falibay wrote:
It is interesting that you are hesitating between staying next to home (I assume) and going to Europe. Not common for an American. I think you should think about why you applied to LBS , what was attractive there and why Europe. I would think it would be key to the decision.
I think Chicago and LBS are no brainer comparing to Texas and it would add a lot to your profile in the long run. LBS seems to be best option, though I don't know how open is Texas to other degrees and people from outside.
On the plus side, Chicago and LBS will allow you to move anymore if you were to change your mind.
My 2 cents.
I second that. You actually made me very curious: why in hell did you apply for London??
Was it just for the rankings or for something specific?
Also, how serious are you about returning to Texas? I'm asking this because there is a fair chance that you might actually like living outside the state. I don't know how international your profile is, but I also think that living in London for example would enlarge your views and ways of thinking (like living in Philly and being in contact with US students enlarged mine).
Here would be my basic thinking process: I would check out how implicated schools like LBS, McCombs and Booth are in the stuff that you want to do (classes, contacts with different organizations, programs, etc). I would also check out if the cities where these schools are have a developed target industry (RE and social entrepreneurship among others from what you tell me). On that point of view, I think Chicago and more importantly London have a significant edge on Austin, especially in commercial RE - I might be wrong, but I don't think so. Plus LBS and especially London are Indian-friendly places, which is a country that is obviously very implicated in micro-financing - I don't know if this is a significant factor but you might want to check it out. These elements might be key factors if you want to pursue your vocation while in school. Maybe you could contact the presidents of the respective clubs from each school.
I don't think that living outside Texas would hinder your opportunities to work in the state; but your choice of school would have significant implications: if you're absolutely sure that you want to live in Texas for the rest of your life, then going to McCombs makes sense. However, if for any reason you want to try something else, the limitations of the McCombs network would be a significant barrier compared to the prestige and network of Booth and LBS.
My final opinion - and not everybody agrees with me on that aspect - is that going to McCombs will drastically limit your future options. It's a tough decision though. Hope this helps!