Re: University of Washington Foster school
[#permalink]
08 Feb 2008, 19:16
I do get some of the same feeling. The admit packet is certainly nothing fancy compared to what I received from Boston University. BU's package included a leather bound portfolio, a nice pen, a magazine, several letters (admit letter, scholarship letter, etc...) and invitations to several events. Also, I noticed that my interview with UW was much more of a grilling than my other interviews (though I still really enjoyed my interviewer). My other interviews, even higher ranked schools were much more "sell-side" on the interviewers part.
Here's my thoughts: At most universities, the MBA program is a cash cow. The top MBAs have big classes, expensive tuition, and make a huge effort to project the image of success and exclusivity. It all works very well. Just spend ten minutes on the Business Week forum and witness all the posters willing to stab their mother in the back to get into a school ranked in the top 10, totally convinced that failure to do so will leave them flipping burgers for eternity.
UW on the other hand for some reason doesn't seem to be playing that game. UW is one of the 15-20 most selective MBA programs in the country based on GPA and GMAT averages. Its far more selective than its rank would suggest. I don't know about you, but after I took my GMAT I received mountains of junk mail offering me potential scholarships, application fee waivers, etc... from schools ranked up into the top 15. Nothing from UW even though I had previously expressed interest in the school and met with an admissions person prior to taking the exam. The only other school that has been so disinterested in me after I contacted them has been Haas (maybe it is a state school thing?).
I think there is a method to UW's madness though. Look at the graduate comments in BW's profile of the school. Compare those comment to those of the top 30 schools ranked below Tepper. Huge difference. UW's are primarily gushing, where as the comments for Kelley (for instance) make it sound like the students are going to storm the adcom office demanding a refund. The UW comments are much closer to those of the top 15 schools. You can see the same thing on Vault.com.
I think UW only wants a certain kind of student. The kind of student who wouldn't back over his grandmother to get into Harvard and could care less about fancy pens and leather portfolios. The kind of student who has been successful in the past and isn't depending on the name of his or her school to make him or her a success. While I'm not sure this is necessarily the best thing for an MBA program to do, and it does appear to make the adcom seem stuck up or lazy, it does seem to produce a happy, satisfied student body.