This is a 3 part blog series. If you're new to this, please refer to Parts 1 and 2 referenced below.
So How Did I Get Hip to Quantic?
It started with this message from Quantic. Now, since joining Amazon, I had received a number of solicitations from graduate programs looking for me to join, but I didn't really give it much thought. Maybe it was the timing that this hit my inbox, maybe it was where I was in my career, but it prompted me to take a second look.
Now, if you recall in Part 2 of my blog post, there were four things that I was looking for in a program:
Price
The Right Curriculum
The Right Network/Demographic of Fellow Students
Flexibility
Without even realizing it, Theresa had hit on all the features I was looking for at least on the surface:
1) Price - "free to apply...an innovative tuition model...radically affordable...company tuition reimbursement policies"
2) The Right Network/Demographic - "Over 40 Amazon employees are current students or graduates...each class has global professionals from Fortune 500 companies, innovative startups, and organizations making a social impact."
3) Flexibility - "app-driven so you can learn on-the-go while employed full-time".
I knew they weren't able to answer my second requirement (The Right Curriculum) right away without me doing the research. Nevertheless, I was intrigued.
What Influenced My Decision?
First, I was able to find some blogs and articles around the same time as my decision-making period to give me a good idea of the experience and associated value. Though some were about the Free MBA program that Quantic Offers, it was still helpful:
After some heavy browsing, I clicked on that last link in the message and found a few colleagues at Amazon that were in the program. There was one person who I was currently working with who was about to finish up the program and she was the best person to call up and go through my barrage of questions:
Is this for real? "Yes, Girl"
How Do You Like the Program? "I love it, Girl!"
Was it Really Hard to Get Into? "It wasn't too bad, Girl! You're a shoo-in, Girl!"
How many hours a week do you study? "About 5 hours a week, Girl"
Was it really flexible with your day to day here? "Girl, Of Course, girl. No big thang, girl!"
You get the gist! No she didn't actually say Girl that whole time. Of course, I re-imagined it! For those that have met me, imagine my voice and cadence in your head, just for fun and you'll get it. Ultimately, she thoroughly explained the application process, encouraged me to test out the app features on my phone and laptop by going through the Business Foundations, which was only available if you were applying for a cohort (graduation class paired together within a group). She was also able to get a full-ride through a scholarship in partnership with Amazon. The final nail on the coffin was the applicability to what she was doing in Amazon. She had just completed a large project regarding centralized status reporting to leadership combining the requirements of all regulatory sectors. She said that it was the training at Quantic that got her comfortable with large-scale projects and stakeholder management that she really needed to advance her career.
Tangentially, I also noted that she was going through the program throughout the course of her pregnancy. As a working mother, it was really important that I didn't feel like I had to sacrifice time with my family completely in order to accomplish this. She didn't have to say it, but I would've never imagined going through an intense program while pregnant. For her to talk about it with me so unabashedly and lay out the ways she made it work was truly inspiring. There really is no limit to what women can do.
After that conversation, I slowly started to come to grips that I really really wanted this. Every time I read the website and saw more testimonials, I got excited and extremely nervous. Was I ready to go back to school when I absolutely hated it? Was I ready to eat my words? I didn't do very well at school and I've always thought I wasn't as smart as my mother (MIT graduate, class of 1978'). I didn't know if I could subject myself to academic rejection or when I wanted something badly enough.
I had a long conversation with my support system (my husband, my mother, and my financial planner). I was reassured that I was smart enough to do this and I had nothing to worry about. It was also the best option during the pandemic to focus and get some professional development beyond a certification. Within a week, we all made a deal. If I got in,
I would ask my boss to supplement the hours study with some blocked time during the weekday,
If I didn't get a full-ride, I would leverage Amazon stock to pay off the tuition outright instead of installed payments or dipping into savings
I would limit leadership activities in additional organizations, and
I would promise not to compromise key family time. Any time that was neglected, I had to make it up.
Program picked, support system on board, confidence established, I was ready to apply!
What Was the Application Process Like?
The application process was four parts: Completion of an Application Questionnaire, Referrals from Colleagues You Select, An Interview, and Completing Business Foundations.
