Kellogg vs Ross ($$) vs UCLA Anderson ($$$)

Question

Hello,

I am grateful to have received admission offers from Ross ($$), UCLA Anderson ($$$), and Kellogg with no scholarship, but it has put me in a paralyzing dilemma. I have also been waitlisted at Wharton.

I am an Indian software engineer with 5+ years of work experience in the FinTech industry and want to pivot to Product Management post-MBA. Also, I have gathered that marketing is a tough industry to break into for an international student, but I would still like to explore it as an option through roles such as Product Marketing Manager.

Kellogg
- One of my top choices but no scholarship
- I love the culture and social clubs; I would fit in well here - will also have a close friend as a senior at school
- Have a couple of family friends living in Chicago - will feel closer to home

Ross
- I like the action-based learning style at Ross
- A lot many options to build soft skills - Sanger Leadership Center’s Story Lab program, Crisis challenge, etc.

Anderson
- Weather is great!
- Right in the middle of the tech scene, liked the collaborative culture
- Most elaborate career coaching services

I have had the opportunity to talk to current students and alumni of all three schools. I am leaning towards Kellogg, but it's quite heavy on my pocket - hence, the dilemma. Would love to hear the input of others in this community.

Thanks

AnonymousMouse · Answer

Kellogg. Why? Because if you pick one of the two other schools, you'll regret it later.

Debt can be paid off, but you can only do an MBA once.

Also, living in LA is expensive, so you won't save as much as you might think.

Pick Ross if you can't stand debt; but Kellogg has higher ROI. I can post ROI numbers but CBA right now.

Unless you're only going to work for less than 5-7 years before retiring, pick Kellogg.

simplepawn · Answer

You should go to Kellogg. I'm at Ross and did not have Kellogg but had UCLA ($$).

I would not care about the scholarship but rather position myself for the best career outcome post-MBA. Top post-MBA jobs pay plenty for the $80K to not matter at all in the long run.

Posted from my mobile device

bb · Answer

Thank you simplepawn ! I would say it matters what background and recruiting path you are taking. Speaking some Kellogg and Sloan and other top MBA folks, it seems certain jobs are very tough and tight this year and even those top schools are having a hard time breaking through the hiring freezes at Google and Amazon. P.S. I did hear some Ross folks managed to find positions for an internship in second-tier companies which frankly is probably as high as you can set your expectation in today's market. Perhaps simplepawn has more info

but places such as Pinterest or Shopify

bb · Answer

PS. I have heard many folks refer to Kellogg as the absolute best for PM due to the focus the school has through the program, curriculum, and tracks on the Product Management and Product Marketing, something many other MBA programs don't come close to. At the same time, that's just one component. Other elements include how much support and engagement you get from current students and alums in certain positions and how much Career Services is helping out, and existing pathways into Amazons of the world.

If you want firepower in your court and if you lack strong brand names (well known in the US), then you def want a strong school brand. This can be Ross or Kellogg. At the same time if you are looking for ABSOLUTE UMPH then Kellogg. However, if you have a strong resume with strong brand, it is not as critical in light of the $$ I feel since your other brands will provide affirmation of your career. I am sure many will disagree with me and they are welcome to!

simplepawn · Answer

bb  OP is from India it seems and will need work visa sponsorship so the consideration set of companies is limited for them. I am not sure about Pinterest and Shopify that you mentioned, but I'd think they hire only in small numbers per school even if they do sponsor work visas.

Tech recruiting this year is pretty hard and the trickle effect is also being seen in Consulting recruiting as a lot of people who planned on Tech recruiting for the summer role have pivoted to Consulting (so a double whammy of greater applicants and fewer spots). The reason is that companies do not have visibility into how many interns they need.

With all this in mind, I'd just choose the best school the OP has gotten into regardless of scholarship money (unless it was 100% tuition scholarship vs. none at another school). Even if the economic situation was healthy, I'd still not take the myopic view of an additional $80K in attendance cost because spread over 5 years it's really $20K per annum (incl. interest as well). Compared to the base pay of $170K+ per annum that top post-MBA jobs pay, the additional cost does not look like a deterrent. Also keep in mind that total pay is often $200K+ pre-tax after you include performance bonus (I'm already ignoring joining bonus which is only one time thing).

gurha : what you need to sense check is evaluate your pre-MBA work experience that will play a crucial role in getting you interview invites for these top post-MBA jobs that I mention. If you feel, your profile is not the top quartile of the cohort, then you might want to think about taking the money. By this I mean brand names on your resume and the quality of stories you can tell in the company networking sessions and interviews.

bb · Answer

Thanks so much for sharing. You are absolutely correct. PM compensation has been extremely generous with a number of graduates being able to comfortably pay off their loans within five years…

I would say your initial compensation will be tight for the first year or two. Yes you will get the sign up bonus but then you’ll get the tax shock and you’ll have a lot of upfront costs setting up your living situation and getting new clothes the new computer and all the other things you did not have while at school. By year two or three, you’ll be comfortable and perhaps even can get a promotion and find a good raise and get 50 to 80% lift in compensation… many people have been able to do it in the past years though I’m not sure if that will repeat itself. I feel the bar is set fairly high now and tech companies want easily be able to lower it…

At the same time, there’s always a bit of a risk in terms of what happens and the weight of the student loans can get pretty heavy during those rejection times…

One side of things I forgot to add, the element of randomness and luck. Recruiting is random and a lot depends on how hard you hustle and relieve the timing of your efforts. You may get on the plane and sit next to an executive who can help you find a job or you may send an email and for some reason your résumé gets picked. Against all odds 😂. This rule of luck should not be underestimate it since it’s my account for more than 50% of your opportunities and chances but at the same time it’s only makes the choice harder so I have to tend to ignore it since there’s no reason to organize about it. As random as like is, it is constantly random across-the-board. And I think an important point is combining luck with a stronger brand, should yield better results but as Bill Gates said after moving and living in the girls dormitory at Harvard, better chances are not a guarantee of success 😬

Posted from my mobile device

Kellogg vs Ross ($$) vs UCLA Anderson ($$$)

Which B-school to choose?

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