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ITT: Talk me out of doing the HLS/HBS JD/MBA
Posted: Wed Dec 22, 2010 8:30 pm
by PoZ
Hi all
Long time lurker, first time poster. I'm considering applying for the HLS/HBS JD/MBA program two years from now (to join the class starting in 2013), and although I've done a fair bit of research, I would appreciate your thoughts on the pros and cons of the program.
Background info:
Current Senior in a top European university
GPA equivalent: 3.9
President of largest student organisation on campus (won multiple awards)
LSAT: 176
GMAT: 740
URM: Black
Work Experience to date: One V5 firm, One MC firm, One V30 firm, 5 investment banks
Joining an investment bank as a distressed debt analyst next summer
Reasons for wanting to do the JD/MBA:
Strong interest in both finance and law led me to the distressed debt field where one has to do legal due diligence together with financial due diligence when analysing complex distressed situations. Figured the JD/MBA would give me the perfect grounding for this type of analysis, and the HLS/HBS pedigree and network would be useful in the future.
Cons?
Program is 4 years long
Significant earnings may be lost in the process
Not guaranteed distressed debt job afterwards
May get a job I could have attained anyway without doing a JD/MBA
Options I'm considering
1) JD/MBA at HLS/HBS; 4 years long and graduate in 2017
2) MBA at HBS; 2 years and graduate in 2015
3) MBA at GSB; 2 years and graduate in 2015
I'd appreciate any thoughts you have on the subject, or anything you feel I may be missing. Thanks.
Re: ITT: Talk me out of doing the HLS/HBS JD/MBA
Posted: Wed Dec 22, 2010 8:32 pm
by dextermorgan
You want an MBA. Do option 2.
Re: ITT: Talk me out of doing the HLS/HBS JD/MBA
Posted: Wed Dec 22, 2010 8:32 pm
by megaTTTron
PoZ wrote:Hi all
Long time lurker, first time poster. I'm considering applying for the HLS/HBS JD/MBA program two years from now (to join the class starting in 2013), and although I've done a fair bit of research, I would appreciate your thoughts on the pros and cons of the program.
Background info:
Current Senior in a top European university
GPA equivalent: 3.9
President of largest student organisation on campus (won multiple awards)
LSAT: 176
GMAT: 740
URM: Black
Work Experience to date: One V5 firm, One MC firm, One V30 firm, 5 investment banks
Joining an investment bank as a distressed debt analyst next summer
Reasons for wanting to do the JD/MBA:
Strong interest in both finance and law led me to the distressed debt field where one has to do legal due diligence together with financial due diligence when analysing complex distressed situations. Figured the JD/MBA would give me the perfect grounding for this type of analysis, and the HLS/HBS pedigree and network would be useful in the future.
Cons?
Program is 4 years long
Significant earnings may be lost in the process
Not guaranteed distressed debt job afterwords
May get a job I could have attained anyway without doing a JD/MBA
Options I'm considering
1) JD/MBA at HLS/HBS; 4 years long and graduate in 2017
2) MBA at HBS; 2 years and graduate in 2015
3) MBA at GSB; 2 years and graduate in 2015
I'd appreciate any thoughts you have on the subject, or anything you feel I may be missing. Thanks.
If this isn't a flame: do both because you can (hopefully). You seem interested in both career-wise. What an insane opportunity. Congrats on your grades/ test scores. Man. That's KILLER.
Re: ITT: Talk me out of doing the HLS/HBS JD/MBA
Posted: Wed Dec 22, 2010 8:37 pm
by thecilent
Option 2 not even close.
Re: ITT: Talk me out of doing the HLS/HBS JD/MBA
Posted: Wed Dec 22, 2010 8:59 pm
by PoZ
dextermorgan wrote:You want an MBA. Do option 2.
thecilent wrote:Option 2 not even close.
Thanks for the replies. Is it really that obvious a choice? The program sounds perfect for the field I plan to go back into, and I thought having the JD as well would give me a slight edge. I do worry however that while I'd find the bankruptcy and restructuring law related classes in HLS very interesting, others might bore me a lot (family law, criminal law etc).
Can I ask why the choice is so obvious to you? Thanks.
Re: ITT: Talk me out of doing the HLS/HBS JD/MBA
Posted: Wed Dec 22, 2010 9:28 pm
by thecilent
I mean I guess it really depends how much you actually want the jd / if you really think it will help for whatever field you said you wanted to get into.
I would take the MBA at HBS and never look back. The prospects coming out of there are just awesome - and only 2 years is very nice.
Re: ITT: Talk me out of doing the HLS/HBS JD/MBA
Posted: Wed Dec 22, 2010 9:32 pm
by BruceWayne
Do a JD at Yale and get the MBA from HLS--they'll let you do it.
Re: ITT: Talk me out of doing the HLS/HBS JD/MBA
Posted: Wed Dec 22, 2010 9:44 pm
by PoZ
BruceWayne wrote:Do a JD at Yale and get the MBA from HLS--they'll let you do it.
Sorry what exactly did you mean by that? Did you mean do a JD/MBA at YLS/SOM? Yale School of Management doesn't have the pedigree and/or the recruiting opportunities that you find at HBS or GSB.
In any case, I'd prefere the larger classes at Harvard to expand my network.
Re: ITT: Talk me out of doing the HLS/HBS JD/MBA
Posted: Wed Dec 22, 2010 10:12 pm
by dextermorgan
BruceWayne wrote:Do a JD at Yale and get the MBA from HLS--they'll let you do it.
I don't think HLS awards MBAs.
