The Student Room Group

Mountbatten Institute, NYC

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Reply 20
Original post by PartofMBSept11
Hi!

I've recently returned to the UK after completing the MB program... and i loved it!

Don't get me wrong, at first it was a MAJOR adjustment. I'd never shared a room with anyone, let alone someone I'd just met! But, you have the option of moving flats halfway through the year. I was fortunate enough to get on EXTREMELY well with both my room-mate and the other Sept in our flat, so we decided to stick together for the whole year. Aside from the flat, it took a little while to get used to the amount you got paid too. But you def don't need to worry about not being able to make the most out of your year in NYC. As an MB you become VERY resourceful - free events, open bars, groupon etc.

The work experience is great and the studying part isn't all that hard tbh. For the PGC you have 1 class a week, which is usually around 2hrs long. If you've already done Management as part of your degree, you should be fine tbh.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask :smile:


I am glad to hear that you enjoyed the internship. Could i ask what position you took?
Currently doing my application for this- anyone else on it too? Looking to do August 2012 intake!
Original post by *mMmMm*
That's great news, well done, glad you enjoyed it! My main concerns are, how difficult are the law/ finance& accounting exams for the module? Do you get to select any modules?

Does anyone think that the fees may rise after 2012?

Thanks :smile: x



There are no exams for the course, you have to submit 3 pieces of coursework - 1 for each module - 1 module also requires a Journal and the others have Group Presentations. You don't get to select your modules though.
Original post by dkotecha
I am glad to hear that you enjoyed the internship. Could i ask what position you took?


I worked within Finance at UBS :smile:
Reply 24
Original post by PartofMBSept11
I worked within Finance at UBS :smile:


you have 3 posts, cmon dont fool us all, u work for mountbatten, please dont gas fam!
Reply 25
I was thinking of joining for the year March 2013. What help can we get with regards to finance. Im not so lucky as to have any saving and where i currently live is expensive? :smile:
I did Mountbatten a year and a half ago and had the time of my life. I can't recommend it enough - it was such an incredible year. Fantastic doesn't even begin to sum it up.

I was worried about sharing a room - don't - it's fine. You just get on with it and the rooms are mostly quite spacious in New Jersey so privacy isn't too much of an issue. Rooms in Harlem vary depending on your apartment but it's doable - frankly, you don't spend a lot of time sleeping anyway. They do match you very well with roommates - hardly anyone had huge problems and if you're really not happy you can move at 6 months.

The PGC qualification is a joke - I did no work and got a Distinction. It's business for dummies and no where near an MA qualification - no one takes it seriously and no one actually studies for it. You have to go to one two hour class one evening a week and write one essay per module - and you can miss three classes per module without being penalised so it's hardly taxing.

The money you get to live on is pretty tight but everyone's in the same boat and most New Yorkers are poor too so there are a huge range of free activities and events happening all the time. I took out about £2k worth of savings and that was fine to last me the year. I lived life to the full and did a lot of travelling - it's not as if I was at home every weekend. I will say this though - alcohol is expensive especially as you have to tip $1 for every drink you buy. You will never have any spare cash if you go out drinking every night so stick to drinking on the weekends and you'll be fine. Eating out is fairly cheap but buying groceries isn't - you'll soon find that it's cheaper to eat out than cook especially if you like veg and fruit - they're especially expensive.

If you want an adventure and you want the opportunity to live in New York then GO - don't worry about all the sharing rooms, money, PGC stuff - it all becomes totally irrelevant when you're there and you get to walk the streets of New York every day. It's the best decision I ever made, the best year I ever had, and I often wake up after dreaming about New York and am practically crying at my longing to be back! Do it do it do it - and YES there are finance options available - many people got career loans. Ring up the office in London and they will talk you through your options.
Reply 27
Original post by rachelsays
I did Mountbatten a year and a half ago and had the time of my life. I can't recommend it enough - it was such an incredible year. Fantastic doesn't even begin to sum it up.

I was worried about sharing a room - don't - it's fine. You just get on with it and the rooms are mostly quite spacious in New Jersey so privacy isn't too much of an issue. Rooms in Harlem vary depending on your apartment but it's doable - frankly, you don't spend a lot of time sleeping anyway. They do match you very well with roommates - hardly anyone had huge problems and if you're really not happy you can move at 6 months.

