I’m a first-year MBA student at a well-ranked business school and I’m having second thoughts about continuing. I’m 29 years old with a background in biotech research and team management. I had acceptances from both higher-ranked and lower-ranked programs but picked this one because it was more affordable and closer to home.
After finishing my first semester, here’s what I’m experiencing:
The good stuff: I really love my classes and professors. The academic side has been amazing and honestly my favorite part. I also have a solid personal life with my partner and some friends from the program.
Career prospects: I want to break into consulting after graduation. I’ve gotten a few internship interviews which seems pretty good in this job market. But during my networking calls, one consultant told me I might be able to get into consulting even without finishing the MBA given my background. This really got me thinking.
The networking struggle: Everyone says the real value of business school is the connections you make. I’ve been trying hard - going to happy hours, events, parties, meeting classmates and second-years. I’ve talked to maybe half my class by now. But honestly, I’m not finding the intellectual conversations I expected. There aren’t many people with consulting or banking backgrounds like I was told there would be. The alumni network also seems kind of underwhelming - most people seem to end up in middle management roles.
Two main questions:
- How important is the MBA alumni network really? Does it actually matter if one school has more partners at a firm than another?
- For people who went to top-tier programs, is the student quality and network that much better?
Bottom line: The academics are great and my job search is going okay, but I’m struggling to justify the $200k cost when the networking piece isn’t living up to expectations. My wife and I even delayed buying a house for this. I’m seriously considering dropping out before spring semester tuition is due.
I know this is a really personal decision but I’d love to hear any thoughts or similar experiences. Thanks for reading this long post!
Good question about alumni networks - it really depends on the school tier and what industries they focus on. Top programs usually have 15-20% more alumni in senior consulting roles than mid-tier schools, so you get better referrals and insider info during recruiting. But honestly, your biotech background already makes you stand out big time in consulting apps. Don’t just think about the $200k debt though - you’re also losing 18 months of consulting salary (around $180k). If you’re already getting solid interview flow, that’s proof your profile works without finishing the MBA. Plus delaying the house purchase is another hit that most people don’t factor in.
Honestly, you’re already doing well with interviews, so networking might not be that crucial for you. I dropped out after first year for different reasons, but sometimes I wonder if I should’ve stuck it out. That $200k debt is brutal tho - if you can land consulting offers without finishing, why not go for it? Worst case, you reapply later when the market’s better.
You’ve hit on the classic MBA marketing vs. reality gap. I’ve been in consulting for 10+ years, and alumni networks absolutely matter - not just for breaking in, but for moving between firms and making partner. But there’s a huge difference between school tiers.
What worries me about your situation is that your classmates don’t have consulting or banking backgrounds. That screams weak industry connections, which means fewer senior alumni at target firms. You’ll be competing against kids from programs where half the class already has finance/consulting experience.
But here’s the thing - your biotech background is actually valuable for healthcare consulting. The consultant who said you could get in without finishing the MBA probably sees that. You’ve already had interview success, right?
Given the financial hit and your situation, I’d push for a leave of absence instead of dropping out completely. Keep your options open while you test the consulting waters. The opportunity cost of staying might be higher than what the degree will actually get you.
Trust your gut! Getting consulting interviews is huge validation. That $200k opportunity is real - consider taking a semester off to explore it. You can always come back to school later.