Background:
NYC based Consultant with prior background in healthcare
UG GPA: 3.8 at Northeast state school
GMAT: 770
Post-MBA: Consulting (MBB)
W/E: 6 years
3 years in health insurance in finance type role
3 years in risk consulting at Big 4 (non-Target group)
CPA

Goals:
—Primary goal: MBB in healthcare group
—Secondary goal/backup/area I want to explore: Health tech startup (many of the firms I am interested in are in NYC)

NYU considerations
- Full Tuition/fees (78k) Named faculty Scholarship(so will look good on resume as well)
- I recently moved to NY and love it. My girlfriend works here and has a good job — she would move to Chicago for 2 years but it’s probably not ideal.
- My family is nearby and it’s easy to get home. Also have some friends here but not too many that it would distract from making new friends at school.
- Outside of MBB, most companies I’m interested in are based here. Long term I want to be in NY
- liked the school better than I originally thought I would, still in process of exploring whether i like it through admit weekend etc— I like some of their programs such as Doing Business in and their startup competition
-brand is more well recognized in northeast than Booth (outside of MBA circles)
-not M7, may be tougher to break into certain roles like MBB

Booth
- 35k a year scholarship
- Stronger brand/M7 —> which would MAYBE help with MBB but I’m not convinced on that(it’s hard to compare apples to apples)
- more resources- I’m interested in the Polska center and startup summer especially. Startup summer is a big one as I’d like to do a pre-mba internship at a startup
-loved downtown loop vibe and the campus — was just a cool place. Everyone seemed fun.
-personal considerations as noted above, would be a bit more challenging logistically for both personal and recruiting.

Would appreciate any help and advice.

Thank you!

Posted from my mobile device

Stern is a strong feeder into IB but is definitely weaker when it comes to MBB. Booth is a top feeder to MBB and the majority of my classmates who wanted NY MBB ended up there. Given the stronger consulting pipeline, way stronger overall brand, and marginal cost difference once cost of living is factored in, I'd go with Booth here. I also went to Booth having lived in NY and viewed it as a strong positive to try out a new city and be forced to fully integrate into the social scene given I didn't have any friends in Chicago before school. I have friends from NY who went to Stern/CBS and it is pretty easy to spend most of your time with your existing friends and not branch out as much as you'd ideally like to.

First of all, Congrats!

As a person who's going to Stern on full ride this fall (combination of school and external funding), might be biased.

This is really tough choice. Yes, Stern doesn't place as much as Booth to MBB and weaker brand, but you have named scholarship indicating to employers. I think you won't have too much lower chance at MBB at Stern versus at Booth as it is based on individual merit/fit as long as you go past that first door to interview (which I don't think you'll have a problem with). I might be wrong but this is based on what I talked to current Stern students (haven't talked to Booth students at all, didn't even apply). If you find out that you have significantly better chance at landing MBB by talking to Booth students, then go there I guess. I suggest you talk to current students at both schools.

Also, I was limited to choose schools in NYC based on my spouse (was willing to move but clearly preferred to stay in NYC, unless I was rejected by both CBS/Stern). Not sure how strong your relationship to your GF is and also how easy it is for her to find a comparable job in Chicago. These are not ignorable factor if you want to marry her. If your relationship isn't that strong, then ignore my thoughts on this paragraph.

To follow up on that— our relationship is very serious. She has a very good job. She would *most likely* have the option to work from home from Chicago for two years and fly back once a month. However they may also require her to take a pay cut due to the cost of living differences.

I guess it really comes down to how much better are the career opportunities at Booth. I’m not that worried about not getting an interview at MBB at either place. I think Booth may be marginally lower risk in that regard. I’m worried about whether there are opportunities (or stronger network) that I could only get at Booth that I may not even realize I’m missing out on.

Posted from my mobile device

No one will know about that with 100% certainty, because no one (I'd hope) would attend both Booth and Stern and be able to compare that. But, after reading couple posts by Booth and HBS grad, I think you can argue both cases since you have personal situation on top of ordinary M7 vs top 15 (more money). I'd say you read these two below as well as talk to as many as current students as possible at both schools. But, I hope you can join Stern and we'll be good friends.!

Booth grad: https://gmatclub.com/forum/3-years-post ... fl=similar
HBS grad: https://gmatclub.com/forum/two-years-af ... 15359.html

I think the decision is pretty clear here, Stern. Considering the following: GF, family, money, desire to live in NYC.