The PGC qualification is a joke - I did no work and got a Distinction. It's business for dummies and no where near an MA qualification - no one takes it seriously and no one actually studies for it. You have to go to one two hour class one evening a week and write one essay per module - and you can miss three classes per module without being penalised so it's hardly taxing.

The money you get to live on is pretty tight but everyone's in the same boat and most New Yorkers are poor too so there are a huge range of free activities and events happening all the time. I took out about £2k worth of savings and that was fine to last me the year. I lived life to the full and did a lot of travelling - it's not as if I was at home every weekend. I will say this though - alcohol is expensive especially as you have to tip $1 for every drink you buy. You will never have any spare cash if you go out drinking every night so stick to drinking on the weekends and you'll be fine. Eating out is fairly cheap but buying groceries isn't - you'll soon find that it's cheaper to eat out than cook especially if you like veg and fruit - they're especially expensive.

If you want an adventure and you want the opportunity to live in New York then GO - don't worry about all the sharing rooms, money, PGC stuff - it all becomes totally irrelevant when you're there and you get to walk the streets of New York every day. It's the best decision I ever made, the best year I ever had, and I often wake up after dreaming about New York and am practically crying at my longing to be back! Do it do it do it - and YES there are finance options available - many people got career loans. Ring up the office in London and they will talk you through your options.


rachelsays -thank you so much for your post, it's very helpful. I am thinking about doing Mountbatten, but I need to get some more work experience first and possibly save up some more cash.

I wanted to ask (this is for anyone who has done Mountbatten, not just rachelsays) do you think employers value the PGC qualification? Is there really any point to it? Can you use it to count as credits towards an MBA at St. Mary's or another university? Is it even possible to join an MBA programme part way through? Also, would I find the PGC difficult if I haven't done a business related degree? (I study English Literature).

Also I wanted to ask about living in New York - is the accommodation ok, or is it really scummy and badly maintained? Is is dangerous if you end up living in Harlem? I don't want to live somewhere where I feel scared walking around at night.

Finally I wanted to ask - what happens if you hate your job? Are Mountbatten flexible about this? Will they help you to find a new one/allow to to change to a different one? What if you get fired?

Thanks for any advice, much appreciated.
Original post by meow444
rachelsays -thank you so much for your post, it's very helpful. I am thinking about doing Mountbatten, but I need to get some more work experience first and possibly save up some more cash.

I wanted to ask (this is for anyone who has done Mountbatten, not just rachelsays) do you think employers value the PGC qualification? Is there really any point to it? Can you use it to count as credits towards an MBA at St. Mary's or another university? Is it even possible to join an MBA programme part way through? Also, would I find the PGC difficult if I haven't done a business related degree? (I study English Literature).

Also I wanted to ask about living in New York - is the accommodation ok, or is it really scummy and badly maintained? Is is dangerous if you end up living in Harlem? I don't want to live somewhere where I feel scared walking around at night.

Finally I wanted to ask - what happens if you hate your job? Are Mountbatten flexible about this? Will they help you to find a new one/allow to to change to a different one? What if you get fired?

Thanks for any advice, much appreciated.


Hi Meow, I'll answer your questions from my perspective:

1. I have found having the PGC qualification slightly useful in that it's a talking point at interview, but I don't work in the corporate sector so it's not actually that relevant to my job. Others who do work in the corporate sector may have found it more useful. Yes you can transfer credits to other St Mary's degree courses. Yes it's easy to understand - my degree is in English Lit too and I found it very simple - it's common sense really!

2. You can't switch into the MBA mid course, no - they learn double what we do and have weekend lectures so you wouldn't be able to catch up. I would NOT advise doing the Mountbatten MBA - it is not well respected and the teaching is not of a sufficient quality to make it recognised by employers. Many of the MBA students do not feel they made a good choice by doing theirs with Mountbatten. MBAs are all about the university you got them from - and St Mary's is not exactly stellar for business. Wait until you're older, have a real job with managerial responsibility, and your employer is willing to pay for it.

