What It’s Really Like to Do an MBA with a Family in Tow
Every year, students arrive at top business schools to start their MBA with family in tow—diaper bags, bedtime routines, and spouses who are figuring things out right alongside them. And while it’s not always easy, many of these folks say the same thing: it’s one of the most rewarding periods of their lives.
The MBA experience —relocation, recruiting, academics, networking—is intense by design. Still, the challenge takes on a new dimension when you add in the real-world complexity of parenting or partnership. And yet, for those who plan intentionally and lean into their support systems, it’s a transformative journey. We’ve witnessed firsthand how MBA students with families build resilience, forge deep community ties, and redefine what “balance” looks like.
What follows is the lived wisdom of pursuing an MBA as a parent. See how families make it work, and what applicants should know before they begin, especially those who will be balancing business school with family responsibilities.
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Parents Are Already Here. And They’re Thriving.
Admissions offices, student affairs teams, and campus organizations have become increasingly proactive about supporting students with partners and children. From subsidized student family housing to dedicated partner clubs and playgroups, many programs now offer an infrastructure to help families thrive alongside MBA students.
In our experience advising applicants, we’ve seen a noticeable shift over the past decade: more students are making decisions based not just on rankings, but also on how well a business school supports students with families. This includes evaluating everything from healthcare access and daycare options to cultural fit and flexible course scheduling.
London Business School student Veronika Kuchinskiy reflected on being one of just five moms in her cohort of 500+. “I knew going into the MBA that my experience as a mother of two would not be the same as that of most students,” she admitted. “Having realistic expectations and being kind to myself helped me.”
Parent Life Means Building a Different Kind of Network
Many schools have clubs and communities specifically for parents, and in our advising work, we’ve seen these networks become essential to student well-being. For example, Parents of Little Ones (POLO) has become a central support hub at the Chicago Booth School of Business.
“POLO has been a critical part of my MBA experience and has been a great way for me to meet other students who are going through the joys and chaos of being a parent,” said Rhett Barker. “My wife, son, and I have met some of our best friends through events like the Family Random Walk and other random parent get-togethers.”
Clients tell us that these organizations aren’t just social but logistical lifelines. From coordinating childcare to organizing meetups and exchanging advice, these communities provide support that no formal resource can replicate.
“Academically and professionally, I personally did not find parenthood a barrier at all—professors and administration have been fully flexible and supportive,” added POLO co-chair Jeff Yao. “Once, my son Pax even got to hang out in a classroom and watch Bluey on the big screen while Prof. Nick Epley discussed his latest research into introversion and extroversion with us over lunch!”
How Parent Networks Ease the Transition
A recent blog post from Spain’s IESE Business School shows how that program also embraces the family experience, with a student recalling how her baby was passed between classmates during a mountaintop trek to the Montserrat Monastery. That small gesture spoke volumes about the culture of care and mutual support.
And at NYU Stern School of Business, MBA student Rachel shared how a Sternies with Little Sternies What’s App group became the emotional anchor that got her through the first year. “My classmates helped explain cases I missed and held space for my reality—even when I was sleep-deprived and juggling toddler chaos.”
Other programs, like Wharton, Columbia, and Berkeley Haas, have partner organizations or family-focused social events embedded into student life. These groups often host welcome brunches, children’s activities, and career support sessions for partners. One former Wharton student summed up the philosophy this way: “A happy partner means a happy student.”
MBA Timeline: Key Target Dates for MBA Applicants
Yes, You Can Still Lead, Intern, and Explore
One of the most common concerns we hear from applicants with children or partners is whether they can fully take advantage of the MBA experience. The short answer? Yes—with planning and prioritization, it’s absolutely possible.
From our advising work, we’ve seen clients pursue leadership roles in student clubs, land internships at major firms, and even launch ventures while balancing school pickups, family dinners, and late-night diaper duty. The key, our clients say, is understanding that your experience may look different, but it can be just as rich, if not more.
As Stern MBA student Rachel reflected, “I skip happy hours and night classes, but I’ve become a mastermind at prioritizing.” She credited her deep involvement in campus leadership, including mentoring, TA work, and club VP roles, to her clarity around what mattered most and when.
Likewise, LBS student Kuchinskiy balanced a Venture Capital internship, student government, language classes, and parenting two preschoolers. “It is possible to manage studies, two children, and participate in the LBS Clubs,” she wrote. The trick? Flexibility, communication, and a willingness to drop perfectionism.
If you come in with a plan—and the confidence to stick to it—there’s no limit to what you can experience, contribute, and accomplish.
You’ll Miss Some Things. But You’ll Gain a Lot.
