Berkeley Haas vs Kellogg

Hi, congrats on getting admits to two really great programs! It's a stellar achievement indeed!

My two cents on this:

1. Tech recruitment
Objectively, there's no clear winner. Depending on whether you're a percentage or absolute number person, one school might appear to be better than the other.

Students from Haas going into Tech (industry) in 2019 - 33% or 68
Students from Kellogg going into Tech (industry) in 2019 - 25% or ~139

On a more nuanced level, tech recruitment for internationals is a bit less straightforward as compared to, say, consulting. There's FAANG, there's the next-tier (think Adobe, Oracle, LinkedIn, Zillow, Salesforce, etc.) and then there's the vast world of startups. Because of its geographic presence, strong alumni network in CA, and the regional school factor that you mentioned, Haas will provide you with much more flexibility and width in tech recruitment across all these tiers. Networking will be easier and cheaper, you will find Haasies in tech companies of all sizes and types (not to mention a lot of them with their own startups), and overall you will be in the heart of tech and it's up to you as to how much you can leverage those opportunities and translate them into a full-time job offer.

2. Consulting recruitment
Kellogg would be the better school because of MBB hiring numbers.

3. STEM
Both programs are STEM, but at Haas, you can study whatever you want and you'll still get a STEM certification. At Kellogg, you'll have to pick the Data Analytics pathway to get STEM on your diploma. There's merit to this flexibility in case your plans change during MBA and you want to pursue a career that is not Tech or Consulting, and still reap the OPT extension benefit of STEM.

4. Local vs Global Alumni Network
If you want to be in Tech and want to be in SF, then Haas is a better bet. I already mentioned the recruitment rationale above, but on a more personal level, most of your fellow Haasies will end up in SF/LA/Seattle post-MBA and you will have a pre-existing social network and support system as you transition back from school to job.
However, just like for recruitment and curriculum, I want to make the point about flexibility for the network as well. If you don't want to place all your money on SF/Seattle, a more widespread network in the US would be better for you, and hence Kellogg might score over Haas there. Similarly, a global alumni network should be a factor only when you're thinking of the 'Doomsday scenario', that is, no STEM and no H1B after one-year OPT. Since, STEM will be there with you no matter which of these two programs you choose, you'll be working in the US for three years. By that time, I think the school brand/alumni network should not limit your professional opportunities, and if you continue to network even after business school, you should be fine.

5. Culture and Location
The culture at both schools is quite similar and you'll find smart, collaborative, and nice people willing to invest in your growth. And I leave it up to you to split hairs between locations.

If I were in your shoes, I would pick Haas. And that's what I've voted for. I hope this helps, and good luck with your decision making! The best part is that you can't go wrong here.
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I have to disagree with a few points in this post as there are some inaccuracies.

First, I recruited in tech (and interned in tech) last year (and am a current Kellogg student), Kellogg does very well in tech recruiting despite its location. There are no shortage of opportunities to network with great tech companies and many recruit on campus. The number of people interning in tech at Kellogg exceeded the number interning for consulting last year. The majority of those internships were in Seattle/SF. In addition over 30% of the class (120 people) end up on the west coast LA/SF/Seattle after graduation. Given that Haas is a small program, even if everyone in your class stayed in the area the number of local alumni will be very similar.

For consulting, Kellogg wins hands down. BCG takes more recruits from Kellogg than any other school and the curriculum at Kellogg is very general management focused which makes it excellent for consulting.

As for the STEM degree and the data analytics pathway, pathways are not the same thing as majors, they are just a guide, they do not show up on your degree so no one will even know whether you chose a data analytics pathway or not, so you do not have to "pick" the data analytics pathway. The STEM major is just like any other major which is core plus 4 additional credits. Many of those credits will qualify for several other majors as well, you will not be limited by the STEM designation, many people end up with the major by accident through just taking classes they are interested in.

I will go with Kellogg here.

1) Landing on the coasts with consulting will be much easier through Kellogg. All offices will recruit from Kellogg and you'll be able to choose any city on whichever coast you prefer. You don't need any special networking - the different offices will send people to you or fly you out for any special events. Rest assured, you'll have a better shot at consulting through Kellogg.

2) For Tech, most people land on the west coast anyway. Kellogg is one of the strongest schools for Tech recruiting and sends very high numbers to tech firms.

Haas is a fantastic school but given your twin goals of consulting + tech, Kellogg has the edge.
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