<p>sakky, would u say LFM is a great program for engineers to step in the business world?
i understand how you often suggest against getting a dual degree, saying it's worthless unless you actually like the program/courses/workload itself. However, on the MIT website, it seems as if LFM gives you a lot of doors and more money as well?
Besides, you mentioned that LFMers are not as good engineers as normal SM or MEng people. Are LFMers not as good businessmen as normal MBAers too? Although I know that MBA is almost all about networking, Could you comment on my questions?
THanks!</p>
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The TPP student handbook says that the TPP program is one of the more "social" programs at MIT. Any comments on what that means?
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<p>I see TPP as a cellardwellard does - as an interdisciplinary program that combines a number of different topics, particularly in systems engineering, economics, political science, management, and so forth. It is highly social because of the inherent nature of many of those courses requires that you be able to communicate and work well in teams. </p>
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sakky, would u say LFM is a great program for engineers to step in the business world?
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<p>It certainly is. But I would make the above sentence stronger. It's not really about just 'stepping' into the business world. Oh no. You're jumping in full bore. Practically nobody who goes through LFM will ever go back to working as an engineer ever again in their lives. </p>
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i understand how you often suggest against getting a dual degree, saying it's worthless unless you actually like the program/courses/workload itself. However, on the MIT website, it seems as if LFM gives you a lot of doors and more money as well?
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<p>Well, I'll put it to you this way. LFM grads don't make significantly better starting pay than Sloan MBA grads do. In fact, in many years, they actually make * less *. Granted, a lot of that has to do with self-selection. For example, few LFM grads will take lucrative investment banking or other high finance jobs. This happens for a number of reasons. It has a lot to do with interest level as many LFM students are just not interested in a finance career. It also has to do with available opportunities, as almost no LFM students will have prior finance experience, and the required LFM operations 6-month internship basically precludes you from getting any summer finance experience. Couple this with the fact that that LFM internship extends to the fall of your second year and thus usually prevents you from being around campus at a time when investment banking hiring is in full swing, and the fact is, LFM graduates are usually simply less competitive for finance jobs. {You can still get a finance job out of LFM, but it is much harder to do - so much so, that I would say that if you want to do finance, you're probably better off just being a regular Sloan MBA student rather than an LFM student.} </p>
<p>So I wouldn't say that LFM necessarily opens 'more' doors. Rather, I would say that it opens 'different' doors, while closing others. Hence, it really comes down to what you want to do with your career. </p>
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Besides, you mentioned that LFMers are not as good engineers as normal SM or MEng people. Are LFMers not as good businessmen as normal MBAers too?
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<p>Frankly, probably. But again, it depends on what kind of business you're talking about. For something like finance? Yeah, I think it's true that LFM students are not as good as, say, the average Wharton MBA. So if you want to do finance, go to Wharton. </p>
<p>But if you're talking about operations or technology management, then LFM students are at the top of their game. For those sorts of topics, I think there is no better program than LFM. </p>
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Although I know that MBA is almost all about networking, Could you comment on my questions?
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<p>Indeed, much (probably most) of the value of the MBA is in the networking.<br>
What I have found in LFM is that the LFM networking is extremely tight. But the networking that LFM students have with other Sloan students tends to suffer as a result. </p>
<p>So again, the question comes down to what you want to do. If you want to do operations/technology management, then LFM will give you access to a killer network of people who will end up going to mostly those fields. However, you do pay the price in that your network representation will be relatively weak in banking, marketing or other such topics.</p>
<p>My daughter has been accepted into TPP for fall '08. She feels 95% certain that she'll enroll. </p>
<p>There's an open house 3/19 for accepted students, and she will attend.</p>
<p>Cellardweller, Sakky, any suggestions? Any particular questions/areas shie would do well to ask about at the open house?</p>
<p>Her undergrad degree is MechEng.</p>
<p>chrisd:</p>
<p>Congratulations to your daughter. She will find that there is no such thing as a typical TPP student except for the fact that most have engineering degrees. It is a very eclectic bunch with a near 50% international representation. A substantial number end up working for the government (one became an astronaut), many go into consulting, 5 became Rhodes Scholars (pretty amazing considering the small size of the program). Graduates are very sought after in the US and the international connections are incredible.</p>
<p>Your daughter should definitely try to meet the founder of the program, Dr. Richard de Neufville, who is still very active even though officially retired. He singlehandledly put together the program thirty years ago. While in the program I was able to take classes at the Sloan School as well as the Kennedy School of Governement at Harvard. Everybody is involved in research. I personally chose the program over HBS and never looked back on my decision.</p>
<p>Thanks for the comments! </p>
<p>She attended their Fall open house, maybe she met Dr de Neufville then, I'll ask her about him. </p>
<p>It sounds like she has a great opportunity with this program.</p>