chicago vs wharton

i already visited and applied to both schools. and i got into both. but i just can't decide. i will attend admit weekend but i'm trying to sort out my schedule so i guess i want to know now. i guess i'd rather know more about the cons of each program than the pros because the pros are always going to draw you. so i figure, it's the cons that determine which ones you're willing cope with and thus which school is better.

the reason i am so torn is because i feel that chicago is a better fit for me but i can't imagine turning down wharton.

any advice - other than visiting?

this is actually a pretty easy choice. basically everything between chicago and wharton is a tie. academics, career opportunities, all that good stuff. the only thing that is variable from year to year is the students. here is how you make your decision:

1. go to both admit weekends
2. see how many girls you find interesting to talk to (i.e. there is a brain behind the face/body).

If Nchic > Nwhar, then go to Chicago. Otherwise, Wharton.


Of course, I am assuming that you are a straight single male. If you're not, then I have no idea.

Do you like hot dogs or cheesesteaks? Lovable losers or fans that boo a cure for cancer? Are you less comfortable being Indiana or New Jersey adjacent?

Personally, I'd prefer hot dogs, lovable losers, and being adjacent to New Jersey.

Booth: 2, Wharton :1

Guess I should've applied to Booth instead

hahahaha if i were a straight single male - i probably would do just that.

but i'm not! maybe i'll try that anyways- can't think of anything else!

I applied to both schools, and had already started trying to figure out which one I would attend in the event I was admitted to both. Luckily, I was dinged by Wharton, and thus my decision was made for me. With that said, the only reason I would consider picking Wharton over Booth is the (slightly) better brand name. I am more impressed with Booth's faculty, love the attitude of their students, and the Harper Center provides ample space for all the students. One of the most annoying things about Wharton to me was the ant farm feeling of Huntsman Hall.

Either way, you can't go wrong. As others before have said, it's all about personal preference. You aren't likely to have significantly better prospects coming out of one school vs. the other.

so i guess my question is: should i go to wharton just because of the better brand name? - i think this is all it boils down to.

i like how booth is so organized - the administration is so involved and everything is so structured/professional, the students are very nice and approachable, the harper center is dedicated to ONLY MBA students, the chicago area

cons - sharing teachers with part-time and weekend MBA students, bidding system is hard to get into a class with a good professor, no cohort - community may not be as tight

I just feel like booth is really going to continue to climb with its recent $300m and because of obama's close ties to the school, will it surpass wharton in the next decade? will it become H/S/C??? instead of H/S/W?

i like wharton because of the brand name, prestige of getting into one of top 3, having a cohort, a learning team, close to NYC (for recruiting, networking)

cons - sharing huntsman hall with undergraduate program, people don't seem as approachable, administration doesn't seem as organized as booth's - in terms of the programs they offer (booth has new venture lab, pe/vc lab, management lab), it's in philly

in terms of recruiting - what are the differences?

in terms of alumni - it feels like booth alums are more willing to help.

any thoughts? i also got $$$ from chicago

i hope you choose Wharton. Granted Philadelphia isn't as nice of a city. But Chicago really isn't in the same class as Wharton.

From a broader perspective, however, I do believe people will end up where they destined to arrive no matter which path they choose. Either it's Wharton or Booth, you will still be you.

Based on your thought, I'd say go with Chicago.

There is nothing (job, network) you can get at Wharton and cannot at Chicago. It seems that it's only the superior brand of Wharton that is holding your decision.

but i'm a brand whore!!!

I am a long time lurker on gmatclub and finally registered because of this topic. The forum has really been a great source of information and super interesting to listen to everyone's perspectives.

Anyway, Booth had been the school I thought I wanted to attend most after all my research and having gone to GSB Live. Wharton was kind of a shot in the dark and I spent very little time on the application. So yesterday I got Waitlisted at Booth in the morning and I was pretty bummed. Then around noon I got an email to check my Wharton status and sure enough I was accepted (no phone call which I thought was weird). That definitely boosted my crushed ego, but now I don't know what to think. I have never stepped foot in Philly and admittedly haven't spent much time getting to know the school. I was pretty sure I would get into Booth and not Wharton and that would be it.

I was hoping someone could help me understand just how different the culture of the schools are (especially if you are from the west coast). I am going to pursue MC and feel that Wharton would be give me a great background, but I have scary visions of uptight ivy-leaguers in my head. This probably makes me sound like a douche, but I live by the beach in LA and Wharton just feels like another world. I want to be sure my two very expensive years off are really fun in addition to all the work.

Then I would say it depends on the money you got from Chicago. Is it big enough to make up for the perceived brand difference between the two? Only you can make that decision.

dayman,

I feel your pain. I also live in LA and Booth was my #1 choice. I got rejected outright after an interview. Booth definitely comes across as a bit less stuffy than Wharton on the surface, but the reality is that you will find your group of friends or clique no matter where you go. Wharton has worldwide brand recognition. If you want to move back here to California after you graduate, Wharton will serve you better.

Congratulations - your post and results definitely serve as inspiration for those of us who got dinged from Booth. Last year, there was very few people on GMATClub that were waitlisted/dinged by Booth and accepted at Wharton, Harvard, or Stanford. Booth has a very high acceptance rate (they no longer publish it) and it was certainly demoralizing for me to get rejected, but that's life. This process is not very transparent and there are all sorts of things that go into it.

Booth's acceptance rate will be below 20% this year, you can be sure of that. I wouldn't say that's "very high".

How do you know MeddlingKid? They will never publish it. They used to be solidly in the lower 30s. BusinessWeek speculated last year that they were 22%, but this has no evidence or facts behind it.

How long ago were they in the lower 30s? Last year's published acceptance rate in USNews, although I'm not sure where it comes from, was 23.3%.

Sorry, just looked it up. The 2003 acceptance rate was 28%. At the time, no M7 was even above 20%. Even if it has dropped to the low 20s at this point, it is still the easiest M7 to get into. I do not know whether to believe the USNews figure, but it sounds "ballpark".

Haas, NYU, Tuck, and Yale all have lower acceptance rates than Chicago.

https://www.angelfire.com/ny/netesin/top5mba.pdf