Hi helpful people,
I'm fortunate to have received admissions from these two programs (very aware of the luck involved, as I see so many amazing, hardworking applicants on this forum and beyond). I know this comparison and similar ones have been deliberated many times, but the decision is keeping me up at night, so I thought I'd lay it out and get your wisdom if you're open to offering it. Thank you in advance.
Post MBA goal(s)1. Main -- Entrepreneurship (founding my own company): I plan to focus on this during the MBA as well, at least in the first year before my naïveté / blind optimism gets annihilated by the arduities of the entrepreneurial journey.
2. Exciting foray ("reach") -- VC: I don't know much here other than the general knowledge, but helping entrepreneurs build their dream sounds awesome. I'm not very prestige driven, i.e., no illusion that I have to join the big name shops
3. Backup -- vanilla tech (FAANG / unicorns): I'm not set on any functional role. "Easy / sensible" based on my professional experiences so far would be strategy & ops, but one could argue that then there is no reason for an MBA. "Interesting to explore" would be PM, but I don't belong to the camp that read 20 "how to break into PM" books and feel the calling to become a PM lol.
Background:
1. Consulting -> strategy at major tech -> seed startup (not a cofounder). 5+ YOE total, mostly in the US with some European experience.
2. International, H1B, no plans for greencard, 50/50 wanting to continue working in the US vs. returning to Asia (TBD).
Head to head comparisonFactors are roughly in order of importance.1. Post MBA goals Entrepreneurship: MIT / Sloan is known to have exceptional strength in entrepreneurship, with a wide range of related classes, competitions, accelerator / incubator type of stuff (imo, it's second only to GSB). But CBS seems to be catching up and very dedicated to making itself an entrepreneurial hub closely connected to the broader NYC startup ecosystem. Am I splitting hairs here? Does either have a demonstrable leg up on important dimensions -- curriculum, access to capital, quality of peers (as cofounders) and/or advisors, etc.?
VC: I don't have a good assessment of the delta between the two schools (if any) on this one. Input appreciated!
Vanilla tech: My hypothesis is both offer similar opportunities, but appreciate any additional input.
2. Cost / scholarship CBS: 50% tuition vs. Sloan: 0
NYC has a higher COL but Cambridge / Boston is not cheap either. I know the topic of cost and/or ROI is highly personal, but I'd love to hear your thoughts -- How would this sway your decision?
3. Culture The people I've gotten a chance to meet individually from both schools have been very solid. My evaluation / impression of the two groups as collective entities is primarily based on the admit slack groups:
CBS: Very outgoing, fun-loving, almost a bit aggressive (in the literal sense of the word -- not good or bad. I'm also very aware this is my subjective benchmark / relative to my comfort zone, so definitely not to attack any style.)
Sloan: A bit more chiller and "nicer". A bit nerdier.
I struggle on this dimension: I'm an introvert-leaning "ambivert" who's deep down a nerd, so intuitively I slightly gravitate towards the Sloan crowd. At the same time, I often end up having a really good time when pushed into the social scene and find myself thinking "ah, I should say yes to / do these things more often!"... I think the issue is more that I don't know what I want for the next two years on this front, which makes any comparison less objective-driven.
4. Community Community is a really important factor. I have no doubt that the best part about either community will be a huge source of inspiration and comfort, but I'm curious about the negative aspects / stereotypes -- how true are they in your opinion and what are the best ways to mitigate them proactively?
The main thing I've heard --
CBS: the (exclusive) cliques, e.g., people with established NYC lives, the ultra-rich, etc.
Sloan: not very tight-knit and can be on the "colder" side. As an extension of that, alums not as responsive to outreach... Is this true?
^To develop a better understanding of 3 and 4, I plan to attend both admit days.
5. Network Many have said that MBA is about nothing but the network. While hyperbolic, the statement does accentuate the point that the network is one of the biggest value props of an MBA.
CBS: bigger class size -> larger network. I think it's also slightly more international?
Sloan: smaller class size -> smaller network. Also re: the point on alum in 4... The value of the network diminishes if alums aren't responsive?
6. BrandSloan may have a slight edge here, but frankly, I don't understand why CBS gets so much hate and gets downplayed in rankings. International reputation is important as well, as I may return to Asia in the long run -- so maybe point to MIT again?
On a less related note, could someone help enlighten me why CBS and Sloan are considered a tier below Booth and Kellogg? Most people I know would take CBS over Kellogg in a heartbeat and many would do the same over Booth (other than for hardcore finance). I didn't actually apply to them as no one I know prioritized them (decent sample size from MBB + major tech + startup world) and I wouldn't have gone. They are brilliant, world-class schools. I'm just baffled about the notion that they are considered a tier above.
7. LocationNYC. Enough said. I don't even particularly like NYC based on my visits, but to live in NYC for a couple years feels like a true bucket list item that I can't possibly regret. I suspect someday I'll look back and think it's one of the coolest experiences ever no matter what the details are. It's irrational but it is what it is...
Two additional considerations8. Reapply:
A few friends and mentors suggested that I reapply to GSB in the upcoming R1 (got dinged immediately this time lol). For context, I threw together my apps in the last minute -- unlike most well-prepared, put-together ex-[insert one of those three consulting firms] folks you encounter, I'm that scattered-brained straggler who decided to apply a month before the deadlines and had to take the GMAT right there right then... So they think that I perhaps, might, possibly have a shot if I give it a better try... While grateful for their kind encouragement, I'm skeptical. GSB is simply too God-level for a mere mortal like me. A few suggested that I apply to Wharton as well. Frankly, I don't know how much of a fit I see there, but some are adamant that I should give it a try.
I don't feel compelled to pursue either path. But if you have input on them, I'd super appreciate it.
9. Take sponsorship to eliminate 2 as a decision factor:
I left consulting with that standard offer to return post MBA, with a few partners and managers as advocates, so there is a world in which I can retroactively activate my sponsorship. I am hyper, hyper aware of my privileges in this situation and do not mean to sound ungrateful, but I don't have a desire to return to consulting. Unfortunately (infuriatingly), I've fallen into the classic trap of the endowment effect -- despite having effectively walked away from the money, somehow I subconsciously feel that it's been endowed to me and it starts to draw me in now that this huge financial burden is actually right in front. Again, I understand how privileged it sounds -- I'll be honest, I don't know if I'm looking for validation, "tough love / education" ("you're being stupid / whiny"), or something else, but I'd appreciate your thoughts why / how / under what circumstances you'd even entertain this thought seriously.
THANK YOU SO MUCH!
Updated on: 05 Apr 2023, 14:12
Good luck deciphering! 
I'll still do that later, and really look forward to (and appreciate) anything you have to share. 
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