Shadows,
I get what you're saying, but if presumably the school with the stronger specialization program has better contacts within that field, wouldn't you be better off in your career if you went to that school? Especially in industries where starting salaries are going to be about the same, regardless of the MBA school
What about when scholarships are considered? Or does the brand name on your resume supersede all of the above?
I think in prestige industries, like management consulting or IB, the school you go to matters because the elite companies only recruit at certain schools, but for a specialization like marketing, if you work for the same CPG, does your education really come into play beyond getting you that first job? Or can you make your own way from there?
shadowsjc wrote:
from what i've read, it's always better to get into the "best" (rankings wise) school you can get into, regardless of specialization. for example, if you can get into columbia (traditionally a finance school), then it would be better to go there for management consulting than a lower ranked (like #15) school that is heavy in management consulting. of course, these are just guidelines and not set in stone.
the individual school's strength comes into play when you are comparing 2 similarly ranked b-schools. for example, if you are looking at the #7 and #10 schools, then it might be worth it to go to the one that has the stronger emphasis in your particular field.
most of the information about specialization comes from the school's website itself. go to different schools' sites and browse through their special programs and initiatives. or if you have any questions about particular schools, post back and someone will try to answer them