"About 20 of us lived in New York and the surrounding areas, and we could spend an hour and half before and after class together on the train. That was wonderful; I made some fantastic friends because of that.”
Student Profile
Reflections on the Commute
The Wharton EMBA is worth the trip according to five recent alumni who traveled to San Francisco and Philadelphia from cities across the country.
- Dave Cocagne, downstate Illinois
- Chris Casgar, Boston
- Bernadette Murphy, New York
- Clifton Anderson, Los Angeles
Making Calls while Commuting to the Airport
Dave Cocagne
Dave Cocagne, WG'08, CEO of a real estate development firm, used his hour-and-a-half drive from downstate Illinois to the airport in Indianapolis to make calls for work. "When I left home on a Thursday morning, I would have a list of five or six phone calls that needed to be made," he says. "Literally, I would have something on my outlook calendar that said 'To Indianapolis' and I would add phone calls to that appointment on my calendar."
Once in the airport, the lounge became a place to send emails from blackberries or work on a laptop. "So while not the most convenient from a proximity standpoint, it worked," Cocagne says. "It was very intense. You had to be very disciplined about how you used to your time. Once you figured it out, it seemed to work."
Of course, commuting today can often involve delays — a reality that Wharton professors and administrators understand. Coming from the Midwest, known for its brutal, snowy winters and wicked summer storms, Cocagne experienced his fair share of holdups on the tarmac. On one occasion, the airport shut down due to snow. "I wound up staying at the airport and flying out the next morning," he says. "I got up at 3 a.m. to catch a plane to Philadelphia. I was maybe 45 minutes late for the first class, but the professor was very understanding."
Building Friendships while Traveling with Classmates
Chris Casgar
Another positive aspect of commuting is bonding with other executive MBA students. Chris Casgar, WG'08, developed close friendships with students who commuted with him from Boston to Philadelphia. While most used the early morning flight to Philadelphia as a chance to catch up on sleep, waiting for their flight home became a chance to socialize. "On the back end, we had a fun routine," he says. "We’d go to the airport, sit down, order some appetizers and food, talk about what was coming up, and then catch our flight."
Casgar says the Boston group also supported each other when it came to the logistics of commuting. "It minimized some of the administrative responsibilities because you had other people worrying about the same travel issues," he explains. "Somebody would find the cheapest fare. Somebody would come up with a contingency if there was a travel issue. It was sort of like group problem solving; we all did our various parts at various times. It was really nice."
Having the Right Bag
Bernadette Murphy
Students who commute from out of state often praise the administration for the smooth operation of the program, which in turn eases the stress of traveling from afar. "It was a very high-quality service all the way around: the teaching, the content, the program, and the people who run it. They were very authentic," says Bernadette Murphy, WG'08, who took the train from Manhattan to Philadelphia. "And they help you so much. You lose your book; they replace your book. You forget your ID; you get a spare ID. And there’s no beating you up. They’re not frustrated with you. They are there to help."
Murphy originally thought the commute would be a deterrent for her, since Columbia and NYU are in close proximity to her Midtown Manhattan home. But the gracious staff and the quality of professors soon made her experience well worth the trip. And while the high-speed Acela is costlier than the local train, she highly recommends it given the extra half hour of sleep it afforded her. And that’s not her only suggestion. "The important thing is to have the right bag — you kind of learn that, try out different ones," she says. "Shoulder bags, trolley bags, which ones hold books, which ones allow easy access to your laptop."
Despite the inconveniences associated with commuting — from packing and unpacking to dealing with the quirks of travel security — students repeatedly say what they gained in return was an experience that was both rewarding and enriching — and a mini vacation from their everyday lives. "It was an escape from work," adds Murphy. "I didn’t feel a hardship other than doing tests again. If there were no tests, I’d still be going there."
Accessing a Top-Tier Executive MBA Program
Clifton Anderson
When Clifton Anderson, WG'08, first decided to pursue an MBA six years ago, Wharton’s Executive MBA program was his first choice — even if it meant flying across the country every other weekend from Los Angeles to Philadelphia. Fortunately, when it came time for him to enroll, Wharton | San Francisco had already opened. "For me, having access to a top-tier MBA program was worth any sacrifice I would have to make in terms of commuting," he says. "I was that keen on the program because of the reputation, network, and Wharton brand."
Anderson is not alone in his sentiment. Year after year, Wharton EMBA students travel great distances to be part of the Wharton MBA community, drawn by this once-in-a-lifetime experience. They come by planes, trains and automobiles, across city state and even national boundaries, and make their lengthy commutes work in their already time-crunched schedules.
"I was really pleased that I only had to catch a one-hour flight to have access to the same world-class faculty, curriculum and the same MBA at the end of the day as the students in Philadelphia," adds Anderson.
Despite their time on the road, Wharton executive MBA students say: It’s worth it. "I would encourage students to think broadly and, if it’s within reach, definitely pursue it," Anderson urges.
Thanks in part to modern technology, commuting to Wharton doesn’t have to cut into office time. Like frequent business travelers, efficient executive MBA students quickly discover that they can transform most modes of transportation into a virtual office.
Until the debate over Internet and cell phone usage on planes is resolved, most Wharton EMBA students say time in the air is time to study, finish assignments, or on the return flight, to get ahead. "That’s the great thing about commuting," Anderson says. "You have the time to read and put the final touches on assignments."
