Why should I go study at the Silicon Valley for 20 million rubles?
In previous articles, I talked in general terms about my motivation to enroll in an MBA program and about Stanford’s strengths / weaknesses. Let me remind you of my goals when applying for an MBA–
- gain more knowledge in finance and investing;
- meet successful teaching entrepreneurs and investors and learn from them;
- meet like-minded people from other countries;
- obtain the title of a prestigious business school graduate, which will help me in building further ties in Russia and abroad.
As follows from the article on the principle of choosing a business school, Stanford satisfies each of these criteria. One of the best and most prestigious schools in the world with talented professors and students with an entrepreneurial spirit. Only one, but considerable minus is the price.
So what makes me think Stanford GSB will be a successful investment for me?
Why Stanford, or Stanford GSB Investment Thesis
I want to build an educational platformthat will provide young professionals with skills for:
(1) changing their job and
(2) building an international career.
That is, the platform should do what MBA programs do with varying degrees of success but cheaper, due to the use of online learning and peer-to-peer learning.
Here’s what I expect to get from my investment in MBA at Stanford:
- Understanding of how a leading MBA works
I will be able to figure out how a successful MBA program works and what it gives to students / graduates, and at the end replicate its most important elements;
- Familiarity with successful platforms
Udacity, Khan Academy, Minerva University and several other advanced educational platforms inhabit Stanford and San Francisco. Connecting with Stanford will help meet them;
- Knowledge to develop the platform
There are several social entrepreneurship courses in the program that will be useful for refining my ideas. Moreover, I will take additional courses from the Graduate School of Education and Stanford Computer Science. They will help me with the implementation of the idea;
- Mentors
I hope to meet a few teaching entrepreneurs and win their mentoring support;
- Investments
Stanford brand will help with attracting money from investors;
- Maybe a partner
Finally, at Stanford, I will meet many talented fellow students. Some of them are already successful entrepreneurs. Some of them will be able to help me as an expert or even as a partner.
And another important advantage of Stanford – if you fail to implement the idea, then finding an interesting and decently paid job after the GSB is not difficult. Thus, Stanford will give a chance to implement my project and at the same time reduce the negative consequences for me and my family in case of failure.
That is why I am seriously thinking about spending 20 million rubles for two years of my life in California. That’s why Stanford.
Thanks for reading.
Victor Rogulenko
