New from Harvard Extension School

[mednat]

I'm one class away from completing my ALM, with two grad certs from HES and just recently accepted a new position.  Just a couple of things to say on it.

I've had exactly three interviews, with two offers, 2 of them asked specifically about my HES (applicant) status. Specifically they asked me about my education, and I started to talk about undergrad, then my MBA and mentioned I was completing another masters degree.  Both specifically asked about the harvard applicant and I discussed a bit about the extension school.  Reception was positive, but it could be my distance from Cambridge (i'm in the southeast), or it could be that I downplayed the harvard name by emphasizing my work experience.  Difficult to say, but 2/3 from interview to offer (I declined to continue the process with the 3rd due to salary..) has not been common at my level (Director) previously.  Previously I've also never been asked about education (its at the bottom of my resume), now it comes up almost every time I speak with a recruiter/interview.

This discussion has been rehashed a number of times and everyone seems to have an opinion.  Here's mine after completing 12 classes:  

• It was worth every penny for the quality of education I received.  My professors were leaders in their field and they pushed me to learn.
  
• I'm a nerd, but the library access is phenomenal and a huge benefit I hadn't considered previously.
  
• The Harvard brand may be diluted by the extension label, but I haven't seen it and don't care.  I'm not competing for top level investment banker gigs and don't need that level of recognition.
  
• It was expensive, but I've taken extra classes that don't go towards my credential because the tuition in relation to the value is cheap