hooligan wrote:
Got admitted at UCLA with $100k, but I was planning to apply on the second round at HAAS, Columbia and Wharton.
I have a GMAT score of 760, GPA 3.75, CFA level I and II and waiting for the answer on third, working at the international investment fund and just recently started a tech startup with friends.
I like UCLA, but since I am doing this only once, I want to know what chances I have with above mentioned schools, or should I be considering applying on the second round at all?
Hi. Anderson with 100K is a great result. I would lock it in and accept the offer most likely since you would not hear back from R2 anyway.
It is up to you - applications are touch and it is hard work. If it were me, I would always wonder and have thoughts on the back of my mind and I prefer not to have those so I would have applied in R2, since the Anderson results point to the fact that you can improve your chances quite a bit.
If you are looking at Tech or Fintech, Wharton, Booth are awesome
Haas is good though it is a smaller program and it is a bit unpredictable with admissions but Anderson with 100K likely means you can get into a Top 10 or if you can beef up your application, potentially get money in a Top 10 program.
You will have to accept anderson however and pay the deposit. Worst case scenario at this point is you are going to Anderson with a $100K scholarship. The main challenge with Anderson (and Haas a bit as well) is on campus recruiting is weak and you will need to network a lot and search for a job on your own. If you are a bit older, that will be trickier. Having 100K scholarship helps offset some of the pain and lack of on campus recruiting options but a stronger brand such as Booth or Wharton or Columbia would help open some new doors that would be not as open with Anderson. Haas is not in the same league unfortunately. Great location for Silicon valley but on campus career services have had a hard time getting employers on campus in the same numbers as Booth and Wharton for example.