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Interview with Accepted MBA/EMBA admissions consultants, Cindy Tokumitsu and Jen Weld [Show summary] Should you apply to an Executive MBA program or a regular MBA program? And if you decide on the Executive MBA, what do you need to do to get in?  And which EMBA should you apply to? These are the questions that we are going to address with today’s guests, Accepted’s EMBA experts, Cindy Tokumitsu and Jen Weld. Admissions consultants share tips for crafting an acceptance-worthy EMBA application [Show notes] Our guests today, Cindy Tokumitsu and Jennifer Weld, are both Accepted consultants. Cindy joined Accepted in 1998. Since then she has carved out a niche for herself working with EMBA and older MBA applicants. She is the author of Ace the EMBA and Top Executive MBA Program Essay Questions: How to Answer Them Right. Jen Weld served for four years on the Cornell Executive MBA admissions committee and later joined Accepted in 2010. She has authored numerous blog posts on MBA and EMBA admissions including the new free guide, Perfect Answers to MBA Interview Questions. Let’s say I’m in my early to mid 30’s and I’m in middle management and have c-suite ambitions. I have a fairly strong technical background. Should I apply for an MBA or an EMBA and why? [2:51] Cindy: Linda, you mentioned early-30s and mid-30s, and for MBA programs I think there is a big difference between them. Early 30s is still the upper range of full-time MBAs, whereas mid-30s is really getting out of the full-time range, but also may be even early for an EMBA program. You need to look at what programs are looking at to see whether you qualify. EMBA programs sometimes want a certain level of experience and specifically managerial experience so it is important to consider that. hbspt.cta.load(58291, '088cf431-34b3-4030-9c1e-432eee48f613', {});   Jen: It also can depend on whether or not you are interested in changing industries or job functions to get to a C-suite eventually. A full-time MBA can advantage you if you are a career switcher, but if you are continuing on with your organization or job function an EMBA might make more sense. https://youtu.be/5AMDp4TtzKI What makes for a good EMBA candidate? [4:36] Jen: Having some managerial experience is important, as is being able to see that progression on an applicant’s resume. With a full-time MBA applicant, an admissions committee is really looking at career potential, but with an EMBA applicant, they should see that you have already been moving up the rungs of the ladder. I think it’s also really important to find someone who feels comfortable being an active participant in the program. You don’t want a wallflower in the program, but rather someone pushing the discussion forward, providing just as much learning as faculty who teach in the program. Cindy: I totally agree, and to build on that, something I try to drive with clients is that to be a good contributor and participant, you need to be a person with something to say about your function or industry. Show that you are reflective, thoughtful, and have a point of view, and you are not afraid to express that. How are the criteria for admissions different for Executive MBA vs MBA programs? [6:54] Cindy: Key criteria are the same but weighted differently. Test scores and GPA weigh less, and career experience weighs more with an EMBA program as opposed to a full-time program. Jen: Short- and long-term goals tend to be different for the different applicants as well. With full-time there is a general understanding that again a ladder has to be climbed – so if you are planning to go into investment banking, there is an understanding you will first be an associate, then a senior associate, then a vice president, and so on before moving into a senior role. EMBA students are often already on the precipice of moving into general management,