carlson 2.5 years vs BU vs ESCP vs IE

Abhishek19932601:

We are happy to help but this is really hard to follow with all the acronyms and the shorthand style. Can you clarify your choice with more details?

Oh my. There is a lot going on here. I agree it’s pretty hard to follow so if you want thoughtful advice, you may want to post a thoughtful question. I can understand there’s a lot on your mind was so many choices but Youssef to understand there’s a lot on our minds to with other posts.



Posted from my mobile device

Sorry folks re posting

I have 6 years of strategy and tech experience in india a/c some of the top players in Consumer Tech or Finance. I have been admitted to the MBA programs at the following Universities

1)BU -Boston university - MBA / MSDT (masters in digital tech) STEM and with scholarship (60k usd two years)
2)Carlson school of management , university of Minnesota - MBA / MS SCM (supply chain management) 3 year course but STEM - MS SCM have a 20k USD scholarship)
4)IE Spain MBA - 50,000 Eu scholarship - MBA International Management
5)ESCP MBA - 35,000 Eu scholarship - MBA International Management

I am confused between BU and waiting for another year.. Apologies for the short forms before..

My goal is to stay for 5-6 years in US post MBA and eventually return to India. My pref sectors / roles are product/program, strategy and north star (aspirational) - Venture Capital...

Waiting another year... what would you be waiting for? Better school options? You are planning to retake GMAT/have a better application?

Abhishek19932601:

bb asks some valid questions. I also don't understand the concept behind waiting a year. Yes, it was competitive this past application year but unless you fundamentally change your profile, you probably are not going to improve your odds at other programs.

If you are deciding between the options on the table, BU sounds like the best one given your background, goals and granted scholarship. You indicated you wanted to attend school in the US, so that rules out the two EU schools. I am confident that BU has a stronger brand name than UM. I also think the digital tech angle would play well if tech is your long-term goal and you want to break into venture.

thanks Admissionado and bb. I do intend to reapply with a 700+ in GMAT (VS 690 now) which I don't have yet, I do think that coupled with relevant timing of application may help crack a top 15... I must highlight that I ended up applying late nov, dec this year and missed R1 deadlines almost everywhere.

Do you think a reapplication to a top 10-15 ranked school with a better GMAT score + on time application would help?

Abhishek19932601:

Mixed feedback on your thinking:

Yes, going from a 690 to a 700+ GMAT would be an important jump. Of course, the bigger the delta the between the 690 and your ultimate score matters too. A 690 to 700 probably won't change much, but a 690 to a 730 would be considerable.

No, I don't think applying in R1 this year (compared to R2 last year) is going to give you a major advantage. While it is possible that applying this upcoming year will be marginally beneficial than last year (given the abnormal competition), the reason why people move up in ranking is because they have meaningful changes to their profile. A new GMAT score is one. Others include a major promotion, change in job, new outside accomplishments, important recognition/award, etc. - you get the point.

While "luck" does play a factor, it's not enough without those changes to warrant giving up what you have now. You are also talking about a big jump. The top 10-15 is much harder to crack than below top 15. I don't want to dissuade you from going for your dreams, but I do want to shed light on how this process generally works.