MBA fair - the other side of the booth

Last week I attended the QS MBA Fair here in DC. I had been to a couple of these events before, back when I was still doing my research on different MBA programs out there. This time, however, was a little different. IMD invited me to help man their booth and answer questions from prospective applicants, since I have just gone through the admissions process myself. Exciting!

In my opinion, the MBA tour is a must for anyone interested in business school.

It was a lot of fun to be on the other side of the booth. Once again, I was amazed by the diversity of candidates that IMD attracts. Even in a location-specific event like this one, people who stopped by were from several different countries, had worked or lived all over the world, and had an impressive variety of backgrounds and work experience. I got to chat with a lot of interesting people, who I truly hope will consider IMD for their MBAs.

Not long after the fair began, I was surprised by an invitation from a Wharton alum to join a Q&A session as a panelist. A panelist! I haven't even started by MBA yet!

Insights from an IMD Alum

I recently reached out to Howie Chan - a fellow blogger, and class of 2009 IMD graduate. I asked him if he would mind being featured here on my blog, and he agreed to answer a few of my questions about his time at IMD. I am very happy to pass along some of his wisdom below!

A big thank you to Howie for taking the time to help those of us whose MBA journeys are still just beginning. You can (and should!) read more about Howie's IMD experience in his blog, aptly named Howie after IMD.

Here's what he had to say:

• What did you enjoy the MOST about the IMD experience? What did you enjoy the LEAST?

Howie: The most enjoyable thing about the IMD experience is working with a group of really smart people and building a camaraderie that will last throughout your lifetime. This enjoyment will continue to grow in the program and also after leaving IMD. The least enjoyable bit is the shear amount of time put into the program. You will live, sleep and breathe IMD. There will be conflicts and there will be very heated and uncomfortable moments. It's something that I did not enjoy during the experience, but learned to relish it as no valuable bonds and learning are developed during the good times. It's the hard times that counts.

Notes from the Q&A on Financing the IMD MBA

This morning I listened in on the IMD live chat about how to finance the MBA. It was a useful session - there were some good insights on strategies that students can use to make sure they will be able to pay for the program costs and live comfortably in Lausanne.

In addition to Janet Shaner, IMD's MBA Program Delivery Director, the session included the participation of two students as well: Stefan and Shweta. They shared a little bit about how they went about financing their MBA, and and answered questions from the audience.

Below are some of the themes and key advice I took away from the session:

Event heads up - IMD online chat with Janet Shaner on how to finance your MBA

Just received an invitation to another "virtual visit" from IMD, which will take place on Friday, September 13th 2013 at 3:00pm Lausanne time. This one will feature Janet Shaner, MBA Program Delivery Director, and she will give some insight and answer questions about what students can do to finance their year at IMD.

Link to the event registration here.

The start of the program is only four months away, so I would imagine most of the students coming into the class of 2014 have a pretty good sense of what their options are and how they will finance their MBA. But it's always useful to listen in and hear about all the available options. Perhaps there will also be some useful information about things students can do during their year in Lausanne to maximize their budget.

What will we do with all our stuff?

Planning a move to another country is a lot of work. So much so, it's almost easy to forget the actual "moving" part of it. One way or another, we need to empty out the house and figure out what to do with all our belongings. What's coming to Lausanne with us? What's being stored elsewhere? And what's going to the trash?

Some people actually enjoy the process. Ashley, for example, loves moving. She likes going through stuff, packing it up, renting a moving truck, the whole thing. Not me. This stuff gives me nightmares.

My biggest concern is that we won't be able to bring everything we need to Lausanne. This is an even bigger deal now that we need to account for Little Marshmallow too! Sadly, we just have to accept (and budget for) the fact that there are things we'll only be able to buy once we arrive in Switzerland.