Hi all,
After a busy application season, I'm lucky to have multiple good offers to consider. I received a very generous offer from Tepper ($50k/year), but no money from any other school. I reached out to the other 3 schools to see if they could do anything about the money, but no luck yet, and I assume they won't budge. To be upfront, I'm in the very fortunate position that the money isn't make or break for me. I'll be able to finance my way through b-school either way, but obviously $100k is $100k, and I don't want to overlook that.
My background:
-been doing data analytics at a manufacturing plant for the past 4 years
-looking to move away from operations and either go into corporate strategy, leadership development programs, or possibly tech PM (if possible) post b-school
-I'm very flexible on post MBA location. West coast, Midwest, and Northeast all have their different appeals to me. Pretty much anywhere but the South will do (no disrespect, I just know it's not my place)
Booth (no $)pros:
+M7 prestige/very strong rankings
+strongest brand name?
+largest network
+I've been to Chicago a few times and really enjoy the city
+While the "Boothies are anti social" stereotype seems very prevalent on message boards, every Boothie I've talked to has given me the exact opposite impression. I'm really not concerned about not getting along with my classmates.
cons:
-largest class size and no real cohorts mean it's definitely the least "tight-knit" community, and I'm a little worried about not forming deep/meaningful relationships with my classmates
-less of a hands on approach; there's lots of tools and resources available, but you have to seek them out yourself
Tuck (no $)pros:
+I really loved the tight-knit vibe I got when I visited
+I felt like I could really see myself fitting in here from my visit
+More of a hands on/high touch approach, especially with recruiting, it seems like. Example: I talked to a career adviser at the school, and without my asking, he forwarded my resume to a second year who recruited for the fields I'm interested in who then reached out to me to connect. I was pretty impressed by this interaction.
+Alumni network is VERY responsive and helpful from what I've been told
cons:
-While I don't mind Hanover and think I could be happy there, it definitely isn't a plus
-More case method than other schools, from what I've been told, which I'm less fond of
-One of the smaller networks, and more concentrated in the NE
Ross (no $)Ross is an excellent program, and I was very happy to be admitted. But to be blunt, it's hard for me to justify passing up Booth for Ross, given that they are both mid-west schools, unless one of two things is true:
1) Ross places very well in tech and I've heard some rumblings (not sure if really true) that some tech companies highly target Ross for their team-based approach. If Ross is significantly stronger in tech than Booth, and I'm serious about pursuing that path, there is an argument for Ross.
2) Their alumni network is noticeably stronger/more responsive than Booth's.
Aside from these two factors, Booth seems like the stronger program. And if I wanted a more tight-knit/intimate program, Tuck seems to have more of that going for it than Ross, so I'm struggling to make an argument for Ross, but please correct me if you think I'm overlooking something. I should also say that I went to Tuck's admitted students weekend over Ross's (they were the same dates), so I admittedly have less of a feel for Ross than Booth and Tuck.
Tepper ($50k/year)I'll be honest here, I know very little about the program. It was my safety, and they only very recently offered me the money, so before that it wasn't even in the realm of consideration against the likes of Tuck/Ross/Booth.
pros:
+$$$$ (let's not be coy here)
+places very well into tech, which could help me pivot into the industry
+I actually do kinda like their focus of analytics based decision making and leadership. Seems like it could play very well into my corp strategy goals.
cons:
-Easily the least prestigious program
-Not gonna lie, I worry that I'll spend the rest of my life wondering what doors I could have opened if I went to one of the other programs. No disrespect to Tepper, it's a great program, but it just it just isn't quite in the same tier as the other schools.
In general, my first priority is to successfully pivot my career and have access to the best opportunities and network possible. Culture and fit seem secondary to me, but I don't want to ignore them completely either. And of course, I don't want to completely overlook $100k.
Any help would be MUCH appreciated! Thanks everyone!