kschmidt1801 wrote:
kingfalcon wrote:
I am ecstatic to report that I've decided to matriculate at Sloan! This fall can't come soon enough!
Congratulations! It must feel terrific! How did you make your decision? Haas vs Sloan vs Tuck seems like it could have gone any which way.
Great question! I'll try to lay out my rationale as clearly and concisely as possible. Keep in mind, though, that this was a very personal decision and is therefore by no means gospel.
Important Things for Me
Consulting recruiting
Sense of community
Hands-on consulting projects (preferably abroad and at little-to-no cost to me)
Global brandSloan vs. HaasBetween Haas and Sloan, I felt Sloan offered everything Haas offered (e.g., a strong community, emphasis on innovation, strong West Coast presence), but was better for me in a few key ways. To name one thing in particular, placement at top consulting firms is stronger at Sloan, which was very important to me. Also, when I originally applied to all my schools, I thought I wanted a strong general management curriculum. However, over the last few months, I came to realize I really want to get back to my quant roots. Also, international travel and hands-on consulting experiences are incredibly important to me. Sloan, given MIT's motto of
mens et manus, has really put a staggering amount of resources into action learning classes like India Lab, China Lab, and Global Health Delivery Lab. That really spoke to me.
Plus, I am originally from the Bay Area and have tons of friends out there. While you may think that would be a point in favor of Haas, I was actually very hesitant about going back there for business school. After all, I will be spending $150K+ on school, so the last thing I want is to be tempted (or feel pressured) to fall back into old social circles and fail to throw myself fully into my school's community. For all these reasons, between Sloan and Haas, Sloan was the easy choice for me.
Sloan vs. Tuck I actually agonized about this decision for a few weeks. I really love Tuck, too, specifically because of its incredible community. Plus, both schools are aces for consulting. That said, the more I thought about what I wanted to get out of school, the more I realized Sloan was actually a better fit. On top of the different curricular focuses (general management vs. quant/action-learning), I realized that I would rather have a one-semester core than a full-year core. Also, I think I would like to move back to California within the next five years, so it is important to me that Sloan and MIT are more well-known on the West Coast.
However, it wasn't until AdMIT Weekend that I was able to make my final decision. Although Sloan "checked more boxes" than Tuck in terms of what I want out of school, I wasn't willing to sacrifice a strong community to achieve my goals. Unsurprisingly (and I'm sure aerien felt the same way about Yale), what really made the difference for me were the people I met. Whether speaking with current students or fellow admits at AdMIT Weekend, I really felt an overwhelming sense of community. That amazing sense of togetherness and community, combined with the "checked boxes," really made the decision easy for me: Sloan had to be my choice.
All three schools are fantastic and I am incredibly grateful to have been able to make this choice. For me, MIT was also the "one that got away" for undergrad, so I'm thrilled to close that loop and make Sloan my home for the next two years (and beyond!).