Actually I disagree with this completely. I think that unless you have very specific concerns (none of them related to the curriculum or the concentrations), it is always better to attended a school in a higher cluster.
Yes, if you want to go into consulting, Columbia, Chicago & Wharton will provide better opportunities than any of the elites. If you want to go into IB, Kellogg, Harvard and Stanford will afford you more opportunities than any schools other than fellow ultra-elites.
The same applies to the elites when compared with lower clusters.
Among the few reasons I can think of for choosing a school from a lower cluster would be cost (but think seriously before you do this), location (both in terms of while in school and alumni base) or some other personal reason (alumni, family, etc.).
All of the ultra-elites and most of the elites have broad based strengths, recognition and reach that give them clear advantages over schools in lower clusters. Unless you have a specific personal concerns, virtually all candidates should go for the highest possible cluster then rely on specific strengths to decide between schools of the same cluster.
mbadart07 wrote:
willget800 wrote:
So essentially the summary of discussion - the whole admission decision is very subjective...
Looking at some many stellar rejections here, I am seriously considering schools ranked below 15.
Well, schools ranked below 15... by what standards is the question now.
Agreed that the ultra elite schools are excellent in almost all courses leading to your career goals but then there are lots of schools which are below the 'Top 15' brand that can cater to your course needs and career path, not to mention your preferred mode of study, living culture etc;.
I am not sure that rankings are the way to apply, especially there is no point in considering overall rankings. However you can use the rankings to customize your schools according to their strength in your speciality/desired courses!!That way you will see that most of the schools which are 'below top 15' actually figure in the top 5/10 of your shortlist.
It happened to me when i was shortlisting schools for operations/production management. No point applying to Columbia
( a top 15 brand) if you intend to study logistics, supply chain simulation and distribution concepts.
Stellar profiles can get rejected anywhere if the candidate does not show fit with the school and program.
And this talk of Male/Indian/IT applicant pool getting tougher is going to continue for ages. Its crazy out there with all the top IT biggies in India recruting students like herds of cattle and many of these who find that within 2/3 yrs, their work is getting frustrating and BS type. Seach for alternatives to escape this chaos ends up in
1).Writing the CAT for IIM's in India.
2).Writing the GMAT aiming for US top 5.
Not everyone can get into IIM or H/S/W. It will make sense to apply realistically and give decent shots thereby increasing your chances of admit!! Whew..