Re: ITT: Talk me out of doing the HLS/HBS JD/MBA
Posted: Wed Dec 22, 2010 10:13 pm
by thecilent
dextermorgan wrote:BruceWayne wrote:Do a JD at Yale and get the MBA from HLS--they'll let you do it.
I don't think HLS awards MBAs.
Re: ITT: Talk me out of doing the HLS/HBS JD/MBA
Posted: Wed Dec 22, 2010 10:37 pm
by gerbal
Work Experience to date: One V5 firm, One MC firm, One V30 firm, 5 investment banks
How do you have so much work experience as a current senior? 8 different work places? you've had 3 summers and 3 winters so far since starting college...
Re: ITT: Talk me out of doing the HLS/HBS JD/MBA
Posted: Wed Dec 22, 2010 10:43 pm
by BruceWayne
PoZ wrote:BruceWayne wrote:Do a JD at Yale and get the MBA from HLS--they'll let you do it.
Sorry what exactly did you mean by that? Did you mean do a JD/MBA at YLS/SOM? Yale School of Management doesn't have the pedigree and/or the recruiting opportunities that you find at HBS or GSB.
In any case, I'd prefere the larger classes at Harvard to expand my network.
Sorry made a typo. I'm saying that you should get a JD from Yale, and an MBA from HBS. I've heard that HY will allow people to do this.
Re: ITT: Talk me out of doing the HLS/HBS JD/MBA
Posted: Wed Dec 22, 2010 10:44 pm
by pokerlaw
gerbal wrote:Work Experience to date: One V5 firm, One MC firm, One V30 firm, 5 investment banks
How do you have so much work experience as a current senior? 8 different work places? you've had 3 summers and 3 winters so far since starting college...
+1
Re: ITT: Talk me out of doing the HLS/HBS JD/MBA
Posted: Wed Dec 22, 2010 10:48 pm
by PoZ
BruceWayne wrote:PoZ wrote:BruceWayne wrote:Do a JD at Yale and get the MBA from HLS--they'll let you do it.
Sorry what exactly did you mean by that? Did you mean do a JD/MBA at YLS/SOM? Yale School of Management doesn't have the pedigree and/or the recruiting opportunities that you find at HBS or GSB.
In any case, I'd prefere the larger classes at Harvard to expand my network.
Sorry made a typo. I'm saying that you should get a JD from Yale, and an MBA from HBS. I've heard that HY will allow people to do this.
Sounds like a logistical nightmare. I haven't heard of anyone doing that before. Besides, there's no value in doing YLS over HLS to achieve my goals.
gerbal wrote:Work Experience to date: One V5 firm, One MC firm, One V30 firm, 5 investment banks
How do you have so much work experience as a current senior? 8 different work places? you've had 3 summers and 3 winters so far since starting college...
3 over two summers, 1 Autumn, 3 over two springs, one next spring (v5 firm in spring 2011).
Re: ITT: Talk me out of doing the HLS/HBS JD/MBA
Posted: Thu Dec 23, 2010 12:11 pm
by Law Sauce
With your background, you know way more about how to answer that question than anyone here.
I'd do both tho, I mean wow...
Re: ITT: Talk me out of doing the HLS/HBS JD/MBA
Posted: Thu Dec 23, 2010 12:21 pm
by $$$$$$
talk you out?
Harvard law sucks, everyone i know that goes there hates it. The girls are crazy and ugly, cambridge is a shitty little college town with nothing resembling a fun nightlife. If you are this well connected (after working for 5 ibanks and v50 firms you should be) and you are a urm, fuck harvard, you dont need it, get a full ride to columbia or nyu and go there. Go somewhere that the people dont suck.....
nevermind its law school people suck everywhere
Re: ITT: Talk me out of doing the HLS/HBS JD/MBA
Posted: Thu Dec 23, 2010 12:31 pm
by pokerlaw
Just do the MBA.
I think you're giving too much credit to the legal due diligence. The action and money in distressed debt is in finance with the hedge funds/other institutional investors that evaluate/restructure the distressed assets.
You've worked for 5 investments banks, you should have made a connection or two that can give you a better perspective for what academic track to take for distressed debt.
Re: ITT: Talk me out of doing the HLS/HBS JD/MBA
Posted: Thu Dec 23, 2010 12:49 pm
by krad
dextermorgan wrote:You want an MBA. Do option 2.
Re: ITT: Talk me out of doing the HLS/HBS JD/MBA
Posted: Thu Dec 23, 2010 1:22 pm
by Malcolm8X
A JD/MBA is a huge investment. Adcomms are frank when saying this and a lot of them are quick to tell you that it's "overrated". They say that employers "don't know what to do with you" and that you look "confused". (Words they told me at the LSAC Forum in Miami).
You sound exactly sure what you want to do but the exact job doesn't seem so clear. You can take business electives at HLS that will prepare you for this type of law. But it really sounds more like a business oriented field than a legal field. Try to find out the exact position and the exact requirements for that position.
Overall, doing this honestly sounds more like a name thing "JD/MBA" at Harvard. You already have the experience. Your biggest benefit would definitely be the alumni network and name. If I were you, I'd focus on one of the two, whichever that job requires.
Re: ITT: Talk me out of doing the HLS/HBS JD/MBA
Posted: Thu Dec 23, 2010 8:48 pm
by PoZ
Thanks for all the useful posts above. I'm now leaning towards just doing an MBA, but have scheduled a few calls with people who have done the JD/MBA to get their viewpoints as well. Will update this thread with anything useful I find incase anyone else considers the program in the future.