In celebration of Valentine’s Day, we are here to discuss a consideration that often gets overlooked in the MBA decisionmaking process: programs that accommodate couples and families! 

The MBA application process is difficult enough under any circumstance. But applying and attending an MBA as a couple adds a whole new set of challenges.

That’s why in this post, we go through the best schools for partners. We also share some of our top tips on how to have a successful MBA experience, from beginning to end, as a couple, and tell some stories of our clients who have done their MBAs together. 

 

The top MBA programs for partners

While theoretically, you can make life as a couple work for any MBA program, there are some MBAs that are more accommodating to couples than others. We go through the best ones below.

 

INSEAD

INSEAD is one of the top choices for candidates who want to study alongside their partners. In fact, around 30% of INSEAD’s students bring partners along. Additionally, given the program’s short length and multiple choice of locations, it can be a convenient choice for those who have personal relationship considerations to factor into the MBA process. For couples with children, INSEAD even provides playrooms.

Source: insead.edu

Two of our former clients, Lucas and Patricia, thoroughly enjoyed their time at INSEAD as a couple. In fact, it even helped them develop their own relationship: “It has been a great journey. For us it was a time to support each other as each one of us was stronger in specific subjects.” Read more about their story here!

 

Harvard Business School

Harvard’s campus is another particularly amenable place for couples. The school considers partners and families a vital part of their community. This is evidenced by the existence of multiple opportunities for couples to socialize and network, such as the Partners Club. 

For this reason, many partners decide to choose HBS as their MBA destination of choice. As one couple who jointly pursued an MBA at Harvard mentioned, around half of the connections they established were fellow couples. 

Source: hbs.edu

For more on what it is like for partners to attend Harvard Business School together, see this webinar!

 

Berkeley Haas

Couples who attend Berkeley’s MBA program together often remark on how welcoming the community is for partners and spouses. 

There are many opportunities for spouses and families to connect to one another, whether or not couples are attending together. For example, Haas’s Partners Club, which hosts events for those who come to Haas with a partner to network and have fun with others in similar situations.

Source: berkeley.haas.edu

 

Indiana Kelley

Kelley’s MBA program also touts itself as a family-friendly experience that offers a support network and opportunities to connect with other couples. Kelley’s Partners Club provides social activities and volunteer events to integrate couples into the MBA community. There are even opportunities for children, such as a weekly playgroup, for those who have families.

Source: kelley.iu.edu

 

Kellogg

Nearly 40% of Kellogg students are married or accompanied by a partner during their MBA, which means that couples attending the MBA together won’t have to worry about feeling isolated due to their relationship status. 

Source: kellogg.northwestern.edu

For those who have partners who are not Kellogg students, there is even the Joint Ventures program which provides a support network for students and their partners and families through social and cultural activities.

 

Chicago Booth 

Chicago Booth is another school with plenty of opportunities for couples to integrate into the community and network with other partners. Particularly, Booth’s Partners Club offers activities for students and their partners to get involved on campus. There are also special interest groups that members can get involved in to organize their own events. Additionally, joining the club means you will get support finding a place to live and learning about local spots to check out once you move!

Source: chicagobooth.edu

 

B-School Partners Share their Experiences

In addition to providing stats and tips on the best schools for partners, we also reached out to several partners to share their experiences with what it’s really like to be a partner! From numerous schools around the globe, partners share their challenges and best tips for making the most of the experience! 

 

Nina Bérenger, Chicago Booth

 

What was your experience as a partner like?

My experience as a partner was incredible. As with everything in Booth, as a partner, you have a lot of flexibility to choose your own experience and, thus, be as involved or uninvolved as you wish. 

Even though there is no pressure to do so, I chose to dive headfirst into the experience. Very soon after arriving I was a member of the Booth Partners Club and started auditing classes. Also, the social life was intense and, as a partner, I was welcome to join every single one of the events: social outings, dinners, trips, parties… everything!

I used to say that being a partner at Booth is the right way to do b-school: you are allowed to do everything a student does, but you don’t pay tuition! 😁

Jokes aside, my experience as a Booth Partner was so grand and transformational that it played a huge part in my decision to pursue my own MBA – which I did, eventually, having started my MBA at Booth in 2020.

 

What was the best part?

I learned so much, about so many different things. I learned academically speaking, but also socially speaking. The people at Booth are extraordinary. So diverse, intelligent, energetic, and (most importantly) willing to teach others and to learn from them. The Booth community is the best part of Booth.

Now specifically about being a member of the Booth Partners Club: The friendships I made are unparallel because you meet people in the same situation as yours – the connection and empathy are inevitable. 

Through Booth Partners, I met one of my best friends in Chicago. She was a key piece of my support system when I was preparing for my own application – since she was one of the few who even knew I was applying to business school.

Like ours, I know many amazing friendships that were fostered inside of the Booth Partner Club community, and this is priceless.

 

What’s one piece of advice you’d give partners preparing to leave for the MBA now?

On a general note: Make the most of it. Be intentional in your actions and how you spend your time. Support your significant other. Have fun!

As an international partner, I’d say the most important piece of advice I could give would be to know fairly well what you are legally allowed to do considering your visa status in the country you are going to. 

