Mendoza or Questrom?

Question

I just found out I have been accepted to both. Mendoza is offering a $20,000 fellowship per year, while Questrom is only offering $10,000 total. I live in Boston already with my family, but that is a significant price difference. I am a career changer and ultimately want to get into general management via a rotational program. Any suggestions or words of wisdom?

deepachr · Answer

Hi.

I have a similar question.

A have a $80,000 scholarship to Questrom and a full-tuition Forte Fellowship to Mendoza. I'm so confused on what to do. I'm from India and want to come back promptly when I'm done. I also got accepted into Georgetown and waitlisted at Tepper and Darden.

Thanks!

stonecold · Answer

What kind of programs did you apply to at Questrom and ND. And what industry will you come back in India for?

MBA + MSDi 
Only MBA
MBA + MSBA

That would impact my recommendation. The MBA + MSdi program at BU is something that I really like.

bb · Answer

Hi, sorry I missed your question. In your case, the reason Boston offered less money as they know you live in Boston and it would be cheaper for you to attend.... I think it would be helpful for you to figure out the full cost of attendance to compare Apples to Apples.

Notre Dame has a strong name (though Mendoza is not well known as a BSchool).

deepachr · Answer

I want to get into general management and not consulting.

I've only applied for the 2 year MBA programme.

Background:

1. Completed undergraduate degree in Commerce
2. Worked at D.E. Shaw & Co's India office for 4 years
3. Worked in the U.S for 5 months
4. Currently completing a 1 year Post Graduate Diploma called the 'Young India Fellowship', a highly competitive 1 year multi-disciplinary liberal arts programme.

Additionally, do you think it makes sense for me to work for another year and reapply to other schools? I could do that but I'm not sure by how much that would improve my chances. Additionally, I'm also not sure if I'll be able to get a scholarship for the same.

Also, do you think I should apply to Asian schools? I did apply to NUS and NTU but got rejected from both before interview. Therefore, I'm really confused at this point. I feel my profile is strong but is it not strong enough for Asian schools?

I would greatly appreciate your thoughts and feedback on the same.

stonecold · Answer

Since you mentioned that you can wait an year -> I think you should definitely reapply!
From what it looks like - You can surely crack open a Top 10-15 admit later this year in R1.

The MBA brand sticks with you throughout the lifetime, so make sure its the best you can do.
Apply to Kellogg.
Apply to Booth.
Apply to Tuck.
Apply to those other elite MBA programs.

P.S -> Great Profile! Just apply early in Round 1. Who knows, you might even end up getting a hefty scholarship.

deepachr · Answer

Thank you for your response. I started applying to B school 2 years ago. I've been rejected by NUS 3 times now, once by Booth and once by Yale this year. 2 years ago, I was rejected by Harvard, Stanford and Ross. I applied to YALE in the first round itself but got rejected before my interview. Therefore I'm little hesitant about the whole thing. I worked in D.E.Shaw as a Financial Planning Analyst which included Management Reporting functions. Do you think that is what is dragging my profile down?

I have a good CGPA in undergraduate school - 5.9/6 and the fellowship 3.5/4.
My GRE is 331 which is what I used to apply to these schools.
My GMAT is not so strong at 700.
I have 2 successive promotions at works in the fast track round.
I've also been to Japan during my undergraduate year for a cultural exchange.

My long and short term plan is to get into general management and grow there. I have no plans of living in the US and want to return to India as soon as I'm done. Therefore, a full scholarship is essential for me.

stonecold · Answer

First off, your GRE is amazing! And don't really have to take the GMAT. I wrote a post on getting into MBA program with a GRE -> https://gmatclub.com/forum/average-gre- ... 61389.html
That will suffice!

Now, here is what the process should be-

Situation one -> IF you can hold off an year- You need to work on your essays and I think you can score at least a Top-20 admit. Potentially a Top-10 too. Probably hire an editor if you may. In the long run- You MBA brand tends to stick with you. So make sure you are happy with what you have got and it is the best you can do.

Situation two -> IF you think that you MUST get your MBA now (maybe because you hate your current work and cannot hold off another 12 months)- Then choose between the two of them. It could make sense if you see no growth at all.

If you can go with Situation #1, you would need to apply to right schools. Schools like Tepper(CMU) and Emory etc.. offer a lot of money(Full rides) to the right candidates. Make sure you apply in Round 1 and not Round 2. I would also like to reiterate that in the long run -> The MBA Brand matters!
So go with situation #2 only if you are sure that you cannot wait and must have your MBA right now..

Mendoza or Questrom?

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