InsideJob wrote:
My one other reservation about Owen is the class size which I think lends itself to fewer extracurricular opportunities and clubs. Drivechipputt also mentioned perhaps the less diverse course offerings for marketing (again based on the class size). Can either of you comment on how the relatively smaller class size has benefited you and how you can see it being an advantage?
First, I'd like to address the point about course offerings. It may be true that Texas is able to offer a larger number of different marketing classes (for example) than Vanderbilt due to its size. I couldn't tell you. However, at McCombs, you'll be on the semester system (if I'm not mistaken). You'll actually get to take far fewer classes than you will at Owen on a quarter system (though we call quarters "mods"). So you might have a larger selection to choose from, but you'll get to partake of fewer of those offerings.
You mentioned you're interested in marketing. If you go ahead with the Brand Management Specialization at Owen you'll still have enough time to fit in a second concentration (or emphasis, or array of "fun classes" you want to take) but your problem will more likely be you won't have the time to fit in everything you want...not that a lack of diverse course offerings keeps you from getting to cover the classes/subjects you want.
Here's a bit on the Brand Management Specialization:
https://www.owen.vanderbilt.edu/programs ... gement.cfmOn a related note to the quarter system, I thank heaven every single day that I was able to get through certain core classes in ~7 weeks and did not have to spend a whole semester trudging through the drudgery of heavy textbooks in subjects I was not nearly as interested in.
In terms of the small class size, it makes faculty very approachable. They know all the students by name (and their pre-MBA backgrounds in many cases) and have time to help them with academic pursuits and career advice. I found this to be very helpful at Owen. BTW--the faculty at Texas might also be approachable, IDK for sure, I just know it has been a noticeable benefit of the smaller class-size at Vandy and I imagine it is difficult to maintain the larger a school gets. I have also felt that it makes networking with other students and alumni feel very comfortable and natural. You get to know folks pretty well, you are not just another face in the crowd of "this year's class" dropping off a business card and hoping to make a meaningful connection. After a career trek I went on, I sent out a few thank you messages and people remembered exactly who I was. That was a moment I was glad I wasn't a cog in a huge program's wheel.
As a career switcher myself, I can imagine the advantages of bigger schools in terms of the on-campus recruiting presence. That said, I don't know that Texas' is all that much bigger than Vandy's (and if it is, probably not necessarily for companies from the Northeast where you want to be). You might have to be at a school the size of Ross (400+ students per year) to really start feeling a difference. There were far more events and info sessions at Owen this year that I was interested in than I was able to attend. It certainly wasn't a lack of options that I saw as a problem.
In terms of extracurricular activities and clubs, my problem has been I haven't had the time to do everything I want, not that I've felt a shortage of opportunities or wished Owen had more variety. From career treks run by the CMC at Owen to Wall Street, Texas, Atlanta, and Silicon Valley...to professional organizations like the Vanderbilt Marketing Association...to affiliation clubs like the Owen Texas Club and Cork and Barrel, I can't count the number of times I've had to unwillingly decline an Outlook calendar invite just because I was over-booked already. There's "more to do than can ever be done" as Sir Elton would say.
I can imagine if McCombs has something very specific that Owen does not have (a class, a club, a concentration, etc) this would be something to consider. If you don't have something specific in mind though, I don't think you should be overly concerned about the size difference.
By the by, it has been my experience that the vast majority of what you will get out of your MBA experience has to do with what you put into it...not what logo appears on the front of your school's sweatshirt. For example, just because a school has a large(r) alumni base does not mean you are bestowed with that network. It is on you to make connections and reach out to people. And whether you graduate from Harvard or Arizona State...you're going to graduate with the same degree after two years. What you actually learn during those two years is also on you. Again, it isn't based Commodore or Longhorn logo. So go where you think is the best fit, where you'll enjoy yourself the most, and where you think you'll be set-up to succeed the best. If that's ATX, then Hook'em. If not, then c'mon over and Anchor Down.
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14 May 2015, 14:26
), but I really do think the Vanderbilt brand will go further on the East Coast where I would like to have as an option either after school or down the road. I am also sold on the CMC. Despite less on-campus recruiting I think the CMC will more than make up for it. 
