terry1980 wrote:
Hi Linda/Paul,
I am an Indian and I have got admits from two univesities namely University of Maryland - Smith and Georgia Institute of Technology - Dupree. In Dupree, I have full tuition waiver plus 5000$ stipend which I can use for my living expenses. In Smith, I have only a partial tuition waiver, after which the remaining fees is $10,000 and living expenses is on me. Dupree' s offer is more lucrative but Smith is ranked higher and is a more reputed university. Is Smiths's reputation worthy enough that extra bit of investment?
Also, post MBA, I want to be in IT consulting or consulting in Financial Services domain. Location not important. Which of the above schools would offer me a better chance in finding such a job?
Thanks for your help.
Terry1980,
Some data points:
1. Rankings: Maryland is BW's #28, USNews #27, and WSJ's #15 best regional school; GaTech is outside BW's top 30, is USNews #32, and is WSJ's #45. (Slight) Advantage: Smith
2. Percentage of grads who find employment in consulting: Maryland, 34%; GaTech 34%. Advantage: N/A
3. Consulting companies among top 10 employers of schools' grads: Maryland--Deloitte and PwC (10 hires total); GaTech--IBM, PwC, Deloitte, E&Y (13 hires). (Slight) Advantage: GaTech?
4. Average Salary: Maryland--$78,869; GaTech--$74,675 (Slight) Advantage: Smith
Bottom Line: These are basically comparable programs. Though you say location doesn't matter to you, location is the one place where these schools can differentiate themselves. 74% of GaTech's grads work in the South, while only 51% of Smith's work in the Mid-Atlantic. This suggests Smith's grads have more mobility, i.e., its reputation is a bit broader based, which may matter to you if you ever seek a job outside the South. Your call.
Good luck,