3. I am in the unusual position of having lived in both New Jersey and Harlem so I can give you a view of both. The New Jersey accommodation varies as to which apartment block you get placed in. Two of the blocks have bigger apartments than the others, but neither are small. New Jersey accommodation is quite run down, with the same furniture that has been there since the 90's, and the fixtures and fittings do look tired and dated. However, it's spacious and you do get plenty of privacy if you need it. The downside with the spaciousness though is that these apartments get FREEZING cold in the winter and the heaters aren't adequate enough to keep them warm. In the summer they are BAKING hot and likewise with the air conditioning - hard to keep cool. But you don't spend a lot of time at home anyway so it's not a hugely big deal. In Harlem the apartments are brand new and very swish - they're designed for professionals. BUT they are very small - that's the main difference - and you will feel more like you are living on top of each other there. The air con is also not so great so in the summer you will struggle to sleep.

New Jersey is like toytown - Newport is purpose built and very safe, with everything you need on your doorstep and FANTASTIC views of Manhattan across the river. It's lovely but it's not New York. Harlem is pretty gritty but very rapidly gentrifying - I never felt unsafe there but you do have to be more cautious, especially about walking home at night.

Harlem apartments are only given to people who have to commute for work by the way so you don't get to choose where you live. The vast majority got placed in Newport and most people love it there - it's easy to go in and out of each other's apartments etc. However I loved living in Harlem because I loved being in Manhattan and feeling more like I was an actual independent New Yorker rather than a 'Mountbatten' - I didn't really hang out with that crowd and preferred to make American friends.

4. If your job genuinely isn't working out, Mountbatten will try and help you, but they offer no guarantees and if they can't find you another placement you will just get sent home. So no, there isn't a huge amount of flexibility. Only one or two people on each intake switch placements. I didn't love my job but you just get on with it - you're not there for the job really, you're there for New York.

Hope that helps! I will add the caveat that I ONLY did Mountbatten for New York - not for the job, not for the qualification. I had a fantastic time because I made amazing friends and got to live in a place I love and had dreamed of living in since I was a teenager. If I HAD gone for the career prospects, I would have been disappointed - most jobs are totally entry level and offer little opportunity. So do bear that in mind - if you just want to live in New York, then the experience is priceless - but if you only want to go to get a great job out of it then I'd think more carefully about whether you want to spend £6k on this. The career prospects are not as good as they claim.
Reply 29
Original post by rachelsays
Hi Meow, I'll answer your questions from my perspective:

1. I have found having the PGC qualification slightly useful in that it's a talking point at interview, but I don't work in the corporate sector so it's not actually that relevant to my job. Others who do work in the corporate sector may have found it more useful. Yes you can transfer credits to other St Mary's degree courses. Yes it's easy to understand - my degree is in English Lit too and I found it very simple - it's common sense really!

2. You can't switch into the MBA mid course, no - they learn double what we do and have weekend lectures so you wouldn't be able to catch up. I would NOT advise doing the Mountbatten MBA - it is not well respected and the teaching is not of a sufficient quality to make it recognised by employers. Many of the MBA students do not feel they made a good choice by doing theirs with Mountbatten. MBAs are all about the university you got them from - and St Mary's is not exactly stellar for business. Wait until you're older, have a real job with managerial responsibility, and your employer is willing to pay for it.

3. I am in the unusual position of having lived in both New Jersey and Harlem so I can give you a view of both. The New Jersey accommodation varies as to which apartment block you get placed in. Two of the blocks have bigger apartments than the others, but neither are small. New Jersey accommodation is quite run down, with the same furniture that has been there since the 90's, and the fixtures and fittings do look tired and dated. However, it's spacious and you do get plenty of privacy if you need it. The downside with the spaciousness though is that these apartments get FREEZING cold in the winter and the heaters aren't adequate enough to keep them warm. In the summer they are BAKING hot and likewise with the air conditioning - hard to keep cool. But you don't spend a lot of time at home anyway so it's not a hugely big deal. In Harlem the apartments are brand new and very swish - they're designed for professionals. BUT they are very small - that's the main difference - and you will feel more like you are living on top of each other there. The air con is also not so great so in the summer you will struggle to sleep.