From missing treks to skipping social events, parents make trade-offs. The spontaneity that defines many MBA social moments may not be possible when coordinating around nap times, school pickups, or a partner’s work schedule. But those sacrifices often come with unexpected rewards.
Many SBC clients have reported that family responsibilities sharpen their focus and lead to stronger, more meaningful connections. Rather than trying to attend everything, they tend to build deeper relationships with those who understand their experience.
“Business school can be stressful, and you need strong friendships to get you through, whether you are a student or a partner,” explained Hayley Rakus, whose husband Tom is completing his first year at HBS. She’s the co-president of Crimson Parents, which hosts monthly events for moms, dads, and couples.
“These are great ways to meet fellow parents without having to worry about chasing after your kids,” she noted. “From trivia nights and candle-making to dinners out in Boston, these are so fun and great opportunities to foster lasting friendships with other parents at HBS.”
The student at IESE who brought her baby to Arthur Brooks’ lecture had to step out mid-talk, but gained a lasting memory of connecting with another father doing the same. Another parent told us that while she rarely made it to networking happy hours, her closest professional connections came from small group dinners and quiet study sessions shared with other students in similar life stages.
And as Chicago Booth dad Rhett Barker noted, “At Booth, you can tailor your experience in a way that fits your lifestyle.” That mindset of intentionality over volume is one of the great strengths MBA parents bring to their programs.
The Financial Realities of Doing an MBA with Family
In our experience, financial planning is one of the most sensitive and complex parts of preparing to attend business school with a family. Many MBA applicants with partners or children wrestle with difficult trade-offs. That might be leaving a dual-income household, putting a partner’s career on hold, or stretching savings to cover housing, childcare, and unexpected costs. Some must navigate visa restrictions that limit work opportunities for spouses, adding pressure to secure scholarships or creative sources of income.
We’ve seen clients succeed through a combination of early financial preparation, side gigs where allowed, and transparent conversations with their partners about short-term constraints and long-term goals. When approached as a family decision with shared vision and flexibility, even steep expenses can become a meaningful investment in your future.
The financial sacrifice is real, but so is the ROI, especially when your experience, motivation, and support system align.
Advice from the Field
Based on our experience advising MBA applicants with partners or children, here are four common threads:
- Communicate early and often: Be upfront with classmates and partners about your time constraints.
- Build your village: Join parent groups or start one. Ask for help. Say yes to the playdate.
- Protect your energy: Your bandwidth is real. Prioritize ruthlessly.
- Celebrate the little wins: From Halloween parades to a baby’s first steps on campus, these years can hold joy you’ll never forget.
Balancing family and an MBA is both rewarding and humbling. You’ll stretch in new ways and juggle more than you thought possible. Along the way, you may also discover a different kind of success—one measured not just by job offers or rankings, but by shared growth and resilience.
Manu Chintapalli, a first-year MBA student at Chicago Booth, chose a full-time MBA program specifically so she could be fully present for both her academic and family life, rather than adding work into the mix as she would have in a part-time program. “That decision allowed me to be more present in both worlds,” she said.
“I’ve learned to let go of perfection and lean into ‘good enough’ in some areas so I can be fully present where it matters most.”
Her story is a reminder that the MBA is not just about career acceleration. It’s about choosing your values—and choosing how you want to show up, for your goals and for your people. Your MBA experience may not follow the traditional playbook. And that’s exactly what makes it extraordinary.
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From strategic school selection to timeline planning, our team has helped many MBA applicants prepare to apply with families in mind. Ready to build your MBA strategy? Schedule a free 15-minute consultation with a Principal SBC Consultant today.
Here’s a snapshot of the caliber of expertise on our SBC team.
Ashley
Ashley is a former MBA Admissions Board Member for Harvard Business School (HBS), where she interviewed and evaluated thousands of business school applicants for over a six year tenure. Ashley holds an MBA from HBS. During her HBS years, Ashley was the Sports Editor for the Harbus and a member of the B-School Blades Ice Hockey Team. After HBS, she worked in Marketing at the Gillette Company on Male and Female shaving ...
×Pauline
A former associate director of admissions at Harvard Business School, Pauline served on the HBS MBA Admissions Board full-time for four years. She evaluated and interviewed HBS applicants, both on-campus and globally. Pauline's career has included sales and marketing management roles with Coca-Cola, Gillette, Procter & Gamble, and IBM. For over 10 years, Pauline has expertly guided MBA applicants, and her clients h ...
×Laura
Laura comes from the MBA Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS) and is an HBS MBA alumnus. In her HBS Admissions role, she evaluated and interviewed hundreds of business school candidates, including internationals, women, military and other applicant pools, for five years. Prior to her time as a student at HBS, Laura began her career in advertising and marketing in Chicago at Leo Burnett where she worked on th ...
