Vanderbilt Vs Marshall

I would choose Owen over Marshall 100 times out of 100, and I would choose Nashville over LA 100 times out of 100.

HOWEVER, I was not an international student who would've benefited (potentially a lot) from the STEM aspect. Also, I was not dead-set on pursuing Tech, even though that's where I ended up. So you're in a different spot than I was... I think you can make an argument for either option here.

BTW, beyond just the strict ROI and job placement, it is worth also considering that these programs will be very different. USC has a different vibe than Vandy, and LA is totally different from Nashville.

Are you more interested in a small, friendly, Southern community feel (albeit in the midsts of booming Nashville), or are you the more cosmopolitan type that really needs/loves the diversity and options available in a metropolis like LA? I would also consider that.

Good luck with your decision!

Congrats on your admits!

I think if you were a domestic applicant, it would be a nice deal for Owen. With STEM and H1B - it is a gamble. On one hand it may pay off huge but on the other, they may pass an immigration reform they are talking about that may prioritize MBA grads so you would not benefit from it. Also, how much is the STEM option? Would you be graduating in 3 years instead of 2? When do you have to make your choice about the MS in Analytics or what path are you taking to STEM?

P.S.
The latest rankings favor Marshall - it has been climbing lately and jumping spots but that's very recent. A few years ago, Owen was within the Top 25. I know it is a bit of an extreme but just a few years ago, Owen was #22 and Marshall 31 so I would not look at just a snapshot of rankings.

Little off topic here.
I have heard great things about Nashville from multiple people. Are you from Nashville? I am just curious why you think it is such a great place (the intention here is purely driven by curiosity). Thanks!

If you look at Teleste's profile, right under his/her avatar, you will see that they have attended Owen (Vanderbilt), which means they have obviously lived in Nashville.
I have heard lots of positive things about Nashville and also am a fan of the Hot Fried Chicken craze wave that started there. The music industry makes it a very cosmopolitan city that appeals to those who are not happy with LA Traffic or Austin heat. I have had many friends of friends move/consider moving to Nashville and be quite excited about it. It seems like a great place to live, though I am not sure if that's where you will settle after BSchool as there are not as many opportunities as in Chicago or New York for example.

In terms of LA, I am a bit jaded and while there are many mid-management opportunities in Los Angeles, they are operations-based and not sexy (not that the Amazon's MBA positions that sexy). LA has very few headquarters due to the CA's aggressive taxation and business climate that seems to be forcing everyone except perhaps Mattel and Amgen to go elsewhere. Los Angeles is the small-business heaven with Movie and Space being the two main industries.

-BB.

If you want to do an MBA, you want to have good access to businesses around the school for quick networking, interviews and entrepreneurial meetups.
If you’re spending 2 years getting an MBA and spending the thousands of $$$$, you want to get these benefits... I know there are good schools in the smaller cities like UVA, Vanderbilt, etc... , but that doesn't beat the advantage of being in a big city.

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Nashville>>LA. I say that as an international living in California currently. You are never alone in Nashville as people care for you. Nashville is no longer a small city. Ask someone who has been here in the last 2 year. They call it Crane ville now, for the massive construction happening here.

As for Tech, Healthcare tech is big here and Amazon is coming in few months.
Does healthcare tech excite you? If yes, pack your bags and come to Vandy.

What is healthcare tech exactly? Love to know.

For example HCA. It's a healthcare giant based in Nashville.

FWIW, I saw Owen announced this today:
https://business.vanderbilt.edu/news/20 ... n-linkedin

This is huge! ESP for an MBA concentration and not an extra semester or year MSc program. I don’t think I have seen many/any programs that have STEM designation by default. Most require extra classes/credits in addition to the mba coursework.

Super Cool!

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Hello OyelakinOlu

Congtras on admission

Yeah, it is common for Finance specialization to be (recognized as) STEM, since nowadays any serious Finance program will be very Quantitative in nature (math, stat, programming).

What Vanderbilt Owen did here, was a very smart move to make sure that their MBA program with Finance specialization become evaluated as STEM in order to allure (international) students and make this program very attractive.

Keeping in mind that you are international student with 70k offer and STEM option, in this setting Vanderbilt comes as clear winner

Regarding your interest, I can see elective Private Equity and Venture Capital in Finance specialization, which is close enough to Entrepreneurship as subject/topic.

I dont see FinTech as separate topic, but it may be touched on some of courses.


Think no further go to Vanderbilt.



Good Luck