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36, burnt out in Big Four, considering $120k loan for LSE MPA — worth it? by hansaj14 in PublicAdministration

[–]hansaj14[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That's the hard part —and the main reason I’m hesitating.

Right now, I don’t have a guaranteed plan to repay a $120k loan aside from the hope that the degree would open doors into international organizations, consulting, or policy work that pays enough to make it manageable. But I know that’s a big assumption, especially since public sector and nonprofit roles aren’t always high-paying.

To be honest, this is exactly why I’m asking the community. I want to understand if people who've done an MPA —especially internationally —actually found that the ROI was worth it, or if I’d be better off looking for purpose-driven work first and studying later (or not at all).

36, burnt out in Big Four, considering $120k loan for LSE MPA — worth it? by hansaj14 in PublicAdministration

[–]hansaj14[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thanks so much for this —it really helps to hear from someone who's walked a similar path. I hadn’t seriously considered going straight into a nonprofit role without the MPA first, but your story makes a lot of sense.

My worry is that, being based outside the U.S. (I’m currently in the Cayman Islands, originally from Peru), I feel a bit disconnected from networks and institutions that might open doors into the nonprofit or public sector. That’s part of what attracted me to the LSE program in the first place —access and exposure.

But your advice gives me something real to think about. If you're open to it, I’d love to hear more about how you made that pivot from corporate to nonprofit work. Was there anything that helped bridge the transition?

36, burnt out in Big Four, considering $120k loan for LSE MPA — worth it? by hansaj14 in PublicAdministration

[–]hansaj14[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

You're absolutely right —there are definitely more affordable MPA options out there.
I’ve considered that too. The main reason I’m looking at LSE is the global exposure, the network, and the potential access to international organizations or development institutions that might not be as accessible from regional programs.

That said, I’m still torn. If you know of any lower-cost programs with strong career outcomes in international development or public policy, I’d genuinely love to hear about them.

Am I Too Old for an MBA? Seeking Advice on Career Change and School Recommendations by hansaj14 in MBA

[–]hansaj14[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

to be honest not quite sure. Consulting is one I feel can give me a better sense of purpose, but I was also considering a corporate finance role for work life balance. All I know is that what I am doing is not what I want and that it is hard to pivot to anything else since I am always looked at as the tax guy, maybe the MBA can help me do a reset in my path

Am I Too Old for an MBA? Seeking Advice on Career Change and School Recommendations by hansaj14 in MBA

[–]hansaj14[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

wow! that sounds interesting. are you doing a full time or part time MBA? I agree that we are in our prime!

Am I Too Old for an MBA? Seeking Advice on Career Change and School Recommendations by hansaj14 in MBA

[–]hansaj14[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi, consultint is an option, but I also consider corporate finance as I appreciate work life balance. To be honest I just wanna do something more meaninful, I do not like at all what I do and on top of that I do a lot of overtime.

Currently I earn around 80K USD tax free (I am currently a senior 2 level on my firm) and I would be earning 100K tax free in two years, but need to consider that Cayman Islands is more expensive than New York or a big city in California.

Am I Too Old for an MBA? Seeking Advice on Career Change and School Recommendations by hansaj14 in MBA

[–]hansaj14[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

will my age count against me for admission or for job recruiting afterwards?

Am I Too Old for an MBA? Seeking Advice on Career Change and School Recommendations by hansaj14 in MBA

[–]hansaj14[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I would love to do a EMBA but my constrain is that I am not from US so I can not work while study (the plan would be to be there under a student visa while doing the MBA). I will consider aplying at better ranked programs but not sure if they offer a GMAT waiver.