Wharton vs. Kellogg with $$ for Mktg Tech company

Question

Hi there! I'm hoping to get opinions on Wharton versus Kellogg.

I didn't go to an Ivy for undergrad so keep in my that brand / prestige does play an important factor for me. In fact I was pretty sure I'd go with Wharton over Kellogg until I learned that Kellogg is giving me $100K.

Post graduation, I'd like to be in the Bay Area working for a large tech company, most likely in product marketing. I don't feel like either school is particularly known for expertise in tech so I was hoping to get everyone's thoughts!

Thanks in advance!

denants · Answer

Hi. I'm in a similar position!!! Was fairly certain I'd go to Wharton till Kellogg offered me $90,000. In my opinion, although Wharton has the stronger brand name, both schools are quite similar. Kellogg is also a very reputable school and not too far from Wharton in the rankings! $100K is a lot of money to ignore for a marginal difference in brand. You will likely get similar opportunities going to either school ( I don't know much about tech though) Are you leaning towards any school at the moment?

BazingAu · Answer

For $100k difference, I would go to Kellogg. If you were going to be in the east coast, then I would probably lean towards Wharton. However, since you'll be in the west coast, Kellogg and Wharton will give you about the same level of recognition. Also, I'm biased since I prefer the culture of Kellogg versus Wharton.

mgg234 · Answer

18% of Kellogg's class went to work in technology last year. In fact, the employment report for Wharton and Kellogg is very similar (with Kellogg winning in many areas). Unless your trying to do top-tier PE, there's really no way Wharton is worth $100k more than Kellogg.

But anyways, highly recommend you check out the employment reports for the two schools, should make the choice easy for you.

bgpower · Answer

Though I agree with the other members, I hope you don't forget about Wharton's San Francisco semester. It can help you network.

luckyseventy7 · Answer

18% of Kellogg's class went to work in technology last year. In fact, the employment report for Wharton and Kellogg is very similar (with Kellogg winning in many areas). Unless your trying to do top-tier PE, there's really no way Wharton is worth $100k more than Kellogg.

But anyways, highly recommend you check out the employment reports for the two schools, should make the choice easy for you.

Agree. I'd take Kellogg. For your goals Kellogg or Wharton will both get you there (plus Kellogg is known for marketing). The only reason I could see turning down the money from Kellogg is if you wanted to do something super competitive like PE, where Wharton would be marginally better and might justify the cost difference.

wengzheying · Answer

Thanks for the input everyone!

Here is another wrinkle - I just found out that I got into Haas as well, which is clearly the best place to be if I want to end up in SF. However, I have to apply for scholarship so there is definitely a possibility I won't get any money from Haas at all. So with that in mind, do you guys still think Kellogg (with $100K) is a good bet?

Sidebar - not sure why my username is different here but I'm the original poster!

mgg234 · Answer

Kellogg won't hamper you on the west coast, I already have a west coast offer and another west coast final round. I think ~25% of the class ends up in la/sf/Seattle

Posted from my mobile device

Mo2men · Answer

Hi, Congrats for the acceptance in both shcools :-D

I agree with every word that mgg234 said in his posts. Wharton and Kellogg are close to each other. As you have reached this phase, you need to search for fine details. fro point of view, both are highly reputation with solid track record of employment success above 90%. I encourage you to look deeply in the employment reports and the geographic distribution of most recent occupied jobs. Also, Kellogg is known for its marketing concentration and they have best who have publications and books in the market. The 100k is worth giving it a thought. you don't want to start your career with a loan in this tough economy.

engineer1234 · Answer

If you're targeting Google/Amazon/Microsoft gigantic tech companies I'm not sure if Haas has a huge advantage unless you can get a face to face with the MBA recruiter or an alum that's willing to recommend you and literal friends with the recruiter not just FB friends. Even if so, I'm not sure if that helps or is added to your file. You should ask someone in the tech club at Haas. They can give you details on the recruiting process for each company so you can clearly see how much networking is involved or would be helpful. 
Kellogg $100K > Wharton / Haas

If you're targeting slightly smaller and more specialized tech companies (Adobe, Dropbox, Uber) I'd definitely pick Haas as it will take more networking since they likely don't do formal recruiting through Wharton/Kellogg. No more than 10 tech companies do a formal recruiting process (others do an info session only, more do nothing) at Wharton so I assume Kellogg is similar, unless you're in MMM then I'm not sure. However it seems a bunch of people get their offers through the semester in SF program at Wharton. 
Haas > Kellogg MMM $100K > Wharton + Semester  sf  > Kellogg $100K > Kellogg no $/Wharton no Semester  sf

However none of that had long term alumni network in mind since I'm not familiar with that. ALSO which school offers the most opportunities to do marketing projects with real tech companies during the school year? Those will be a great addition to your resume for FT recruiting. That answer is likely Haas.

Congrats!

kingfalcon · Answer

I would absolutely head to Kellogg. There is no practical difference in terms of prestige here (note: you are not recruiting for a finance position), so take the money and run.

wengzheying · Answer

Wow, this is thorough. Thank you for putting this much thought into it! Unfortunately I did not apply to Kellogg's MMM program so it would be for the regular Kellogg program only. I think your point about doing projects for tech companies is pretty compelling. I currently work in investment management and so it's a pretty big pivot for me and I know there will be some question marks around my candidacy since I don't have any real experience in tech (only that I invest in VC funds, amongst other asset classes and really enjoy it). I also hear that Wharton's SF campus has made a pretty sizable difference in terms of brand awareness in the Bay Area and the Wharton students out there seem to be pretty sought after in terms of internships. I'm just still not sure if that opportunity is worth $100K + interest....the money would give me a lot of flexibility + sanity

mrbucket · Answer

As a Haas 2nd year who interned at a large bay area tech company, I'd love to talk you into coming to Haas. But take the money at Kellogg and don't look back.

Haas will give you amazing opportunities to network with these companies throughout the year and work on projects for them, either for class credit or as in-school internships. You'll have a robust network in bay area tech through both the FT and PT programs and both big and small tech recruiting at Haas is very strong. I'm in love with this place (Haas), and am happy to chat offline and give you my best sell.

Wharton has the brand, though I'd argue this is less important in the bay area than on the east coast. SF semester is a great option (though I hear competitive to get into), and the exec program here also taps you into a growing local tech network. Haas and Wharton had the most MBA interns at my company this summer.

But Kellogg even without money is up there in terms of opportunity, especially in marketing. Kellogg MBAs were all over my company (including my boss and her boss) and while Wharton alums tended to be in biz dev or finance, Kellogg was better represented in ops and marketing (anecdotal evidence, but peruse your target companies through LinkedIn to research this yourself).

In my opinion none of the advantages of Haas or Wharton come close to being worth $100k. Congrats and good luck!

Wharton vs. Kellogg with $$ for Mktg Tech company

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