New Jersey is like toytown - Newport is purpose built and very safe, with everything you need on your doorstep and FANTASTIC views of Manhattan across the river. It's lovely but it's not New York. Harlem is pretty gritty but very rapidly gentrifying - I never felt unsafe there but you do have to be more cautious, especially about walking home at night.

Harlem apartments are only given to people who have to commute for work by the way so you don't get to choose where you live. The vast majority got placed in Newport and most people love it there - it's easy to go in and out of each other's apartments etc. However I loved living in Harlem because I loved being in Manhattan and feeling more like I was an actual independent New Yorker rather than a 'Mountbatten' - I didn't really hang out with that crowd and preferred to make American friends.

4. If your job genuinely isn't working out, Mountbatten will try and help you, but they offer no guarantees and if they can't find you another placement you will just get sent home. So no, there isn't a huge amount of flexibility. Only one or two people on each intake switch placements. I didn't love my job but you just get on with it - you're not there for the job really, you're there for New York.

Hope that helps! I will add the caveat that I ONLY did Mountbatten for New York - not for the job, not for the qualification. I had a fantastic time because I made amazing friends and got to live in a place I love and had dreamed of living in since I was a teenager. If I HAD gone for the career prospects, I would have been disappointed - most jobs are totally entry level and offer little opportunity. So do bear that in mind - if you just want to live in New York, then the experience is priceless - but if you only want to go to get a great job out of it then I'd think more carefully about whether you want to spend £6k on this. The career prospects are not as good as they claim.


Rachelsays thank you so much for all this info! You are an angel.
It all sounds fab. I'm definitely interested in the experience rather than career prospects, although I think employers would like the fact that you have lived and worked in NY. I think I'm still going to get some experience in marketing first and then apply.
Reply 30
Original post by PartofMBSept11
Hi!

I've recently returned to the UK after completing the MB program... and i loved it!

Don't get me wrong, at first it was a MAJOR adjustment. I'd never shared a room with anyone, let alone someone I'd just met! But, you have the option of moving flats halfway through the year. I was fortunate enough to get on EXTREMELY well with both my room-mate and the other Sept in our flat, so we decided to stick together for the whole year. Aside from the flat, it took a little while to get used to the amount you got paid too. But you def don't need to worry about not being able to make the most out of your year in NYC. As an MB you become VERY resourceful - free events, open bars, groupon etc.

The work experience is great and the studying part isn't all that hard tbh. For the PGC you have 1 class a week, which is usually around 2hrs long. If you've already done Management as part of your degree, you should be fine tbh.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask :smile:


Your reply has been so insightful :smile: I'm currently trying to do my application at the moment for March 2013 entry to the programme, but am struggling with the personal statement. At the moment I'm at 1000 words and I feel that I am just rambling. Could you shed any light on what they expect?

How old were you when you did the programme, and how much experience had you gained prior to departing for it?
just reading what you have all said, this mountbatten thing is really hurting my head ha :frown: I got accepted into the august 2012 intake, but after looking at it in more detail I really think it is just a waste of money.. if you want to stay in new york after the course that is. Which sucks because i was so excited to go

From the looks of it they use you as cheap labour in a low down job for the year and then chuck you out once you have finished. It looks so good until you work out how much they are making you live off a day, something like $25, which is so not enough for new york then you have to pay for travel and food out of that. It states that it is rare to be kept on with the company, which if I'm honest is the whole reason i was going as a way in and to make connections.

Does any one know another option to get into New York? I was even considering just going on a 90 day work visa and handing out my cvs everywere. what do you guys think?

x
Reply 32
If anybody could post their application / interview stories of the Mountbatten experience that would be great, I finished Uni in May and heard about this and am at a point in my life where I feel a different country may be a great thing! But I don't go into anything without knowing everything about it, and the website feels like it is missing something!

