ACCEPTED! Now which one should I choose???

Hi Everyone,

First time poster, long time lurker. Now that business school is becoming a reality, you'll see me on here a lot more.

So... I've been accepted to four MBA Evening programs:

University of Minnesota
Arizona State University
University of Colorado - Boulder
University of Central Florida

They each have their pros and cons, and some are clearly better than others. I wanted to break each down real quick, and see what you guys think. Just a little information, i'm a 28 year old IT tech/State worker from Tallahassee, Florida, married with three kids. Listed below are my top choices down to least favorite.

University of Minnesota - A fantastic university, really didn't think I was going to be accepted!
Pros: Great place to live. Very highly ranked, my first choice. Good number of Fortune 500 and 1000 companies as well as state and local government jobs.
Cons: Wife doesn't want to freeze (COLD!), and we have no snow/ice experience. Expensive cost of living. Very expensive tution as well... will end up with a lot of debt on top of our current undergrad debt.

Arizona State -
Pros: Well ranked school, strong supply chain emphasis which I would do. Lower cost of living, decent number of jobs to apply to. Could get a nice house.
Cons: Wife doesn't want to fry (HOT!) I have only 2 1/2 more weeks to commit. Concerns about crime.

U. Colorado - Boulder -
Pros: Beautiful scenery and weather. Strong emphasis on creativity and entrepreneurship, which I like.
Cons: Not highly ranked. Expensive housing (need a decent sized house), less jobs to be found than in Phoenix and Minneapolis. Might commit and then never find a job in time.

U. Central Florida -
Pros: Very cheap in-state tuition, close to family and friends. Flexible pace and electives.
Cons: Low rankings and average starting salary, might not give the best ROI. Not many jobs in Orlando right now, city getting rougher.

What do you guys/gals think???

Thanks!

All of those programs, especially the evening versions, are regional schools. If you want to stay in Florida, you may want to chose UCF or wait a year and maybe try for Georgia Tech, North Carolina, or some other more highly ranked program in the Southeast that also happens to be in a major Metro area.

I live within a few miles of Arizona State, and have for many years. I'm not sure why you think crime is a big con, but can attest that it's really not something that should weigh on your mind. It's certainly no more of a factor than any other major city (inc Minneapolis). The "Dry Heat" refrain is actually very true, and I can't see weather being much of a deciding factor compared to Florida. Our current job market is probably not any better than Denver, but ASU would probably offer better post-grad prospects.
ASU & UMinn both have strong part-time/evening programs, good luck with your decision.

I was basically going to say the exact same thing, I went to Arizona State for my undergrad, still live in the area, I have never seen crime to be a problem at all, certainly not more than larger cities. Phoenix is crap in my opinion, not because of crime, but because the city shuts down at 9:00, there is absolutely nothing to do except for the occasional sporting event, but you would probably want to live in Tempe or Old Town Scottsdale anyway, this area is much better for college students and young professionals. And I personally am not a fan of the heat, but for me it beats Florida humidity. It is 85 degrees and sunny today, and in the summer I mostly am inside with air conditioning or at the pool. I have lots of friends going to ASU in the evening and have all found jobs already or being promoted in their current company. If you want any more info or have any questions about the area, I'm happy to help!

I'd say Boulder but I'm bias since I might end up going there, their Entrepreneurial focus is really appealing since I want to eventually open my own brewery.

Thanks folks... i'm going to commit to the University of Minnesota, starting in January. Brrrrrrrr!

To me, none of these PT programs really stand out. I would think they are all apporixmately equal.

In such scenarios, I would think going with the program with the least risk (lowest tuition and more familiarity) would be your best option that seem to be the UCF.

FYI, Minnesota isn't just cold. It is ridiculously cold. I have many friends from Chicago who moved to Minneapolis and they told me Minneapolis is WAY colder than Chicago.

ARIZONA!
no crime from what I've seen. Been there many times and have recruited our best members there. Plus, you had the least cons there!
Good Luck