Rotman vs Sauder vs Weatherhead ($)

Question

Hi!

I need an opinion on the choice I need to make to start my MBA this year.

I have secured an admit in the following three business schools:

1. Rotman School of Management (University of Toronto, Canada)
2. Sauder School of Business (University of British Columbia, Canada)
3. Weatherhead School of Management (Case Western Reserve University, USA) - 50% Scholarship

I am an Automation Engineer from New Delhi, India. I aim to enter high-tech product management in e-commerce, tech or consumer goods industry. In the short term, location is not too important for me as I want to transition into the new role first.

I want your opinion to help me weigh the pros and cons of the three schools, although my first choice would be Rotman, due to its No.1 ranking in Canada, it's friendly loan program (no co-signer for intl students), an innovative curriculum, and it's Toronto location.

mbaMissionJenK · Answer

Hi there,

Congratulations on your offers from those 3 programs! Lots to think about I am sure. It sounds like you are leaning towards Rotman, and if you feel that is the best place for you and best path to take to your post-MBA career goals, then it sounds like that is a great option.

Generally, here are some q's to ask yourself as you make decisions like these:

1) How will each program help me with my specific short and long term goals?

If you are not clear on this, consider researching the following, through school stats, website, employment statistics, and through speaking with alumni in areas/roles you are interested in (consider speaking as well to recruiters in companies you'd be aiming for post-MBA):
-Are there many grads from this program that go into a role/roles that I am considering?
-what companies recruit there often? 
-average salaries, especially in area I am aiming for? 
-where do grads tend to go and work (geographically)? 
-how do companies & recruiters in my desired post-MBA area view grads of this program? 
-how well does the careers services office assist with job searches/recruitment in the area I am interested in? 
-how does the program, curriculum, projects facilitate my learning necessary for my career path?

2) How will the program experience differ at each school? 
Consider:
-class size (makes a big difference!)
-curriculum, flexibility, etc
-summer internship structure and options; other projects and options within the school year
-strengths & weaknesses of each program
-student culture and feel 
-campus environment and experience

3) Assess financial implications, keeping in mind a bigger investment up front may (possibly) pay off more down the road (depending on your career path)

And of course there are many other considerations, including alumni network, visiting the school if possible (sometimes the biggest deciding factor is more subjective once an applicant has visited!). 
Good luck to you! Keep us posted.

eeshan89 · Answer

Hi Jen,

It's nice to hear from you again and thank you for such a detailed and insightful response. I find that making this final decision is as stressful as the applications were themselves. But I will pay heed to all the important points you have mentioned and I have already initiated contact with current students from these schools.

While I will do my research according my own needs, I would like to know your opinion on the big picture here, most importantly to dispel my doubts. These questions could be strange but I would greatly appreciate if you could answer as many as you can spare time for:

1. According to you, is there any real advantage in getting an MBA degree from a top Canadian school like Rotman as opposed to a mid-tier but decent American school like Weatherhead?

2. The current student at Rotman who aspires to work in my field admits to the fact that the Canadian job market is much smaller and more conservative than the American counterpart. It is also known that almost all students from Rotman work in Toronto and almost all from Sauder work in Vancouver. Are these two facts necessarily bad and does an MBA from Weatherhead give more freedom of choice when it comes to job searches?

3. Ranking. Does it really matter? How do you compare ranks between two countries? This is my biggest concern. It may well be that Rotman is no.1 in Canada but where does its equivalent rank lie among the US B-Schools?

Awaiting your knowledgeable reply.

mbaMissionJenK · Answer

I hear ya, it's a tough call! I remember it being tough to decide where to attend as well. In the end I went with my gut after visiting the programs, and it 'felt right' at one, though I understand that is not always possible, but often from speaking with students and staff and viewing and reading all that you can about the program and the campus and the experience, you may also have an overall feel.... that being on top of feeling confident that it will facilitate your post-MBA career of course!!

Here are some additional thoughts on Rotman vs Weatherhead (since that is where you seem most focused) and general choosing schools reminders...

-it is true that it is EASIEST to gain a post-MBA job in or near the city where the school is located. Necessary? Not at all; of course people move to other cities/countries after they graduate all the time. But think about how easy it is to start learning about the local companies, get in touch, network, apply to internships or projects and ultimately jobs, when you are right nearby. And certainly visa issues are a consideration either way that you'll want to research. So if it affects your decision at all, think about where you'd like to be after the MBA.

-for a global ranking, you may know this, but the FT MBA ranking is most often cited outside the US to attempt to rank all global programs together, https://rankings.ft.com/businessschoolra ... nking-2014. Rotman is highly regarded in this ranking, #51, top in Canada, above US schools such as Broad, Carlson, Kannert for example. (Of course, rankings are volatile and must be taken with a grain of salt, but just for a rough idea).

-average starting salary at Rotman is about $10k more than Weatherhead. Of course these are averages and you need to look at grads in the areas you are interested in, but if you do feel a given school's rank and brand will help you command a higher salary over your career, that may be worth it as an investment, something to consider

-Rotman is more skewed towards financial services jobs; Weatherhead more towards manufacturing. (But does not mean cannot do the reverse at the opp programs)

-Rotman uses case study method a lot more than Weatherhead

-class sizes: Rotman is over 300ish, Weatherhead closer to 100. Very different experience. Pros and cons each way. You do learn so much from your fellow classmates... more than you envision before you join the MBA... so it's worth considering who they are.

-location/setting: Toronto is a large, bustling, modern city of 2.5 million. Cleveland is a smaller city of 400,000 with less international influences. Learn what you can from current students/alum about what life is like in those cities!!

-you said does 'weatherhead give you more freedom of choice' for jobs vs Rotman? I don't see any reason to say yes to that.... you mentioned most stay in Toronto, and like I said initially, it is EASIER to find jobs near where you get your MBA... add to that the fact that Toronto is a large city, there will likely BE a lot more job opportunities than in Cleveland.

Hope some of that helps!!

Rotman vs Sauder vs Weatherhead ($)

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