Thank you x
Original post by jade.elizabeth
just reading what you have all said, this mountbatten thing is really hurting my head ha :frown: I got accepted into the august 2012 intake, but after looking at it in more detail I really think it is just a waste of money.. if you want to stay in new york after the course that is. Which sucks because i was so excited to go

From the looks of it they use you as cheap labour in a low down job for the year and then chuck you out once you have finished. It looks so good until you work out how much they are making you live off a day, something like $25, which is so not enough for new york then you have to pay for travel and food out of that. It states that it is rare to be kept on with the company, which if I'm honest is the whole reason i was going as a way in and to make connections.

Does any one know another option to get into New York? I was even considering just going on a 90 day work visa and handing out my cvs everywere. what do you guys think?

x


Jade, work visas for British people with no special skills are gold dust. They basically don't exist. Unless you're a corporate executive, you won't get sponsored to work anywhere. It costs American companies over $10,000 to pay for your visa and they have to do all the paperwork and wait for the approval - which can be up to 9 months - from the government before you are allowed to start work. Plus they have to prove that a US citizen can't do the job - which is not easy to do for your average admin job. You have to be something very special to get a company to take you on and sponsor your visa.

From my intake the only people who got visas to stay were Australians as they have more lenient visa arrangements with the US.

You have absolutely no chance of getting a job unless you want to work illegally, which I don't recommend.

There is a huge amount of unemployment in the US at the moment. Companies can pick and choose from job applicants, and when they can get plenty of qualified US citizens, why would they bother going through the stress and expense of sponsoring a Brit to do the job?

I hope you go on Mountbatten. It's an incredible year and will probably be the only way you'll get to live in New York for any length of time.

The caveat to this is if you're willing to be an au pair or can afford to study in New York, in which case there are different visa categories open to you, though both are obviously temporary as well.
Original post by rachelsays
Jade, work visas for British people with no special skills are gold dust. They basically don't exist. Unless you're a corporate executive, you won't get sponsored to work anywhere. It costs American companies over $10,000 to pay for your visa and they have to do all the paperwork and wait for the approval - which can be up to 9 months - from the government before you are allowed to start work. Plus they have to prove that a US citizen can't do the job - which is not easy to do for your average admin job. You have to be something very special to get a company to take you on and sponsor your visa.

From my intake the only people who got visas to stay were Australians as they have more lenient visa arrangements with the US.

You have absolutely no chance of getting a job unless you want to work illegally, which I don't recommend.

There is a huge amount of unemployment in the US at the moment. Companies can pick and choose from job applicants, and when they can get plenty of qualified US citizens, why would they bother going through the stress and expense of sponsoring a Brit to do the job?

I hope you go on Mountbatten. It's an incredible year and will probably be the only way you'll get to live in New York for any length of time.

The caveat to this is if you're willing to be an au pair or can afford to study in New York, in which case there are different visa categories open to you, though both are obviously temporary as well.


Hey, thank you for the advice, all very true what you said, but like you said earlier I wanted to go just to experience new york but i dont want to pay all that money just to be kicked out at the end of the year :frown: i would want to stay. it is alot of money just to work an entry level job.

i was thinking maybe it would be easier if i work in london and get transferred over there via the same company to the new york office..
Reply 35
Hey guys in anyone else putting together their application for March 2013 intake? I'm doing it at the moment and getting really excited. Anyone else for marketing?
Reply 36
Original post by dolly001
Hey guys in anyone else putting together their application for March 2013 intake? I'm doing it at the moment and getting really excited. Anyone else for marketing?


Im getting on with my application for the March intake, I think this is a great opportunity for ANYONE who loves traveling and has just graduated. My first choice is Marketing too because of my degree and because well its fun. Im quite excited about it too. Looking for an admin job at the moment to save up and to fullfill the 1 year work experience requirement
This is a really exciting thread, I am putting an application together for March 2013 as well! I'm in for Finance, hoping to get a place with a large investment bank or hedge fund.
Reply 38
I need to get out of my little town, this is a great opportunity to do so, hopefully we all us on here get accepted, to dolly and crapbegentle, what is your work experience like in terms of time?
Reply 39
Yeah same I need to get out of my small town too! By March time I will have 2 and a half years marketing / communications experience plus a years general office experience. Marketing is really competatibe apparently so i chose to get the extra experience and apply for march '12 rather than august '11. I needed the time to save a bit more money too.

Have much experience will you have?

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