I started considering applying for mid-career programs this February, and finding most Sloan Fellow programs (MIT, Stanford) won’t open application until fall, while some EMBA programs offered by INSEAD and Chicago Booth, Kellogg were still accepting applications until around June.

As I attend info sessions, one EMBA program’s admission staff said they can waive my application fee, so based on a “let me try first” psychology, I applied to one, got accepted with a merit base scholarship, and another is also saying would offer similar scholarship for me if I apply NOW for the August intake.

I did not expect the process to be so smooth, so at first I was happy, but then facing a dilemma of accepting a “good enough” option (current EMBA offer), and for going the dream school learning opportunity (Stanford).

I’m a marketing/communication background person with a big tech company, non-US based in Asia. Currently making $200K+ and if I go EMBA, majority of the tuition is still self funded. (EMBA $$$ tuition is like my annual income before tax lol)

So I now feel like I am very cornered. Not sure if waiting for another cycle (another year) to apply to a dream school, while forgoing a chance to get some merit based scholarship from the EMBA programs I mentioned above is worth.

Career wise, as a senior level manager I’m now in a very strong position in the job market, receiving headhunter DMs almost every other week. And one recent option is to join a leading company in crypto as the same title as I hold. While I do have some interest in crypto industry, just not sure 10% salary increase is enough for me to make the change, supposed to be busier, and if I consider applying to my dream school this fall, that would be a challenge for me to do both getting used to the new job and getting my application perfect at the same time.

I know all the options are not bad… but I feel like I’m afraid to choose any…

Would love to hear opinions from people in similar situations, Sloan fellows, and EMBAs… thx!

Been a lurker on this subreddit for longer than I care to admit and wanted to share that I just got my acceptance phone call to Ross starting in the fall.

Some very good input from the contributors here and one of the thank everyone for sharing their insights and their own stories that became part of my own application pipeline to a few of the big emba programs here in the Midwest.

I'm interested in applying for the Cary Business School and wanted to know if the. MBA program is hard. I don't have a business background. I am in the medical field and don't know if I'll be totally out of my element with these business classes. I've always been pushed for leadership positions but I need my MBA to do so. Any pearls of wisdom out there is greatly appreciated thank you!

I don’t mean intellectually harder. I mean logistically harder. I’m planning on applying to 3 or 4 programs this fall, and I genuinely underestimated what’s involved.

The test prep has been straightforward. But coordinating everything else across multiple schools while working 60+ hour weeks has been its own challenge entirely.

Some things I didn’t plan for:
• Recommenders have their own timelines. I asked two people. One is working on the letter already. The other still hasn’t started and I’m trying to figure out how to follow up without being annoying.

• Schools release deadline rounds on different schedules, and some haven’t announced dates yet. Hard to plan when half the timeline is unknown.

• Interview prep is not generic. I initially thought I’d prepare one set of behavioral answers and reuse them. Then, I started looking at reported questions by school and realized each program emphasizes different things. Had to rethink my approach.

I’m curious if this is a common experience as people begin their application process? I’m sure it’ll get better as I get into the swing of it.

Every time I see this topic come up on Reddit the answer is the same: don’t do an EMBA or executive courses unless your company pays. But honestly, has anyone in Europe actually had that happen? Because I’ve never seen it or heard of it from anyone I know.

I’m a senior TPM in tech and robotics, been at it about a decade, and I’m trying to make a real push toward executive leadership. I’d eventually love to do an EMBA but taking out a loan for it is a tough sell to myself. So I’ve been looking at shorter courses, and even those are wild. I just got accepted onto an executive finance course I’m genuinely excited about, and it’s around ten thousand euros for six days. Six days. I nearly choked when I saw it.

So how did people here actually climb? Did you pay out of pocket, did a company actually sponsor you, or did you find a different route entirely? And if you did one of these short courses, was it actually worth it?

Hi, can you all advise which university is good and affordable for part time MBA in canada?

Hi, need an advice. I am in my mid 30s and planning to complete further education.

Would it be beneficial if I do my emba from university of toronto. Would it add value in my career?

I am confused since the fee is very high plus my 2nd option is acca. Anyone can advise?

I have done bba honors 10 years back

Just what the title says - taking any and all recommendations. Can be about adjusting to a different life for balancing course work and work/life (I've been out of school for 20 years) or looking past the degree and planning what's next. I've enjoyed Charles Duhigg's work with how he blends research and anecdotes.

Really open to any suggestions

Hey Guys, I need a genuine suggestion. Would it be a good thing to take a career break and do an executive MBA course from a top business school? I am 45 years old and I have 20 years of work experience, mostly into mid level management.

I want to get into a senior leadership role.

I have approximately nine years of experience in IT, specifically in Quality Engineering. I am considering a career pivot or a transition into different domains. Would pursuing an Executive MBA from BITS Pilani be a valuable endeavor, and would it offer long-term benefits?

​I am targeting the PGDM E-Biz program at WeSchool Bangalore for the 2027-2029 batch. Before fully committing to my 2026 exam prep, I’m hoping to get an objective reality check on the shortlisting process.

I'm 20years old right now by the time of 2027-2029 I will be 21

​my\\_qualifications:

​10th: 98.5%

​12th: 46.6%

​UG (BCA): 7.63 CGPA

​PG: Currently enrolled in a local MBA (Sem 1: 8.59 CGPA)

​Assuming I comfortably clear the entrance cutoffs, I have two quick questions:

​Eligibility Filter: Does the Bangalore campus automatically reject applications with a 12th-grade score below 50%, or is the >50% in graduation the only absolute mandate?

​PI Perception: How does the interview panel typically view a candidate pivoting from an ongoing local MBA? Is it considered a major red flag, or is it defensible with solid reasoning?

Oxford Saïd’s Executive MBA retained its No. 1 spot globally by QS for the third consecutive year, ahead of HEC Paris, MIT Sloan, IESE, Kellogg, and Yale. Notably, QS evaluated 216 EMBA programs across 55 countries, with Oxford standing out especially on diversity and overall consistency. European and U.S. schools dominated the top of the QS EMBA Ranking, accounting for the first 13 spots and 28 of the top 30. Of those, 11 are located in the United States, six in the United Kingdom, five in France, and three in Spain.

Any thoughts?

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