Help bsd_lover pick a R2 school

Question

Hey guys,

Dings from Columbia and Wharton have dented my confidence, but I am not ready to give up yet. I am wait listed at LBS and have also *almost* finished the Chicago R2 application. Which means I have some time to apply to 1 or maybe 2 more schools in R2. 

Which schools should those be ? My options :

 NYU  - Essays are rather straight forward, I am confident of recycling my chicago ppt into an appealing essay 3 for NYU. NYU give me Location Location Location and good fit for my future aims (i.e. the trading rooms of Wall st. )


 MIT  - Great quantitative reputation however the essays are a real pain in the u know where. Also they tend to prefer applicants from R1. Is it worth while ?

 Kellogg  - Although the rep in finance is not that strong, sometimes that is a good thing. Since all I-banks hire from there, and there is a perception that the competition for these jobs will be less at a place like Kellogg. Plus I have a very good friend who is a current student and will happily recommend me (apparently that matters a lot in Kellogg)

I would be interested to hear any other school options as well. My primary aim is to end up as a trader - and develop finance industry connections.

regards.

kwam · Answer

You should def apply for NYU, I would if didn't get into GSB at R1, it's a very strong school in finance and as you mentioned location is the best.

If you want a second school, I'd say MIT, it's stronger than Kellogg in finance in my perception, but the essays are hard. Also MIT is very hard to get into.

Anyway, I believe you have good chances at GSB.

bsd_lover · Answer

Thanks kwam, considering you have read my essays, this is high praise indeed

I have already begun the Stern application essays (which seem like an abbreviated GSB essays).

DJM · Answer

I would defi do NYU. The other school that I would recommend is Ross. I never realized how strong the program was. And a real good mix of finance + consultants + marketing.

uphillclimb · Answer

NYU for sure, bsd. Great finance school with some of the best placement stats in the country, particularly for those who are Wall Street bound.

kidderek · Answer

If you want to end up on the trading floor, look no further than Stern. Check out their S&T club website, there's no equal.

mNeo · Answer

NYU (Definitely) and MIT (If you can manage to finish the app in time)

nervousgmat · Answer

Given that you want to be in NYC and your career goals involve trading, NYU seems like the best choice for you. Arguably, NYU's program is not as well-rounded as say Kellogg or even Michigan but its strength in Finance should be all you need :-)

djhouse81 · Answer

NYU...We need more New Yorkers on this forum! Seriously, given your goals, NYU.

kryzak · Answer

NYU hands down. I would have applied there if my ultimate goal was finance, entertainment or living in NYC. Similar to UCLA for me, NYU is an elite school that is extremely strong regionally in the field you are interested in. I would definitely apply there.

MIT probably has a stronger finance, but Kellogg is a stronger overall school (general management). Kellogg is also easier to get into than MIT... so that's up to you. I personally prefer Kellogg.

3underscore · Answer

If you do NYU, seriously think about changing your plans from the powerpoint.

You can recycle some parts of some applications, but I really think that the number of recycled Chicago PP slides that will be in admissions now will be shooting yourself in the foot. It could be interpreted badly, and is going to be pretty common. They are allowing you a lot more creativity, and I think you should try to use that.

Just my 2cents - I haven't checked up on this to verify what I expect will be the case.

Anyway - if you want to know anything about NYU and how it sits with yr goals, drop me a message. Happy to help as best an MBA1 can.

riverripper · Answer

NYU, lower risk application than the others. Honestly NYU is going to be the easiest to get into. MIT in R2 this year will be insanely difficult and Kellogg is always tougher than NYU. Also NYU has a great rep for finance, so you cant go wrong there.

bsd_lover · Answer

Thanks for your tremendous support guys. NYU here I come !!!!

Help bsd_lover pick a R2 school

Prep Toolkit

Top 5 GMAT Debrief Videos

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards