As many of you know, I have been seriously considering starting work on an MBA this fall at Colorado University at Denver. They have a great program where I can attend class part time at night and finish an MBA in about three years. The school is also located very close to work and light rail and offers some interesting specializations in Information Technology.
Why would I do this you might wonder? One reason is that I have always wanted to achieve a post-graduate level degree since graduating from the University of Michigan almost exactly eight years ago. I am certainly not getting any younger as I stare at my 37th birthday right around corner. The second is harder to explain but the general reason is to ensure that I continue to have options as I progress in my IT career. My technical skills have been eroding over the last few years as the amount of time I spend actually programming has decreased. Finally, I have a significant interest in understanding more about the business world, particularly economics, accounting, and finance. My military background has provided me a solid understanding of leadership and coupling that with a better understanding of the business world would seem to be a good move.
I did spend some time preparing for the test through a study guide and taking sample tests. In hindsight I could have prepared more but in typical Erin and Mike fashion we had a million things going on and I was working quite a bit. So Saturday at 12:15 I was fingerprinted and photographed and allowed to take my test.
The results? Well, I didn’t do as well on the Verbal section as I did on the practice tests, which was disappointing. I did ok on the Quantitative section and my overall score was just about exactly in the 50th percentile of all the GMAT test takers. I certainly wouldn’t get into UM Business or Wharton but according to the average score provided by CU Denver, I should be in good shape for admission. I was a little bit humbled by my score, but given that I didn’t prepare very well and I am old now, the results were not surprising. I am glad it is done and look forward to jumping back into the Academic world.
Mike's Mom responded on 21 Apr 2008 at 8:02 pm #
Hey, if your old lady can start graduate school at age 41, 37 is a great age to tackle graduate school! With age comes wisdom, so you’ll have a head start compared to your younger peers. Besides, you have to keep up with your baby brother, Scott! Hey, Steve, interested in graduate school? Well, jokes aside, I am excited at your decision. I know that you will do well.