"Personal fit" vs. brand (or: Berkeley Haas vs. Harvard HBS)

Hi everyone,

I know it's a bit early, decisions are not out yet. But I had two very promising interviews with Haas and HBS and wanted to start thinking about what I should do in case the most favorable outcome materializes - a yes from both schools (I can't help it, I'm a dreamer). Your perspectives would be highly appreciated to help me on my decision journey

My first thoughts: The first and most obvious choice of course seems to be Harvard. It's *the* top school, everyone knows the brand, great network, etc. But I feel that on the personal fit side Berkeley might be the better choice.

About myself: While I worked in consulting for the past years at one of the Top3, I've always been more of a "non-typical" consultant. Without going too much into detail - Yes, I like my job and I am ambitious, but I also think that living a mindful and socially responsible life is ultimately more important than a great career or financial success. I'm also not sure yet whether I really want to work crazy hours throughout my whole life just to sit in c-suite with 50+. I get a lot of satisfaction working and engaging with people, a lot more than from any analytical task.

The MBA should help me reflect on alternative career paths with (more) purpose. Long-term I would love to move into Sustainability, potentially by founding a Cleantech startup. Haas offers a specification for Energy and Cleantech and has a great location for Entrepreneurship, however I'm sure both schools offer sufficient opportunities for this path. I should also mention that I strongly relate to Haas' values and culture. I think their focus on ethics and collaboration is great.

As you can see, it's really difficult for me to make a decision. If I pick Haas, I might regret I ditched the "world's best business school" later on. If I pick Harvard, I might regret I didn't follow my "gutfeeling" and whether I would have had a better time at Haas.

Any advice?

Thanks a lot in advance!