ks2305 wrote:
Hi All,
I am an applicant from India and was fortunate enough to get 3 great decisions, however now am in a dilemma as to what to choose. I am a career switcher aspiring to get into management consulting post MBA. This preference is more a result of a lack of clarity w.r.t. my future plans rather than an extremely strong inclination for consulting. Hence while it is my first preference, I am not closed out to IB/ finance roles and business roles in tech firms.
Ross:
+ I enjoyed interacting with their alums and current students as much as Kellogg's
+ Strong and consistent placements into consulting and tech
+ Good support system for candidates interested in consulting
+ Very strong community vibe (strongest by a decent margin among the schools I am considering)
+ Strong alumni base in India/ across the world (alums are extremely supportive and helpful as well I have heard)
+ Has been a school on the upswing for many years now, and it's showing in all rankings
- Not as selective as Stern or Kellogg (I could be wrong here - but going by acceptance rates and the relative caliber of people who seem to break into these schools)
- The Michigan brand is not as strong as NYU or Kellogg (outside the US)
[?] If Ross increases their aid basis the Stern offer, would it be worth considering? (I read somewhere that they have a policy wherein they do not change $$ decisions, but I am tempted to try)
Stern:
+ Full ride hard to pass-up, NYC location
+ Since I am not 100% certain on post MBA plans, NYC might offer more options to explore (too much exploring can be counterproductive though)
+ Is generally placed in the tier above Ross when it comes to selectivity and perception (the Tuck/ Yale tier)
+ Strong brand, slightly more recognizable than Michigan
+ As a dean's scholar, might have en edge with companies visiting the campus
+ This might be a function of me not having researched Kellogg/ Ross professors well, but Stern has a some very well known names: Sundararajan, Dolly Chugh, and legends like Galloway and Damodaran
- My interactions with the Stern community (which is strong in its own right) have been the least appealing among the 3 schools
- Historically a weak school when it comes to consulting placements, although things seem to be changing (latest placement report mentions ~30 MBB placements, not far behind Ross as %age of total batch size). Counter-intuitive thought, but with lesser number of people gunning for consulting, it might be a level playing field vis-a-vis Ross
- Alumni network not as strong as Ross/ Kellogg's in India, but in Europe/ SEA - probably matches or betters Ross' - especially in finance and tech jobs
- Probably not a valid concern, but in rankings etc, their performance seems to be consistent/ going slightly down
Kellogg:
+ Don't need to list the positives perhaps
- No money. Don't think the increment in brand is worth $150K or $70K (comparing with Stern and Ross aid)
Thoughts?
Hello
ks2305Yes you were fortunate enough to get 3 offers from 3 great schools, congrats on that
Yes Damodaran is at Stern, I would certainly take his class
Yes Stern is very strong in Finance, I would agree with all pros you mention and disagree with your notion of importance of your perceived interaction with Stern community.
I am sure you will find there life long friends if you decide to attend.
For me Stern is clear win here and would take their offer without a doubt.
Stern and NY gives you much more opportunities and possible routes/specializations and Stern is also much more stronger and better known brand in Asia/Europe which seems to be very important to you.
You can try to leverage your position with Ross, however I personally would not choose Ross over Stern even with equal scholarship, but that's just me
Kellogg and Ross does not worth $150K/70k when you have full ride with Stern, in my book.
I would definitively put that dean's scholar accolade on my CV if I were you
Good Luck with final decision