With that, find ways to make the best of your time while respecting the restrictions. For me, it was volunteer work (inside and outside Booth) and studying to apply to my own MBA – these activities kept me busy and productive during my husband’s MBA program and helped me find purpose in my experience.

 

Natalia Costa, INSEAD

 

What was your experience as a partner like?

It has been AMAZING to be part of my husband’s MBA journey. At INSEAD, I totally feel like part of the environment and can make the most of this opportunity! 

INSEAD partners have access to the whole campus – the library, the gym, the cafeteria, the clubs, and also some classes – Mandarin and French, for instance! I have made many friends, MBA students and partners, who have been my family and support here! 

I have been enjoying and loving the opportunity to live abroad with INSEAD’s support!

 

What were some of the things that surprised you?

Just the fact of living in Singapore is surprising on its own! The country is beautiful, safe, really hot and it seems that there everything works perfectly, from buses to trains and rules! It is an incredible experience, especially for Brazilians – to see another perspective. 

Also, the possibility of having “free access” to the INSEAD campus is amazing!

 

How easy was it to get plugged into the community?

Incredibly easy. Before the start of the classes, the Partners from former classes created a Telegram group to help the “new” partners understand this new environment and in giving some tips! Also, INSEAD held a workshop for partners in the first week, explaining stuff about the visa, jobs in Singapore, activities that we could enjoy at INSEAD, etc. Very organized! 

 

What was the best part?

To be in person with husband in his MBA journey. 

I loved being on campus every day, studying in the library, working out in the gym, having lunch or coffee in the cafeteria, and just relaxing in the meditation class! For me, was the best way to be with many different nationalities every day!

 

What’s one piece of advice you’d give partners preparing to leave for the MBA now?

You are a partner, which is amazing, but try to make the best of this experience for your partner and FOR YOU! It is an incredible time to improve yourself too – so study, try to make your own friends, to enjoy the city, the food and to enjoy the new culture! 

 

Tips for attending the MBA with your partner

Once you’ve been admitted to your MBA program of choice, there is a lot to think about in terms of preparing for your new life as a student in addition to your responsibilities as a partner (and, perhaps, parent). Below are your top tips for balancing these two aspects while attending the MBA.

 

Find out in advance what you can get involved in

Every school is different in terms of the courses and extracurricular activities it offers, and this also applies to opportunities to get involved with your partner.

For this reason, we recommend that you research the clubs and resources available for partners and families at the schools you are considering. It may also be a good idea to connect with current students and alumni on LinkedIn who studied alongside their partners, or contact the school’s admissions office and ask what life is like for students with partners.

 

Plan out your budget

Being in a couple or family brings a whole set of financial considerations as you are taking a year or two off from your career to study. This is why it’s very important to think about your budget in advance – with tuition and living expenses, how much will you need to take out in loans to support yourself and your partner/family? 

Applying for scholarships is an important part of this process if your partner cannot support both of you, or if your savings are not enough to cover all necessary expenses. Scholarship committees are particularly understanding of the added costs involved in students who must support their families while studying, so it is always a good idea to take advantage of the multiple scholarship opportunities available to you, whether they are offered by the school itself or through third-party institutions.

 

Work as a team to build your network

Once admitted, there are many other considerations to make about how you can make the most of your MBA experience as a couple. One of these is how you and your partner can become integrated into the school or program’s community and social life.

Whether your partner is joining you or you are both studying together, you can use your partnership to share the personal and professional connections you make. 

Even before you start the MBA, you can start building a support network in advance. Get in touch with schools’ partner clubs in advance to get in touch with others who are in similar situations to yours. By connecting with others, you can get advice on how to manage life as a couple while attending the MBA, where to look for housing, how to access childcare if you need it, and other such considerations. 

Once you are on campus, you can then join these clubs to meet other partners who are in a similar situation as yours. Partner clubs offer support networks, regular events, and other social opportunities to ensure that you and your partner feel at home and in tune with the school’s community.

And if you and your partner plan on pursuing MBAs together, you can become a team to build your professional connections. By taking different courses and getting involved in different extracurricular activities, you can essentially double your networks by connecting each other with the new people you meet. 

The same goes for knowledge and skills, especially if you have overlapping interests. By taking a wide variety of classes and extracurricular opportunities, you can share valuable knowledge and approaches with each other.

 

Enjoy a new location

If you are applying to MBA programs that are far away from you and your partner’s current location, you can take full advantage of the incredible opportunities that come with living in a new city. 

Not only will you benefit from travel opportunities in the region, especially through exchange programs, but also gain new perspectives from being immersed in a new culture. Relocating to pursue an MBA alongside your partner can provide you with a wealth of new opportunities to grow as individuals and build a stronger foundation as a couple.

 

Get admitted to the MBA of your dreams

Our approach here at ELC is centered on the particular situations and objectives of each individual client – or partnership! This means that we are here to help you along the entire MBA application process: from making a decision on the best school and community for you and your partner, to deciding on the best application strategy, to negotiating scholarships and preparing for interviews.

To take advantage of the Ellin Lolis Advantage for you and your partner’s MBA success, sign up to work with us today!