Kellogg vs. Johnson (Park Fellowship)

Question

Hey guys, Looking for some advice. I'm looking to do management consulting after business school. I'd like to do this with a brand management slant, possibly in the CPG industry practice or consumer products division of a top 3 mgmt consulting firm. I come from an entrepreneurial background. Kellogg, or Johnson on the Park Fellowship (full tuition, plus stipend)? I have enough assets to cover the cost of b-school.

Futuremba1 · Answer

That's a really tough call, but if you're sure that you want to go into consulting, your best bet may to look through the detailed employment reports of each school, and decide based upon that. You could also try to talk to a 2nd year at both places (though they may both tell you that their school is better!).

I did a quick scan of their websites, and it looks like Cornell sent about 16% of the 2010 grads into consulting, whereas Kellogg sent about 30%. Most of the major consulting firms seem to recruit at both places, but it's hard to tell whether Booz and BCG recruit at Cornell, since the list of recruiters on their website isn't comprehensive...

Kellogg obviously has the upper hand in terms of overall prestige (especially for marketing), which may be valuable if you're really intent on getting into the CPG practice at one of the top firms, and which could also have an impact when you get into the upper levels of the consulting world.

If it were me, it might be a difficult choice, but I'd pick Kellogg.

method · Answer

You'll have many ways to attempt gaining access to the top 3, and the course of your life to keep at it. You'll never be able to recover something like the Park Fellowship.

I'd take Cornell in a heartbeat and start strategizing entry plans.

SuitUp · Answer

I would take the money as well. If your profile is strong enough to get you the Park Fellowship, it should be strong enough to get you an interview with M/B/B. And once you get to the interview stage, it's you against the rest of the world and the name of your school becomes irrelevant.

Run34n · Answer

Sorry to revive an old thread, but I'm very fortunate to be in the same position this year as mba762 was last year and need some advice. Full ride Park vs Kellogg with no money.

I'm considering switching careers either into mgt consulting with a tech slant or PM at a tech company. According to Johnson's website, McKinsey and Bain recruit on campus, but Booz and BCG do not. Nor do Apple, Google, Microsoft, or Facebook. However, I have heard Johnson students able to get internships and full time offers at all these companies through off campus recruiting.

All recruit on campus at Kellogg and Kellogg places more, both % of class and hard numbers, into top consulting firms and also into more desirable offices (NYC, SF, Chicago, etc.). Kellogg's career services has also consistently rated among the top 20th percentile in graduate satisfaction the last 20 years according to poetsandquant.

Being debt free when I graduate and being part of the unique leadership program as a Park makes Johnson very attractive. Having a full ride fellowship on my resume would also helps me stand out and get recruiter's attention. However, Kellogg is considered a cut above Johnson, has more access to and places more into top tier recruiters, and has a wider network of alumni to tap into. I also have money saved up so I wouldn't be significantly in debt coming out.

I've visited both campuses and would be happy at either so it's not a matter of cultural fit (though I do admit Chicago is more exciting than Ithaca).

From the recent topic titled " HELP: Kellogg (no $$) vs Fuqua (half $$) vs Darden (full $$) " (I can't link cus I'm a new member), most people would take the full ride. Though UVA is generally considered a slightly better program, I assume the Johnson (full ride) vs Kellogg discussion would be similiar?

mba762 picked Kellogg. I hope he still checks his gmatclub account so he can chime in.

cheetarah1980 · Answer

First congrats on the admits to Kellogg and Johnson as well as receiving the Park Fellowship. That's a great honor. You have a tough decision in front of you. While overall Kellogg does have a leg up on Johnson, the Park Fellowship significantly lessens the gap. It's not just about the money, but also the prestige the Park Fellowship brings. That being said, I think the road to M/B/B/Apple/Google/Facebook is still better paved from Kellogg. Johnson is still building recruiting relationships with many top tier companies. While being an applicant from Johnson won't close any doors, you might need to push a little harder to have them opened to you. This is where alums, 2nd year students, professional clubs, and career services come into play. If you feel that Johnson has the resources to facilitate successful "off campus" recruiting at these companies then ultimately both schools will put you at the same end game.

I think it comes down to your risk aversion. I wouldn't say that you're guaranteed a job at these companies if you went to Kellogg, but since they are actively seeking talent there then your chances may be better if you went to Kellogg. However, if you think Johnson offers enough for you to take a calculated gamble then go for it.

I think it comes down to your risk aversion. I wouldn't say that you're guaranteed a job at these companies if you went to Kellogg, but since they are actively seeking talent there then your chances may be better if you went to Kellogg. However, if you think Johnson offers enough for you to take a calculated gamble then go for it.

Run34n · Answer

Thanks for the reply cheetarah1980!

You're right. Nothing is guaranteed no matter where anybody ends up. But will Kellogg's name and network provide a significant advantage over Cornell? They say the MBA only matters for that first job out of school. After that, you're judged on your work. Therefore, can Kellogg get me a job that I couldn't get if I went to Cornell (assuming I am proactive about off campus recruiting)? I don't know.

PS. Great blog post on the topic

cheetarah1980 · Answer

Honestly, I think you're going to see it happen both ways. You are going to find that some people @ Johnson were able to get jobs at companies that do not recruit at the school, while others could not. I always think that it's to a candidate's advantage when the company is coming on their campus to recruit. In these cases there are more interview slots available to you so you can at least have a chance. When a company actively recruits on some campuses but doesn't on others (as opposed to companies who do NO on-campus recruiting) the target schools get the majority of interviews. Whatever is left over is up for grabs to interested students, all trying to network their way in from a multitude of schools. Will you likely have a better shot at getting one of those remaining spots coming from Johnson vs. a Tier 2 school? I would say it's likely. However, your chances at getting an interview are still less than the student at a target school.
I know a lot of people say that where you got your MBA only matters for your first job out of school, but I think that this is a simplistic view of things. While it's not the main factor in job opportunities, I do think that the MBA brand tends to stick with a person for several years after graduation. Once again, it can help you get that interview over someone with similar experience but a less prestigious MBA. I know from experience that the Cornell network is excellent. You wouldn't just be a part of the Johnson network, you'll get the whole university (and there are Cornellians EVERYWHERE). However, I think Kellogg's network is top notch as well. I also think you might find a greater # of Kellogg alums vs. Johnson alums at certain companies. Overall, I'd say both schools attract good people who like to pay it forward. If you reach out, they'll reach back. My advice to you would be to guesstimate as much as you can which companies and industries you're interested in and see which school has the bigger presence. That will give you an idea of how each school can impact not just your immediate post MBA career but your long term one as well.
Ultimately, you're going to school as a means to an end. Figure out which place (if either) gets you to your end easier/quicker/better/etc. and then go there. Just my two cents.

asimov · Answer

I wonder which school mba762 is attending now.

chewme85 · Answer

There shouldn't even be a question. Kellogg is a better business school, but not 150k better. Not even close.
Besides, most recruiters will be much more impressed with the Park fellowship that is given to only several students a year than being a Kellogg graduate.
Any current b school student will always tell you to take a better financial package as long as you will end up attending one of top 20 b schools. MBA is not what it used to be. There is no guarantee for anything.

Kellogg vs. Johnson (Park Fellowship)

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