Location vs Ranking

Question

If you are choosing a school that is out of the top 20 league, does it make sense to choose rank over location?
I have already considered post MBA salaries, alumni strength, where I want to live, education debt, industry I want to work in, etc.
Location has the advantage of better networking possibilities and indulging in a wide variety of activities.
A higher ranked school will have a better career services department and better brand value.

VeritasPrepEdison · Answer

Most considerations equal, and the main difference being rank and location, fit with life situations would come into play especially if the rankings are very close.

VantagePointMBA · Answer

Hi there - ah, this is not an easy question as it depends on the person. If you told me that you had a very strong desire to live in a particular region post-MBA, then all else being fairly equal, I'd probably recommend you strongly consider your networking / interning possibilities with a school in that region (perhaps over a slightly higher-ranked program on the other side of the country). Yes, ranking does come into play with which schools the companies actually visit for recruiting. However, "being there" close to the companies that are hiring also helps a lot, especially if you want to get into an industry that is not banking or consulting. Another consideration for outside of the top 20 is the brand recognition of the overall institution that you can potentially leverage (depending on the industry you are seeking and which region you are looking towards). So, apologies for all of the "it depends", but there is a significant power in location for recruiting, so I'd do your diligence on which companies come on campus, what relationships are like with local hiring companies, etc to make your decision. Most schools welcome a call to discuss this, so I recommend letting them give you their "pitch" on this topic

Admissionado · Answer

Well, rather than thinking on terms of "absolute rankings" which is nonsense, I think it's better to think in terms of tiers - so you have HSB/Stanford as the top tier, and then the other M7 schools, and then tier two, etc. etc. Once you are considering within a tier, then you should be also thinking about location, but it wouldn't be advisable to go to a lower tier (other than some cases) for location.

That having been said, it's important to keep in mind that once you get out of Top 20, schools tend to place much more regionally, so depending on your industry, there can be a real advantage of choosing a school with the right region as their placements in your industry will be better.

Hope this helps!
Jon

PersonalMBACoach · Answer

This really depends on what you want to do with your career. I would want to see how different the rankings are and what schools you are specifically referring to. Location is pretty important though because a lot of recruiting is local.

Without having all of the info, I would pick location over a *small* change in rank. Of course there is a point where the rank would win, but it would usually be for a significant difference in ranking.

Good luck!

Best,
Scott

YetAnotherMBA2018 · Answer

Thanks all you guys. I want to work in consumer tech companies and mostly these jobs will be on the west coast. I am an international student and that is another factor to consider. On one hand I have Carlson and Notre Dame (net overall cost after scholarship at both will be around 100K) and on the other hand I have Babson (net overall cost will be around 75k). So there's a huge difference in rankings. Else I would have blindly chosen Babson. The reason I applied to Babson was because of its focus on entrepreneurship, which fits my profile very well. Hope this information is helpful in answering the question better. Once again, thanks a ton folks!

Posted from my mobile device

Posted from my mobile device

MBAPrepCoach · Answer

If you are certain about wanting to work in consumer tech, work backwards from your ideal post-MBA job. I think it's so dumb that people sit around guessing what they should do when you can speak directly to the recruiters you will be hoping to impress. Work your Linked In connections or cold-contact MBA recruiters at your companies of interest to set up 30-minute phone appointments. Not only will you get an answer to your question, but also be laying some important groundwork, under the guise of doing informational interviews. This works remarkably well, my applicants are always skeptical at first but pleasantly surprised to receive warm responses. Living near SF, my estimation is that Notre Dame has the expansive alumni reach you will need. But find out for yourself. It's a big investment and appropriate (and intelligent) that you do some research before signing on the very expensive line. 
Best, 
Farrell

YetAnotherMBA2018 · Answer

Thanks Farrell. I actually haven't tried contacting the recruiters but I have tried to look up the job postings on their websites. If an MBA is required for certain positions, it is only mentioned as a minimum requirement. That doesn't actually tell me if I should go to a higher ranked institution. I am gonna try to get in touch with the recruiters to hear their perspective. I was just thinking about how you open up that channel of communication without potentially affecting your chances with these companies later on. Like your applicants, I too am a bit skeptical at this stage. Any suggestions?

Posted from my mobile device

Posted from my mobile device

MBAPrepCoach · Answer

Hi, yes, you need to get in touch with the recruiters. Often, their contact information is public on the internet. Being a little clever helps - get the name and then drop "email" in to the search. You might run across their email from a trade association. But the best bet is to locate them on Linked In and add them or get introduced. What do you mean by "affecting your chances?" - think about it - wouldn't you want to hire the assertive, forward-thinking candidate or the one who crosses their fingers and hopes for the best? You are standing out in a positive way by trying to gather the information you need for a life-changing decision. You are doing nothing wrong here, if nothing else pans out, call HR and ask for the MBA Recruiter. They are looking for you as you are looking for them. JFDI. You know what that stands for. 
Can't wait to hear how you make out. I can help you draft an email if that would help you proceed with more confidence.

YetAnotherMBA2018 · Answer

What I meant by affecting my chances was that I don't want to come across as unfledged or not ready for the job when I make my first impression with the recruiters. However, I will follow your "JFDI" advice seriously.

MBAPrepCoach · Answer

Glad you're committed! I don't see any concern about appearing unfledged (new word for me - thx!) because this is how you will be learning. I really see no fear about that. Tell them what you know and don't know. The truth is, everyone would rather hire someone who takes the initiative to get answers than some puffed-up person who feels they have to be the "expert" and uses that as a reason not to engage. You will be surprised - people are warm to helping someone who is reaching out for their expertise! Just like me, right?

Thanks for the kudos!

YetAnotherMBA2018

What I meant by affecting my chances was that I don't want to come across as unfledged or not ready for the job when I make my first impression with the recruiters. However, I will follow your "JFDI" advice seriously.

Thanks for the kudos!

YetAnotherMBA2018 · Answer

You've been really helpful and your "JFDI" was a great boost for me :p

Posted from my mobile device

MBAPrepCoach · Answer

<img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_lol.gif" alt=":lol:" title="Laughing" />

Location vs Ranking

If you had to choose between schools outside the top 20, would you prefer location to ranking?

Prep Toolkit

Top 5 GMAT Debrief Videos

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards