I am in a very similar situation, though I am wait listed at Ross, and have an admit with Anderson with a decent scholarship. I am trying to figure out if a Ross admit (if it arrives) is worth ditching the scholarship at Anderson.
I've spoken with a bunch of students at both places, and I largely agree with Rohit. I too am in the MBB target boat, and I agree that Ross has a marginally better placement rate with MBB. I would take the numbers about consulting recruitment on the websites with a grain of salt, they are not worth much. In speaking with current students about 2016 recruiting, it seems like almost half the Ross class applies for consulting positions, and last year ~20 got into MBB. The students' numbers were that 200 of the 450 recruit for consulting, meaning a hit rate of 1 in 10. Anderson places ~10 into MBB of 120 or so who recruit for consulting. But, I am not sure if the marginal gain in MBB recruitment at Ross is worth the extra tens of thousands of dollars. But, I also know that a significant portion of the value of an MBA is in the alum network, and Ross does stand out there, compared to Anderson. Anderson is definitely a better school if you want to work in the west coast or in Technology.
It feels like a very close choice, and especially for a career in consulting, there are far larger sources of randomness that determine if you end up at MBB. Networking, GMAT, the interview day performance, and just plain luck seem more important in determining if you end up at MBB.
Anyway, good luck with your decision
Rohit6
Hi Buddy,
I applied to both schools hence my answer is based on my personal research.
In Ross you do have a slightly better shot at MBB. But Hey, none of these schools are primary target schools for MBBs to be honest. Hence, I would talk to more students and alum and see how good Ross is for tech. (not as good as UCLA in my opinion). Don't ignore your back-up career choice.
Ross gives you a descent shot at MBB but not that great a shot at tech.
UCLA gives you an almost equal shot at MBB but a much better shot at tech.
UCLA also has a better name in Asia, for sure. (I stay in Singapore and when I tell people about these schools, I can see that most recognize UCLA but not many recognize Ross)
UCLA also has lesser tuition fee, is giving you a scholarship on top of it, has much better weather and LA will in general give you a much better exposure.
If I were you, I would have chosen UCLA (again, based on what I know of these 2 schools)
Curios: did you try negotiating with Ross or even with UCLA for more $$$?
jerrygmat
Hi guys,
I have searched the threads within Gmatclub and would love to hear your opinions specific to my situation.
I'm and international applicant and I've been accepted to both schools (Ross and Anderson $), and now I have to decide where I want to go to. My Post-MBA goal is to get into MBB, and frankly that's one of the major motivators to getting an MBA, another possible post-MBA career could be in Tech. I am a bit torn between these two schools since each has its pros and cons. I have an average GPA and a 720 Gmat.
Ross:
- Slightly better brand name vs. Anderson within the whole US
- More well-known as a consulting school
- Solid placement stats in MBB per career reports
- More dedicated campus recruiters (?) (Based on the firms' websites there seem to be more recruiters assigned to Ross than to Anderson)
Anderson:
- Great Location and weather
- Strong brand name in California
- MBB does recruit on campus, however fewer placement numbers than Ross
- Stronger brand name in Asia (?)
For this decision I'm going to take money out of the factor, and Post-MBA I am indifferent as to which part of the US I head to, although I am also open to going back to Asia.
From a career standpoint, I've spoken to a few alumnus and students in both schools and each has their strong arguments. Ross has solid placements figures (The Class of 2015 has 45 students going into MBB), UCLA meanwhile doesn't disclose the figures but it's probably around 20. Some say that this is largely due to more Ross grads aspiring to get into MBBs and fewer Anderson grads applying to the same positions - hence lower placement figures at Anderson. I've also heard that in UCLA you have to be one of the very best within the class (high GPA/GMAT etc) to even land an interview at an MBB since positions are so scarce. By the same token, the many students at Ross wanting to get into MBB also makes the MBB recruiting scene at Ross very competitive.
Which school do you think would give me the highest chance to achieve my goal?
Thanks for your time!
J