×Andrea
Andrea served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions at Harvard Business School (HBS) for over five years. In this role, she provided strategic direction for student yield-management activities and also served as a full member of the admissions committee. In 2007, Andrea launched the new 2+2 Program at Harvard Business School – a program targeted at college junior applicants to Harvard Business School. Andrea has also served as a Career Coach for Harvard Business School for both cu ...
×Jennifer
Jennifer served as Admissions Officer at the Stanford (GSB) for five years. She holds an MBA from Stanford (GSB) and a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Jennifer has over 15 years experience in guiding applicants through the increasingly competitive admissions process into top MBA programs. Having read thousands and thousands of essays and applications while at Stanford (GSB) Admiss ...
×Erin K.
Erin served in key roles in MBA Admissions--as Director at Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley and Assistant Director at Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB). Erin served on the admissions committee at each school and has read thousands of applications in her career. At Haas, she served for seven years in roles that encompassed evaluation, outreach, and diversity and inclusion. During her tenure in Admissions at GSB, she was responsible for candidate evaluation, applicant outreach, ...
×Susie
Susie comes from the Admissions Office of the Stanford Graduate School of Business where she reviewed and evaluated hundreds of prospective students’ applications. She holds an MBA from Stanford’s GSB and a BA from Stanford in Economics. Prior to advising MBA applicants, Susie held a variety of roles over a 15-year period in capital markets, finance, and real estate, including as partner in one of the nation’s most innovative finance and real estate investment organizations. In that r ...
×Dione
Dione holds an MBA degree from Stanford Business School (GSB) and a BA degree from Stanford University, where she double majored in Economics and Communication with concentrations in journalism and sociology. Dione has served as an Admissions reader and member of the Minority Admissions Advisory Committee at Stanford. Dione is an accomplished and respected advocate and thought leader on education and diversity. She is ...
×Anthony
Anthony served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where he dedicated over 10 years of expertise. During his time as a Wharton Admissions Officer, he read and reviewed thousands of applications and helped bring in a class of 800+ students a year. Anthony has traveled both domestically and internationally to recruit a ...
×Meghan
Meghan served as the Associate Director of Admissions and Marketing at the Wharton MBA’s Lauder Institute, a joint degree program combining the Wharton MBA with an MA in International Studies. In her role on the Wharton MBA admissions committee, Meghan advised domestic and international applicants; conducted interviews and information sessions domestically and overseas in Asia, Central and South America, and Europe; and evaluated applicants for admission to the program. Meghan also managed ...
×Amy
Amy comes from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania where she was Associate Director. Amy devoted 12 years at the Wharton School, working closely with MBA students and supporting the admissions team. During her tenure at Wharton, Amy served as a trusted adviser to prospective applicants as well as admitted and matriculated students. She conducted admissions chats with applicants early in the admissions ...
×Ally
Ally brings six years of admissions experience to the SBC team, most recently as an Assistant Director of Admission for the full-time MBA program at Columbia Business School (CBS). During her time at Columbia, Ally was responsible for reviewing applications, planning recruitment events, and interviewing candidates for both the full-time MBA program and the Executive MBA program. She traveled both internationally and dome ...
×Emma
Emma comes from the MBA Admissions Office at Columbia Business School (CBS), where she was Associate Director. Emma conducted dozens of interviews each cycle for the MBA and EMBA programs, as well as coordinating the alumni ambassador interview program. She read and evaluated hundreds of applications each cycle, delivered information sessions to audiences across the globe, and advised countless waitlisted applicants. ×
Dana
Dana served as Assistant Director of Admissions at Columbia Business School for the Full-Time MBA program and has over 10 years of experience working in higher education. Known as a scrupulous file reader, Dana reviewed countless applications and assisted in rendering final decisions for the Admissions Committee at CBS. While leading information sessions at Columbia and on the road, Dana met and advised myriad applicants� ...
×Holly
Holly worked as a member of the NYU Stern MBA Admissions team for seven years and holds an MBA from NYU Stern. In her tenure as Director of NYU MBA Admissions, Holly worked closely with admissions teams from Columbia, Michigan Ross, UVA Darden, Cornell Johnson, Berkeley Haas, Yale SOM, and Duke Fuqua on recruiting events domestically and internationally. On the NYU Stern admissions committee, Holly conducted interviews, planned and hosted events, and trained staff on reading and interviewi ...
×Mark
Mark has been working in global higher education for nearly ten years, focusing on MBA Admissions at European programs including Oxford Said Business School and London Business School (LBS). At the University of Oxford’s Said Business School, Mark was the Associate Director of MBA Recruitment, leading the recruitment of all applicants to the Oxford MBA and 1+1 MBA programs. In this role, Mark advised countless MBA applic ...
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