How Hard Is It to Earn an MBA?

Challenges of Earning an MBA

Most things worth doing are going to have a level of difficulty that will cause you to stretch and grow. Getting into a reputable MBA program is your first challenge. During the application process you demonstrate your leadership, resilience, and an ability to collaborate with curiosity. But don’t stop there. Your journey has really just begun.

Getting your MBA will have its challenges, yet it is an experience that encourages you to take risks and grow personally and professionally in the safe environment of graduate school. And you won’t be alone. Scheller’s Full-time, Evening, and Executive MBA programs are known for their strong, collaborative communities.

MBA Challenge #1: Transitioning Back to School

It could be years, or decades, since you took your last college-level course. Whether you’re returning to school full-time or part-time, expect it to take some adjusting to.

How to Manage:

Set clear expectations with family, friends, and employers as to what you reasonably can and cannot do. This is one way to practice effective stress management during your MBA.

You will have to compromise somewhere. Discard the idea of finding the perfect work-life balance and instead think of it as finding work-life compromise. That ‘compromise’ will probably look different day-to-day and semester-to-semester.

You are not returning to school alone. You will be surrounded by classmates who are also returning to school. The newness of the experience will fade, but the connections you make with students, faculty, and staff over the course of your studies will last and will support you while you’re in the program and after you graduate.

Balancing Work and an MBA

"Everyone in the program has a career, a family, plus a demanding workload with school, but there's a really high level of support. It's not a competitive environment. Everyone supports each other and wants each other to succeed.”

Kate Allan, Executive MBA ‘21
Director, Jabian Consulting

MBA Challenge #2: Stretching Outside Your Comfort Zone

You can expect to stretch yourself academically, especially when it comes to quantitative concepts. You will come into the program with the strength of your unique experiences and skillsets, but you can also expect to discover areas of potential growth along the way.

How to Manage:

Know that each student brings their own personal strengths and weaknesses into the program. Your strength may be another classmate’s weakness, which provides an opportunity for you both to learn from each other. Don’t be afraid to ask for help from fellow classmates, faculty, or staff members.

You can also connect with a Scheller MBA ambassador from a similar background to understand academic expectations ahead of time. Find out what courses were most challenging for them. You can also discover the resources they turned to so they could learn the material successfully, and perhaps see how they apply that knowledge in their current career.

“I wanted to pick a business school where I felt like I could bring something unique to the cohort and be challenged by my peers. It has been immensely valuable to be on teams with classmates where I can learn so much and feel like I am rounding out their skillset as well.”

Grace Stewart, Full-time MBA ‘22
Consultant, Bain & Company

MBA Challenge #3: You Don’t Know What You Want to Do After

No one knows the end from the beginning when it comes to post-MBA career outcomes. Perhaps right now you know that there is something missing in your current career. That’s a start.

How to Manage:

First, understand that you are not alone! The primary goal for any MBA student is to identify a clear purpose for returning. Perhaps your sole purpose is to transition out of a stale job and into a career that excites and stretches you. This purpose will help guide the path you take during your MBA, including what classes, internships, and opportunities you take advantage of.

To help you craft your MBA purpose and career goals, make time early and often for Scheller’s career development resources.

Full-time MBA: Students begin working with the nationally ranked Jones MBA Career Center before they set foot on campus. Individualized career coaches are dedicated to helping them explore career options, develop a career strategy, identify job search targets, prepare for interviews, and negotiate starting contracts.
Evening MBA: Students work one-on-one with the Jones MBA Career Center to clarify their career paths with individualized action plans. Evening MBAs have access to the same range of resources adapted to benefit them at their current organization or as they embark on a new career.
Executive MBA: Students bring years of professional experience to their class, but they are not left alone when it comes to knowing how to best use their MBA knowledge and skillsets. Executive career coaching is available for every career stage and goal.

“Georgia Tech is home to one of the best business schools in the country, and this particularly extends to our Jones MBA Career Center, which is consistently ranked in the top five in the world. MBAs at Scheller come from all different types of careers and backgrounds, which makes it such a special place to attend business school.”

Leo Haigh, Full-time MBA, ‘23
Commercial Strategy Analyst, American Airlines

How Hard Is It to Earn an MBA?

Challenges of Earning an MBA

MBA Challenge #1: Transitioning Back to School

Balancing Work and an MBA

MBA Challenge #2: Stretching Outside Your Comfort Zone

MBA Challenge #3: You Don’t Know What You Want to Do After

Continue Your MBA Path

What Jobs Can You Get With an MBA?

Choosing the Right MBA for You

Expected Salary Increase of an MBA

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