Foster ($) Vs Owen ($$)

Question

I have received admission at Foster and Owen for the 2019 intake. Here are the details:

My details:
GMAT: 710
WE: 77 months till now
Age: 28
Industry: Mostly worked in leadership roles in tech startups in India.
Post-MBA: Want to work as a product manager (on tech products) in tech companies (Amazon, Google, Microsoft etc.)
Indian, Male, Engineer. I HAVE TO start school in 2019, can't wait for another year.

Foster: In with a combination of scholarship and fee waiver which makes the tuition 50%
Owen: In with a scholarship which will bring tuition down to 30%.
So Foster will cost $8K-$10K more per year in terms of tuition.
I don't know the cost of living in either city yet, but I'm guessing Seattle is at least 1.2-1.4 times costlier than Nashville.

Scholarship/cost and post-MBA opportunities in my area of interest will be the most significant parts to influence my decision. My understanding is that Foster will be the better school in terms of placing directly in tech industry on the West Coast.

Need help in pro-conning this thing. Primary parameters are - post-MBA opportunities, money spent (tuition + living), quality of eduction (I'm assuming it'll be world-class in both places) and experience outside the class in the school.

People of GMATClub, Please help me with this!

teleste · Answer

I went to Owen and I now work at a tech company in the Bay Area. Nevertheless, I would absolutely second this statement. There is no doubt that Foster is the more sure bet if you're committed to going into tech on the West Coast (and especially Seattle). Post MBA opportunities Owen: https://business.vanderbilt.edu/mba/van ... -outcomes/ Foster: https://foster.uw.edu/careers/full-time ... tatistics/ 60% of Foster grad went into Tech. If that's your goal, go to U-Dub. (And I say that as a happy Vandy grad.) Money Spent Provided what you said, Owen is the better $ deal. The cost difference is negligible in the long run though. Quality If you were interested in Healthcare or HOP, Owen would provide the better program. If you're interested in tech, hands down Foster is the better choice. I will say, Nashville is hella more fun than Seattle--but given what you put in your post, perhaps the Grunge scene will be better than the Country one for you. Good luck with the decision!

Maupassant9 · Answer

I second what Teleste said. Foster seems more aligned with your goals.

bb · Answer

I think Foster would be good but does not mean you have to give up and settle in for R2 - I would push for R2 apps since you did get scholarships at Foster and Owen - that means you may likely get into a higher ranked program without $ (not sure if that's an option but we would cross that bridge later).

Meanwhile, I would definitely pay a deposit at one of these schools.

Meanwhile, I would definitely pay a deposit at one of these schools.

bobthebuilder14 · Answer

teleste  I will take your word for Nashville being more fun than Seattle! And I will have to spend around $25k-$30k extra in Seattle considering the difference in fees and cost of living. Will have to think about whether that is something I can/want to do. But yes, Foster will be the right place for tech jobs.

Maupassant9  Thank you for the input!

bb  I agree about applying in the second round, although I don't think I can get a top-10 school (low GPA/low GMAT/Indian Male Engineer combo). I feel like applying to schools that are in the 20-30 won't make much sense, since I've already got admits to schools in that range (Foster and Owen). For schools that are in the 10-20, which schools would you suggest I apply to, from what you have read about my profile? And do you think it is likely that I would get a good enough (if any) scholarship to these schools? Since money is an important factor, I would be hard-pressed to take a school with zero scholarship.

Also, do you suggest I apply to any European or Canadian schools? If yes, which ones do you suggest?

Thank you for the help!

Mapshooter10 · Answer

Don't worry about things like cost of living, you're looking at decisions that will have a significant impact on your future earnings. Seattle is a great city and very diverse. Nashville is sort of, Nashville. It's not for everyone. I think you've already decided to go with Foster and I would too if I were in your shoes!

bb · Answer

Whatever you think about yourself, it was meaningful enough to give you some $$ in scholarship, so despite the low digits, you are clearly doing something right. I guess it is a personal situation and preference - e.g. would you take Anderson or Ross or Stern or Darden without scholarship? I don't know that it is worth it, but the pattern I have noticed is that if you get in with a scholarship, that sort of automatically means, you are able to get in into a 5-10 point higher ranked school without one. Foster being #22, you can probably improve to a Top 15 but likely with no $$ and that may be a deal-breaker. It was definitely for me in my MBA days. I chose $$ over rank. At the same time, you are not losing a whole lot by trying except a bunch of effort and applying while you are ALREADY have an admit is a whole different world of applying. It makes you a lot more confident and that confidence shows through the applications and interviews and it makes AdComs paranoid, often resulting into more admit offers than otherwise. But it does require effort, fees to be paid, and LOR's submitted, so definitely not free and as someone smart said - Only apply to schools you are willing to attend.

I think Foster and Owen are two great programs. Regional and on the smaller side but they have their pros and they offered you money. Both locations have pros and cons and I think you will survive at both (I live in Seattle and been to Nashville plenty of times). Nashville used to be quirky and you can still sense some of the south influence (like you can in Atlanta with their private membership clubs) but as long as you like spicy fried chicken, you will do just fine. Congrats!

teleste · Answer

Spoken like someone who would post negative reviews on Yelp for puppies, sunshine, and fresh lemonade.

Foster ($) Vs Owen ($$)

Which school sounds better, given my specific case?

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