SE Asia with about $100 mil worth of assets. And I am looking to go back to B-school. I went to NYU Stern for UG with an MIS degree with a 3.3 GPA, and my GMAT score is a 710.

A bit more about myself. I've been doing engineering work the whole time, and I'm hoping to switch gears into marketing, and possible jump industries from telecom to entertainment media (i.e. gaming development), maybe even look into entrepreneurship. I also wish to focus my career in the Asia region.

Normally, this would be just be a matter of finding the best possible school that I would like, and applying. Unfortunately, my life is a tad more complicated than that.

My wife is working for the US State dept, which SEVERELY limits my geographic location mostly due to the fact that there is just not a lot of positions open right now for people at her rank.

Because of the geographical restriction, I considered the following schools:

NYU or Columbia: if she gets a US/UN Position (not likely, due to the positions available being above her rank)
London Business School (again, not likely for her due to this tend to being a reward post for warzone postings)
Insead (this one is my favorite, but much like London, it's a posting usually reserved for people who just got out of a warzone)
Georgetown (pretty much the only school that I know will work out with her job, since DC positions are guaranteed)
I've also considered Hong Kong, Madrid, and such. But all of these pretty much are in the same boat as London.

Unfortunately, as you can see, most of the posts above aren't looking good, and the only place where we can work out the family/work/academic balance is in DC. This may seem to make Georgetown a shoo-in, but then a part of me is saying me that I really should try to shoot for a first tier school if I can at all help it, that Georgetown might not be worth the money I put into it.

I started looking around online for other people's experiences, and the more I read, the more I question the worth of an MBA, specifically one that might not actually give me the exposure I'm looking for.

So, here I am, just trying to get my head back on straight. I mean, really, maybe I'm not even competitive material for the schools I want to go to anyway. So who the hell knows? But man, I am just feeling unbelievably frustrated right now.

Anyway, I just wanted to vent a little, and maybe get some advice from people on this. Thanks

quote

Evan2007

103 206

Posted Sep 28, 2010 12:09

Hi Elliott -- Gosh. Yes, that situation with the UN posts makes things difficult. Georgetown isn't bad, though. Virginia Darden (first-tier) in Charlottesville is about 100 miles away (might be closer by train). Is that an option? Or part-time programs?

Good luck!

quote

elliott_wu

2 3

Posted Sep 28, 2010 12:15

Hi Elliott -- Gosh. Yes, that situation with the UN posts makes things difficult. Georgetown isn't bad, though. Virginia Darden (first-tier) in Charlottesville is about 100 miles away (might be closer by train). Is that an option? Or part-time programs?

Good luck!

It certainly is an option. But it could pose a potential cost to my family life, which I must admit, gives me a lot of pause. I have a two year old daughter, so naturally, I want to be around as much as possible.

Luckily, my wife has been understanding enough to say that if I really feel that strongly about the school she is willing to take a year leave of absense to try to go somewhere where I can finish an accelerated degree. So Insead is back on the table again because of this. However, it is still logistically a nightmare.

Not having income in Singapore is not a fun thing. Since she can't work during her leave of absense, that's exactly what we would end up with. And while I think an Insead degree might justify this, it will also put us horribly in debt. (maybe I can sell my organs or something...)

So, to go to a top rate school, but be horribly in debt, or to go to a second tier school, but then have it help a lot less.... decisions, decisions.

<blockquote>Hi Elliott -- Gosh. Yes, that situation with the UN posts makes things difficult. Georgetown isn't bad, though. Virginia Darden (first-tier) in Charlottesville is about 100 miles away (might be closer by train). Is that an option? Or part-time programs?

Good luck!

</blockquote>
It certainly is an option. But it could pose a potential cost to my family life, which I must admit, gives me a lot of pause. I have a two year old daughter, so naturally, I want to be around as much as possible.

Luckily, my wife has been understanding enough to say that if I really feel that strongly about the school she is willing to take a year leave of absense to try to go somewhere where I can finish an accelerated degree. So Insead is back on the table again because of this. However, it is still logistically a nightmare.

Not having income in Singapore is not a fun thing. Since she can't work during her leave of absense, that's exactly what we would end up with. And while I think an Insead degree might justify this, it will also put us horribly in debt. (maybe I can sell my organs or something...)

So, to go to a top rate school, but be horribly in debt, or to go to a second tier school, but then have it help a lot less.... decisions, decisions.

quote

Evan2007

103 206

Posted Sep 28, 2010 13:04

Well, perhaps you can go somewhere where you'll get the most for your kidney. ;) And you don't really need both eyes, do you?

Seriously, similar family issues (young kids, international moving) have delayed my MBA quest, as well. So I certainly empathize with your situation. But you seem to have good support from your family, which is so huge! Working around a career like the UN is also quite a challenge. Can you wait to see where she will be posted next, and then decide from there (perhaps a part-time program, where you can also work and be a dad...)?

BTW, I think that Georgetown is far from a useless program.

quote

elliott_wu

2 3

Posted Sep 29, 2010 04:19

Oh I would never say that Georgetown is useless, it's just that when I have the chance to reach for the stars, why the heck shouldn't I, right? Also, Georgetown, I feel, would give more oomph if I were to primarily be focused on public policy related stuff or be sticking around the DC area. Since I'm looking more for international media related industries, it's not AS useful, but far from useless, I agree.

Anyway, last night we came to a decision:

I'm going to apply for all of the schools just for the exercise of it all, but keep Darden and Georgetown as actual candidates.

In the mean time, my wife will take a DC position that is relatively short, and when she starts bidding again (hopefully with a better crop of choices) I'll give it a second go.

If, however, the position she's offered doesn't afford us that freedom (i.e. she gets a job in DC that will not send her out immediately or it locks her into a 3-4 year commitment), then I'll just have to find a way to make georgetown or Darden work.

Either way, to be brutally honest, I think it will all work out fine. I just wanted to vent and gain some perspective.

That aside, do I even stand a chance for these schools?

quote

Evan2007

103 206

Posted Sep 29, 2010 16:13

> That aside, do I even stand a chance for these schools?

Oh, with your profile, definitely. Good luck!

quote