Critical FAQs About the Cornell Tech MBA
What is the Cornell Tech MBA program? How do you know if it’s the right program for you? Recently, Adam Gavish, a Cornell Tech MBA alum, wrote about his experience and shared his opinions on LinkedIn. Here’s what he had to say.
What Makes the Cornell Tech MBA Different?
There are four key elements that make the CT MBA different than other programs.
- The Tech Industry: In this MBA program, you’ll get close to the tech industry, meeting and learning from hundreds of industry professionals. You’ll also dive into real-life experiences and learn tools from the tech industry.
- Hands-On Experience: As a Cornell Tech MBA, you’ll design mock UIs, implement proof-of-concept prototypes, conduct user research, explore product ideas, and more.
- Cross-Disciplinary Collabs: You’ll work with students from multiple MBA programs, computer science programs, and more to solve problems.
- Entrepreneurial Focus: From learning how to be a better public speaker to exploring customer empathy, you’ll gain entrepreneurial skills throughout the program.
Where Do Alumni Work?
After graduating with your Cornell Tech MBA, what type of job can you expect? According to Gavish, the program is best for product managers, whether at big or small companies. Alumni go on to work for a wide range of companies including Amazon, BlackRock, eBay, Google, MasterCard, Microsoft, Twitter, the Wall Street Journal, and more.
That doesn’t mean you can’t pursue a career in consulting, sales, or operations with a CT MBA, but you’ll gain the most experience in product management.
What About Post-MBA Recruiting?
When you graduate with a Cornell Tech MBA, you can rest easy knowing that you’ll have plenty of recruiting opportunities. Since the campus is located in New York City, you’ll have physical access to thousands of big tech companies and startups. You’ll also have access to the Cornell network, which is massive and incredibly helpful and giving. Last, but certainly not least, the CT Career Management Center is very well connected.
Risks of a One-Year MBA?
However, if you do decide to pursue the CT MBA, there are a few things to keep in mind.
- There is no summer internship, which can be negative for individuals who have never worked in the tech industry before and need extra experience.
- There’s also very little time to think about your post-MBA career during the program, so you have to plan and plan well.
- When you’re trying to cram full-time learning and course work into just 12 months, you can expect a lot of stress and hard deadlines.
See all that Adam Gavish had to say by checking out his post, here.
This article has been edited and republished with permissions from its original source, Clear Admit.
Cornell Alum Supports Cornell Tech NYC Intensives with Substantial Gift
More students at Cornell’s Johnson Graduate School of Management have been able to spend a semester of their time in business school studying at the Cornell Tech campus in New York City thanks to a generous gift by Cornell alumnus Richard G. Schneider (B.S. ’70).
The gift went toward subsidized housing costs for around 25 Ithaca-based students who took part in Cornell Tech’s New York City fintech and digital marketing intensives. The intensives took place during the first seven weeks of the spring 2018 semester and offered MBA students the chance to collaborate and learn from each other in the heart of the Big Apple.
Schneider has spent 35 years in consulting, 25 of those at Deloitte Consulting LLP. At Deloitte his primary focus was on the consumer products and healthcare/life science industries, but he also led the firm’s consulting strategy practice for seven years and was responsible for all MBA campus recruiting for five years. Although his MBA is from Harvard Business School, he served on Johnson’s Advisory Council from 2006 to 2014 and remains an emeritus member.
He saw his gift as an opportunity to give back to Cornell. “I had been involved with Cornell in various ways,” he said in a news release, “but this gave me a chance to play in an area that I knew a lot about—the business school world. It just gave me a chance to give back to the school and really feel like I was contributing.”
Schneider’s decision to invest in the New York City intensives was due in part to Johnson Dean Mark Nelson’s assessment of where Johnson needed help. Nelson explained how crucial it was to make it easier for Ithaca students 
to participate in and benefit from Cornell Tech in New York City. One of the most significant barriers was affordability.
Schneider’s contribution helped to make it easier for Ithaca MBA students to relocate to New York City for half a semester. It was good news for a program that has captured the imaginations of Cornell students since its inception.
According to Cristina Chang (MBA ’18), who completed the fintech intensive this spring, it was one of the most rewarding scholastic experiences she’s had so far.
“There are lots of events co-hosted by Cornell Tech and other organizations, such as the Women in Venture Capital symposium co-hosted with Bloomberg,” she explained. “I never imagined I would have these kinds of opportunities to meet these outstanding leaders in person.”
Julia Heim (MBA ’18) had a similar experience in the digital marketing intensive. “Being so close to the industry in NYC has allowed our professors to get great companies and speakers to campus,” she said. “Having access to the latest trends and industry knowledge is something that is so invaluable, and I am grateful for having had the opportunity to be part of this intensive.”
Overall, Schneider is excited about the opportunities that Cornell Tech presents for students and believes that it “could be the biggest thing for the university … for decades.”
