Reflections on school choice from a former MBA student

i mean isn't that more saying, "just do what makes you happy?" I mean I doubt that the b-school you go to doesn't really matter in the course of salary and security of employment. I guess when you're still in the top echelon it doesn't really matter that much, but i would say it would definitely be a bigger factor than none. But it is a good insight, i mean maybe thats what you think once you're done with the whole MBA thing, and just nobody really sees it when they're still ambitious and nothing is for certain.

Good post
I think the school choice will matter only for the 1st job.
Whatever happens from there depends only on your own capability.

I mean, even if you graduate from HBS, and the CEO of the company is your fellow alum. I think the CEO HBS alum will pick an extremely capable BU MBA grad over the incompetent HBS grad for the all so important CXO position, right?

I agree with this post alot. Sometimes reading these boards you think that the only thing that matters is ranking. I think this post helps keep this whole b school choice and application process in perspective.

You're failing to account for the fact that the HBS grad and the BU grad will most likely have very different first jobs which will lead to very different career trajectories. By the time they are both Vice Presidents or Directors at a Fortune 500 and competing for a CxO position, they will likely be very different people. The HBS graduate will most likely be a fast-tracker in his late 30s, and the BU graduate may be a life-long company man in his early 50s. At this point, the CEO's decision on who to choose for the CxO role will not really depend on what school they went to, but on a multitude of other factors. For example, if the company is pre-IPO and trying to woo investors on Wall Street, you can count on the HBS graduate getting the job. If the company has a strong culture of promoting from within and employee loyalty, maybe the BU guy will get the job.

Regardless, fatb, I believe that refurb's post was meant to help people selecting between different Top 20 schools and balancing "fit" and "prestige". Picking between HBS and BU is really apples and oranges.

That was pretty much the point.

I also have to state that my friend's opinion is limited to his career field (health care). Things may be quite different in the more traditional MBA fields such as investment banking or consulting, where school reputation/rank has a bigger impact on who hires you right out of school.

RF

Any company that hires grads from multiple is going to treat them the same once you are hired, whether you are an HBS or BU grad. If both actually got hired by the same company what you do afterwards is what will matter. However, chances of getting hired into the same company or position is very slim with that big of a difference. A better comparison would be something like Stanford vs Tuck at a company, or Chicago vs Darden. Still the chances are a lot better at of getting that job from a top school.

When you compare peer schools gut feel plays a huge factor in where you decide to go. I have several classmates who I know turned down HBS because of the culture there vs here. While I am sure more people go with the prestige of HBS, its not too surprising to see people picking all sorts of different schools. You need to decide where you fit the best and what kind people you want to spend your time with for two years...fit is a factor of all sorts of things and only you are going to really know where you fit best. Admit weekends, experience with students and alums, and all those things play a factor. Remember, try not to factor how the admissions folks treated you into your decision since in reality once you are in you never have to deal with them again. Instead focus on what is going to matter down the road.

Using BU & HBS was trying to illustrate a point, which River pointed out that you'd be at a same level and evaluated the same way once the graduates begin their first post-MBA positions. Granted, graduates from BU & HBS are most likely not going to start at the same positions. I exaggerated to make a point.

Just to play along on this idea (choose whatever 2 schools you have in mind). Why would the better school's graduate have a faster career trajectory? A more reputable MBA graduate does not guarantee better performance. There are so many other factors to be considered here, such as work ethics, relationship management, etc. Anyways, my main point was that the MBA degree would only matter for that very first job post-MBA. The pedigree does not play a significant role in the latter stage of your career. Yup, completely off-topic.

I see your point and what you are trying to say, but the way you have it stated is incorrect. For example, Microsoft may hire HBS graduates for Corporate Development and Strategy, and they may hire graduates from a local school like Washington State for their Accounting department. The opportunities for advancement will clearly not be the same. Similarly, Accenture may hire people into their Strategy & Operations group out of a top school, and they may hire people into IT Consulting or Risk Consulting out of a lower ranked school. In Finance, many graduates from lower ranked state schools will start at the big investment banks in the Operations department. Primarily only students from elite schools and a few top students from state schools will start in the Investment Banking Division. In large corporations, there is plenty of space for people with all kinds of backgrounds. They will not all have the same opportunities to move up.

If a graduate from BU and a graduate from HBS both get hired into the MS Corporate Development group then yes, they would have the same opportunities going forward. However, the chances of this happening are extremely slim.

As refurb mentioned, the more pedigreed fields such as Finance and Consulting tend to take this to an extreme.

For example, take a look at PIMCO's recruiting calendar:

https://www2.pimco.com/MBA/Recruiting%20Calendar.pdf

Their most elite groups are Product Management and Portfolio Management. Product Mgmt only recruits at Chicago, Columbia, HBS, Stanford, and Wharton. Portfolio Mgmt only recruits at: NYU Stern, Wharton, Columbia, Chicago. Yet... you can get into PIMCO out of UCLA Anderson (into their US Acct Mgmt group). Bill Gross, the founder and former Chief Investment Officer of PIMCO is a UCLA Anderson alum. But, will a UCLA graduate have the same opportunities at PIMCO as a Chicago graduate? I personally doubt it.

I agree with both agold and riverripper. But lets take a contrarian approach! Assuming that the leading corporations and big investment banks would predominantly hire from elite schools and a few top students from lower ranked schools, wouldnt it be easier for a person who could have gotten into an elite school to top his class in a state school and get the targetted job! Its much easier differentiating yourself from the rest of the pack at a state school than at an elite school! This is especially true if you know the region where you want to work and you decide to choose the best school in that region as opposed to the best school you can get into nationally!

So guys, dont lose hope. Even if u dont get into a top school, hardwork and a proper approach can still lead you to your destination.

Personally, I'd rather have them come to campus and wine and dine me rather than endlessly trying to cold call them and find an "in". That's just me though.

Personally, I would rather not do an MBA at all and get the CxO position at a large multinational. But, it doesnt always work the way you want it to work. There is nuthin wrong with coming up with a formidable backup plan.

Understandable.

While the original poster has a good point for schools that are in similar categories. If you go to an M7 or if you go to a school right after that in the rankings, you are still going to be highly regarded and sought after. If you go to a relatively unknown school, the burden of proof is going to be on you.

If you do a great job from the get go, you will be fine. Lets face reality - a strong school brand allows you to make more mistakes.

Agreed. I strongly believe that an average, middle-of-the-road student at a top 15 school will have significantly more opportunities than someone ranked in the top 10% of their class at a school like BU.

This was an interesting thread that happened during at an interesting time in the US's history...

I wonder what people's perspectives regarding job opportunities and prospects in a stronger economy...

I would say go for the better overall school unless the school has some great connections in the industry that will help you land the job. After all, most career changers will have at most one or two classes that focus on the industry before their internship. A grand total of 24 hours of instruction does not an expert make. You could also develop that knowledge on your own through networking, informational interviews and secondary research.