Booth ($$) vs Kellogg ($$) vs Columbia (Full Tuition)

Congrats man. Thats one problem i would love to have.
Tbh i personally think you cannot go wrong with either school and opportunities you're looking for are available at all 3.
It all boils down to where you want to live Post MBA and where would you want to do your MBA - Chicago or NYC .

I was able to visit all three schools over the past few days for their admitted student weekends, and this is what I came away with:

Booth:
- I found the academics here to be the strongest
- Students seemed genuinely interested in taking difficult classes and learning (because of the grade non-disclosure), whereas at some other schools with the same policy, it seemed like grade non-disclosure just made some students not really care and slack off
- "Pay-it-forward" culture was very strong here. It definitely felt the like the 1st years had strong connections with the 2nd years and were available to receive help in any way.
- Very nice building
- Random Walks before school starts seem like a great way to meet your classmates and form strong bonds. There aren't as many options available as KWEST at Kellogg, but still some fantastic trips.
- I would be able to live right in the middle of Chicago with most other Booth students, but I would also have to commute to class every morning...
- Much more flexible curriculum than the other schools
- Much more flexible class schedules (many 1st year students in their winter quarter were only taking classes 2 days per week). This would free up the rest of the week for recruiting, clubs, studying, homework, traveling. This also minimizes how often I would have to commute to class. However, I'm afraid this would also cause the students to not be as tight-knit.
- Not as strong of a health care curriculum
- Strong placement at top consulting firms

Kellogg:
- I got along with the people here the most and felt I would enjoy my time the most
- Definitely the most fun of the schools
- It seemed like everyone got along and knew each other
- The building is amazing and the views of the lake are spectacular.
- KWEST trips looked like so much fun. There were so many amazing options that I don't think I could go wrong with one.
- Large selection of health care options and opportunity to work with med students and engineers on innovative projects and ideas through experiential courses
- Strong placement at top consulting firms
- Opportunity to travel abroad through GIM courses or exchange opportunities
- Evanston was a pretty charming town with enough amenities in the downtown area. The walk to campus from Downtown Evanston wasn't bad either.
- No grade non-disclosure (but the grading curve seems generous)
- They have a weird class schedule (classes on Fridays but no classes on Wednesdays). I know this was probably done to keep people on campus and improve the culture, but this is actually a negative for me as I would like to have the option to take longer weekends sometimes (especially with many of my friends getting married in the next year).

Columbia:
- Full tuition scholarship is definitely a plus. This could also become useful during recruiting.
- The students here definitely had more of an east coast vibe to them than the Chicago schools (not a positive or negative--just something I noticed). It also seemed like more students came from Ivy League backgrounds than at the Chicago schools, but that probably has to do with the East Coast thing. Many other fantastic schools were represented at all schools.
- The building was hideous and cramped, but the rest of the campus is pretty nice, and being in NYC is pretty fantastic
- Strong health care curriculum
- Columbia World Tour sounds like a great idea, but it feels like it's trying too hard to be a Random Walk or KWEST trip. Apparently only about half the students even participate, and even then, it's mainly for Yacht Week or Hamptons Week. What I do like about this is that a large portion of the class will be in one location together as opposed to Booth and Kellogg that split their trips into small groups.
- Many students take semester long internships in the spring to explore industries they're interested in since there are so many opportunities to do so in NYC. I haven't decided if I like this or not as most students at other schools recommended not doing internships during the semester.
- Consulting placement doesn't seem as strong when comparing the internship numbers (full time numbers include sponsored students at CBS). I've also heard personal stories of current students at CBS having trouble getting MBB internship offers. However, part of this could have to do with the competitiveness of the offices most students at each school are looking to go to (NYC vs Chicago).

So as you can see, I still haven't made up my mind, but based on these differences, I'm trying to focus on what is most important to me over the next 2 years. I definitely felt that I would enjoy my time socially the most at Kellogg and almost put my deposit down while I was there this weekend, but as much as people say to "follow your heart," I have also always loved pushing myself as an academic and Booth comes calling in that regard. While both Booth and Kellogg beat Columbia in a few categories, I didn't leave Columbia hating it and actually left liking it a lot more than I originally thought. I sincerely clicked with the prospective students I met and being in NY is a definite plus. For as much as I like Kellogg and Booth, I'm not sure that I like them $40,000 to $45,000 more.

i choose booth over kellogg so am pretty familiar with both programs. I think you hit several of the key booth positives/differentiators - compared to friends at other schools, booth students definitely challenege themselves more academically and the academics are super strong. The flexible curriculum is also great and something I took a ton of advantage of. Can also echo that the pay it forward culture is real and not just a show put on for first day. Kellogg tries to play up the "we're so fun" aspect and I'm sure Kellogg is a great time but Booth was an awesome time as well. I think it comes down to how much you value the academics and flexibility and your preference on living in downtown chi vs evanston. Personally, after living in NYC for several years, the thought of living in Evanston was a big negative for me but others really enjoy it. I wanted the chance to experience a new city and network/intern during the year.

Hah! The last time we spoke you were deciding between Kellogg and Booth. Congrats on Columbia offer, never hurts to have multiple offers with scholarships. I just want to mention one thing; over the last 3 quarters, I’ve been intelligent with the courses I was taking so that I only had classes on Tuesday and Thursday (for 4 courses each quarter), leaving Friday till Monday free just in case I was recruiting or networking or just wanted some downtime. So it’s entirely on you on how to move the days around. As for Kellogg vs Booth, I think now you’ll have a much stronger grasp of the things we discussed.

Good luck and let me know if you have any further questions.

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CBS has a strong healthcare program - I would look into the partnerships within the program.

If this was CBS vs. Wharton's HCM, that would be one thing, but I think CBS is the easy winner here, especially with the full ride.

Which school did you end up selecting here?

Still technically between Booth and Columbia but leaning Columbia

Healthcare + plans of staying in NY = Columbia, with or without scholarship

BTW, they seem to be giving more scholarships than usual this year. If they keep it this way when the new building comes, the school will gain some pretty good momentum. OP won't be there when it happens, but it will still be nice for the alumni.