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&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;This week, in the ninth and final post in our Selecting Your  Target MBA Program series, we discuss the advantages and disadvantages  of accelerated MBA programs and stress the importance of choosing wisely  for your particular situation.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Whether one is talking about Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, MIT, Tuck,  Duke or any other top U.S. business school, the typical MBA program  offered is actually fairly standardized&amp;mdash;two years of organized study and  an internship during the summer in between. However, if you scratch  beneath the surface, you will find accelerated programs in the form of  Columbia&#39;s J-Term and Kellogg&#39;s one-year (known as 1Y) MBA. Students in  these programs start at a later date than the rest of the school&#39;s  incoming class in a given year and do not complete a summer internship;  instead, they study through the summer, then join the second-year class  when those students return in the fall, and all the students ultimately  graduate together, at the same time. Or, alternatively, some European  business schools offer programs that are shorter than the typical U.S.  program, such as INSEAD (10-12 months), IMD (10 months) and London  Business School (15-21 months). So, why don&#39;t more candidates take  advantage of these comparatively brief programs? After all, these  students spend less time out of the work force, pay less for living  expenses while in school and get back to earning sooner. Well, we can  think of a variety of reasons...&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Many candidates want longer programs because they need that  internship experience to be able to change careers. Summer internships  often serve as bridges that allow you to establish credibility in a new  field and of course provide a trial opportunity for an employer to  decide whether to take a chance on you. In some ways, a ten-week summer  internship is a kind of extended job interview. So, if you are trying to  transition to a new field, that extended interview may be your only  chance to impress and to prove to employers in that space that you have  the appropriate skills for your new target career. Generally, the  accelerated programs at Kellogg and Columbia are for candidates who have  already determined their post-MBA career track and will have an easier  entree into their chosen field-the individual who will be entering a  family business, for example, or the consultant who plans to return to  consulting. Before applying, you should reflect on whether you need an  internship to achieve your post-MBA career goals, because the admissions  committees will be considering this as well.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Of course, beyond career transitions, you also need to balance the  short and long term. Although completing your MBA studies quickly may  help reduce costs now, you have to determine whether doing so will  provide you with the level of education you are seeking, which is a  long-term consideration. Maybe you want a longer elective curriculum so  that you can explore and specialize&amp;mdash;HBS&#39;s entire second year is  electives, for example, whereas almost all of IMD&#39;s ten-month program is  made up of core curriculum classes. Or perhaps the lessons taught in a  school&#39;s core curriculum are all you will really need in your general  manager&#39;s toolkit. Maybe you can find a program that offers a little bit  of both, if that is what is important to you.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Finally, you have probably worked quite hard to get to the point at  which you can take time off to study, and you might just want&amp;mdash;or even &amp;mdash;a longer break than an accelerated program would offer. Truly  quantifying the value of what will essentially be your final extended  educational break&amp;mdash;for almost all your classmates as well&amp;mdash;is extremely  difficult. Whether your MBA experience lasts two years or ten months,  you should ensure that you have given yourself enough time to simply  enjoy the experience and reenergize. In the end, though, no matter which  you choose, if you are like 99% of MBAs, you will feel that it was all  over way too soon.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;About mbaMission:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Since ambassadorial speechwriter and MBA Jeremy  Shinewald founded mbaMission in 1999, the firm has worked closely with  business school candidates from around the world, successfully guiding  them through the entire MBA application process (&quot;From Start to Finish&quot;)  and ensuring that their unique attributes are showcased in a creative,  compelling and focused way. mbaMission senior consultants are published  authors/elite communicators with top-MBA experience, who work one-on-one  with applicants to help them discover, select and articulate the unique  stories that will force MBA admissions committees to take notice.  mbaMission collaborates with candidates on all aspects of their  application, reducing stress levels and maximizing their chances of  being admitted to the business school of their dreams.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;For more information on the particularities of the top MBA programs  and selecting your target schools, check out the mbaMission Insider&amp;rsquo;s  Guides.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Related:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What&#39;s Really Important? Consider the B-School&#39;s Rankings Responsibly&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Comfortable in Your Surroundings: Consider the B-School&#39;s Facilities&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Who Went There? Consider the B-School&#39;s Alumni Base&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;More Than Meets the Eye: Consider the B-School&#39;s Stereotypes &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;How Do You Want to Learn? Consider the B-School&#39;s Instruction Method&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;How Flexible Are You? Consider the B-School&#39;s Core Curriculum &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Mountains or Metropolis: Consider the B-School&#39;s Location&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Look Before You Leap: Consider the B-School&#39;s Class Size &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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