Stern & Kellogg & Booth...

Question

Hello,

I have been very fortunate to get a full ride at Kellogg, acceptance to Stern and WL at Booth. My goal is to continue in finance. I am aware that NYU might have a more finance focus than Kellogg. However, I think the full ride is a game changer and Kellogg is a great school and will give me the same opportunities. What are your thoughts?
I will pursue the waitlist at booth and see what happens but even if I get in, I am leaning towards K...ƒ

My initial though was to apply to HBS in round 2 and give it a shot. However, after receiving the full ride at Kellogg I am doubting whether it makes sense due to all the time and money it takes to apply. If I were to get in, I would face the decision of spending c.150K to go to Harvard. As an international student, I don't know if it adds that much value considering I would want to stay in the USA and from what I've heard that limits our options recruiting wise (visa issues).

I'd love to hear all your thoughts!!

Thanks!

rtbs15 · Answer

Save those $150k and don't look back.

It's an M7 giving you a full ride, they get all of the finance recruiters to go to campus, and while it is true that they don't place as many grads as HBS & Booth, it is mainly due to the preferences and skills of the candidates. Kellogg will put you in front of the recruiters, the rest is up to you. So I don't see how going to a school with better placement would be worth $150k.

If your dream is HBS, give it a shot but if they don't give you a full ride (or a substantial scholarship) I would take Kellogg any day.

Regenerate · Answer

You might find this an interesting matrix to help make your decision about whether or not to even fiddle around with applying to HBS, given your full-ride to Kellogg --> https://gmatclub.com/forum/financial-ai ... 42190.html

PS -- Huge congratulations! Do NOT short-change the value of getting out of school with (essentially) no debt ... plus ... having a full-ride makes for interesting conversation in recruiting. That's not something they just hand out to anyone who wants it ...

bb · Answer

Congrats on your admits! 
Agree. Kellogg with a full ride is a better offer than Stern and unless I am missing some details about your recruiting goals, better than Wharton unless they offer a scholarship.

PS. Did you get dinged at Booth? Just curious. I assume you applied to Booth as well.

Posted from my mobile device

aaddcc · Answer

Thank you for your response!!!

I am currently in Project Finance, my goal would be to go to a PE/Investmend Fund/HF, I know it's difficult in the short term in any MBA (specially for an internationa) so plan B is to go to investment banking, which I understand all M7 schools can help me with.

Booth Waitlisted me. You probably read it too fast, I was talking about applying to HBS, not Wharton.

aaddcc · Answer

Thank you! Yes, that's something that people have told me. It makes you stand out in the recruiting process.

Yes, full ride is a lot, especially when you think how much more you would have to earn before taxes to actually recover that money.

PS: excellent matrix

aaddcc · Answer

Thank you for your perspective. Obviously, I will have to make the decision on my own but I really value other points of view

bb · Answer

Lol. Kellogg was so overpowering that I did not read the second paragraph 😂🤦‍♂️

It is hard to tell if HBS is with it. If you have to return to your home country HBS will carry a much stronger name globally. At the same time, I am with you. Hard to beat such an offer.... it makes attending easier and less convoluted with loans.

At the same time HBS is HBS and it would not be wrong to pursue it. I could be convinced either way. We put some research together from history of applicants taking HBS vs other M7s with a full ride. Let me dig it out.

PS. Great job!!! Congrats by the way!!!

Posted from my mobile device

bb · Answer

Here is one topic: https://gmatclub.com/forum/h-s-w-vs-top ... 90078.html amd I am looking for the one from early 2020 Posted from my mobile device

aaddcc · Answer

Thank you! Very interesting

aaddcc · Answer

Everybody seems to have the same opinion, to stick with Kellogg and don't waste any more time/money...

any more opinions? (similar or different)

THANK YOU ALL!

bb · Answer

It would seem so. Of course to you it’s your future and your life back to us it’s just another post

. For whatever reason Kellogg really liked you and is willing to pay for you to be a part of the program. That deserves some respect. I could see applying to Harvard if you had several M7 admits and modest scholarships. With a full scholarship and several waitlist, it’s kind of confusing about our Y of another application since at the end of the day, you will have to pay full price. At the same time, do you have very little to lose besides $300 for the application fee and nagging you recommenders. That is probably a waste of breath and time but I hate the unknown and I like choices. I don’t like making decisions and in part, that gives you more choices. There is value and flexibility and choices but of course I’m also not the one doing the hard work I have another application. This is the best I’ve got for why you should send an HBS app

Posted from my mobile device

MBASomeTime · Answer

I would pick Kellogg in your case. If the money was comparable at Stern, it could be up for discussion, but it isn't easy to rationalize given your specific situation.

IMO, I would only pick the following programs over a non-HS M7 for specific reasons (barring relocation constraints, personality preferences, case method format etc):

Haas: General tech goals, preferably on the west coast.
SOM: Non-profit goals, or international goals vs M7 programs with weaker int'l reputations (Booth, Kellogg)
Stern: NYC IB goals, preferably for EBs. 
Fuqua: Healthcare goals.

Now, finance is a rather broad career goal. If you're looking at IB or IM, there might not be a tangible difference in recruiting outcomes, or even a slight advantage to Stern for the earlier category, if candidate profiles are normalized. However, Kellogg has a stronger rep for PE. This is something to think about if PE is a tangential career goal for you as well.

There should be no difference for BB recruiting between the two programs, aside from the lower time commitment at Kellogg. At Stern, you will have to be ready to skip class for a coffee chat on short notice. Being in the city has considerable drawbacks but can also make your profile stand out if you would have otherwise not been as competitive for IB recruiting. There is more nuance with group-specific recruiting (for example, going outside Goldman Nat Res from Stern due to alumni presence) and EBs (Elite Boutiques). I won't expound on it further as I am uncertain about your career goals.

Then again, you have a full scholarship at Kellogg; I highly suspect that your resume will be at the top of every pile and that you can receive the same offer with much less work. If you can spare the time, send an app in for HSW.

Edit: Noticed the follow-up post with career goals. All the more reason to pick Kellogg. If you are looking into HF recruiting for FO roles, I would strongly consider applying to HSW. I personally went through the process with a few firms and did not get past first round interviews; how much of that was due to my own background, performance, or school is difficult to ascertain, but when the chances are already miniscule you should try to improve the odds as much as possible.

Stern & Kellogg & Booth...

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