To not give too much away, the the application questions were more geared towards your motivation, what you hope to gain through the program and your accomplishments. All of the information that you put in ultimately becomes your online profile that you can choose to reveal to other classmates in the program. I had three referrals to choose from and they received emails to a survey they had to fill out about me. I chose to start in the October 2020 cohort and was contacted for a 20 minute interview. I don't know if this was appropriate for an interview, but I did say that I was an MBA-skeptic hoping to become a convert through this process. The Quantic admissions interviewer actually understood where I was coming from and was able to explain what she's seen from candidates that completed the program. She was realistic and relatable and I would've eaten up anything she had to say. My nerves were starting to leave me and I was ready for the next step.
Once I completed my application, the Business Foundations courses appeared in my dashboard. I was told from my colleague that completing it was definitely a factor in getting accepted. The EMBA program has an acceptance rate of around 5% so anything you do can help your case. I was nervous because I had a key deliverable in those couple of weeks and I didn't think I was going to make it!
However, when I finally got around to it, the six courses (totaling 53 individual lessons) was positively addictive! For each lesson, there is an average of 15 nodes that you have to go through that lays out key terms, interactive questions and answers, charts/diagrams that require you to review and complete, and polling questions through story-like scenarios. At the end of each course, there was a SmartCase waiting for you, which was like a Quiz that tested you on the knowledge in the previous lessons within that domain.
Because the dashboard was also mobile, I could do it on the computer while at work, in the car while hubby was driving, while I was walking little one in his stroller, and even while I was in the bathroom (tell me you don't take your phone with you to the bathroom! We all do!). The week before the deadline and before the decisions were made, I had completed all the courses. Before long, I got that coveted email:
A transcript submission from UMD, a payment and an online physical verification later, I had enrolled and was ready to start on October 19th.
It's Been Two Months, How Is It So Far?
To sum it up, oddly fulfilling. I was able to work out 3 hours a week within the workday to devote to this. There are weeks where I don't need the full time, but there are definitely weeks where I have to add some time on the weekends or late at night. So far, I've been on track for the recommended schedule and I have completed Accounting (WHY was this the first course? I hate accounting with a passion, especially managerial, and there is a reason why I have not used that degree) and I'm halfway through Markets and Economies (I love learning about market fluctuations and drivers), but I also took it upon myself to dive in and complete two specializations completely: Strategic Thinking and U.S. Business Law.
Let me tell you something...
Strategic Thinking WAS MY SHIT! Game Theory and Decision Making was my jam and I was living for every single lesson! I became obsessive and even started finding logic problems to complete on my own time. It's a game-changer for me.
What's the biggest takeaway in this process?
What still impresses me is the diversity and globalization of the network and how Quantic enables connectivity and interactive discourse virtually.
One of the biggest criticisms that others shared was the inability to physically interact with creme of the crop students on a campus which is the hallmark for an MBA. Well COVID stole all of our dreams for that! With the pandemic being the great equalizer, many universities have struggled to provide the experience students' hefty tuition is paying for. Quantic already had the model ready and is able to meet the demand sufficiently world-wide. With every group project already taking place on Zoom, and classroom cohort interactions on Slack, we're as connected as we can be and, quite frankly, doing a better job than universities who are just now adjusting to this virtual shift.
To speak to the diversity, I'm really impressed with my class (officially changed to our graduation time), December 2021. From entrepreneurs, other Amazon employees, and tech enthusiasts, it was exactly the kind of demographic I was looking for!
Well! That concludes my first blog series! I'm so excited that I was able to revel in this experience. Comment or naw, I'm so happy to get this off my chest and get into the writing spirit. I plan to do a check-in at the halfway point around May and again when I've graduated!
Happy Studying!
Alexis, I think you took the fear out of going to graduate school for many. You also did a great job of acknowledging the challenges and fears of taking on a new career, as well as describing how you are succeeding. Sometimes the path ahead is a bit grimy. The truth is we often have to get a bit dirty to grow. I thoroughly enjoyed the read. And to think, you even squeezed some time out to write this blog. You go!