annemba wrote:
"significant improvement in the quality of student discussion at Tuck". Dude, give me a break. You are going to choose a business school based on that?
I'm not making the case that Tuck is better or worse than McCombs. I am, however, going to speak up against an absurdly elitist statement that isn't rooted in anything substantial. Do you even go to Tuck? How could you know about the quality of discussion in one school vs. another? Choose a school because they focus on something you want to do, or its located in a region where you want to work, or you visited and found the environment to be really stimulating. Choose a school because it has some professors in your field that you admire. Choose a school for any other reason than the "significant improvement in the quality of student discussion".
I'm going to school to learn from and with my classmates - classroom discussion is a pretty important component of that process. The statement wasn't meant to be elitist, it's the perspective I've gained from visiting many different schools.
annemba wrote:
How could you know about the quality of discussion in one school vs. another?
You visit and observe the classroom dynamics. Visiting one class can't tell you what every class will be like, but it's not statistically irrelevant.
annemba wrote:
Choose a school because they focus on something you want to do
Not particularly relevant for most MBA candidates applying to the top 20 schools, but certainly relevant for some.
annemba wrote:
or its located in a region where you want to work
Not particularly relevant for most MBA candidates applying to the top 20 schools, but certainly relevant for some.
annemba wrote:
or you visited and found the environment to be really stimulating.
I'm pretty sure that's why I said you should evaluate the school's based on quality of classroom discussion. How students engage in the classroom can say a lot about student interaction in other areas of the program.
annemba wrote:
Choose a school because it has some professors in your field that you admire.
Some people fall into the trap of choosing a school because they admire a famous professor. Chicago Booth has a very long list of famous professors, but those aren't the professors you hear people recommending to incoming students. This criteria is a bit dangerous, especially considering you may never have the opportunity to take a class with the professor you based your school-choice on.
annemba wrote:
Choose a school for any other reason than the "significant improvement in the quality of student discussion".
I'll repeat it again. I never intended to insult you or other McCombs admits with an "elitist statement." I'm objective in my evaluation of each school and that requires an honest assessment. Overall, Tuck has a stronger program than McCombs, I don't see any debating that. Without knowing the specifics of the admit's goals and preferences, I can't provide anything more than a general recommendation.
We should be able conclude that some MBA programs are stronger than others without being labeled an elitist. If I were an elitist, I would have told you that brand name > all.