Emory or Boston U?

Question

hey all,

ok.. the dust has pretty much settled for me. I've received offers from Emory and Boston U, both wth comparable amount of funding. I'm finding it slightly hard to make a decision on which one to choose - I am interested in both programs but Emory is consistently ranked better than Boston U. When it comes down to lifestyle, the impression is that I would prefer Boston (although I'll have to admit I've never been to the States).

background - I'm an international candidate and come from a non-traditional background (psychology major, working for the government now).

Post MBA goals - I hope to go into the field of organisational behavior and HR-related consulting or training.

So here comes the million dollar question - which one would be a better choice for me? I'm keen to find work in the US after graduation, so would appreciate any insights into which school or area (Boston or Atlanta) would be better for an international student.

I would really appreciate your views and opinions. Thanks in advance!

snipes · Answer

barring some really niche thing that BU excels at , and that i am not aware of, i would say emory ainec.

rgupta83 · Answer

I am not familiar with either program, but a few things you should do to make your decision a little easier.

1. I would check out the employment reports or speak to each career center. Find out which school has stronger recruiting ties into what you want to get into. The main point of b-school is to get to that next step so try to see if this is a differentiator for either school.

2. Try to speak with current students about why they choose their school. If you can get in touch with at least 2-3 students I am sure you will find people with similar situations and their rational might bring forward benefits of either school that you did not know before.

3. research the different cities. Both schools will have strong ties in those regions and ATL and Boston are very different. See if their is a preference to live for the next 2-5 years in either location. After all the school can be great but if you hate the city you are in, it is not worth it.

Whatever you decide, this is always the best situation to be in after applications. Good luck with your decision, you really cannot go wrong with either school.

jillz · Answer

Thanks for your post! Am actually doing some of them... I guess it is a bit of a heart over mind kind of decision. I like both programs. I think there are opportunities for both although what I'll get at Emory is probably closer-aligned to what I want to do. In terms of city - having grown up in a city, I think Boston would be a better 'fit' in terms of lifestyle and familiarity. Will seriously consider what you've raised above and do more research. :-D

sweeces · Answer

I would attend emory without hesitation.

Atlanta is a great city + you get a better degree = emory

LetsGoMets · Answer

I grew up in NY, and I know Boston very well. Being from the north, I never thought I'd like Atlanta, and I had never visited until after I was admitted to Emory. I can say that I absolutely love Atlanta, and was surprised to like it so much.

Atlanta is a city where you'd be greatly advantaged to have a car. Car aside, it's much cheaper than Boston, the weather is quite good, the people are friendly, and there are a lot of cool neighborhoods. The class at Emory is very small and cohesive, so you'll have a lot of friends to go out with on most nights.

I'm not trying to post an advertisement for the school. I do think you should visit both schools if you can, get as much information as you need, and make a decision on the school that fits you best. If you have any specific questions though, do feel free to reach out. I'm studying abroad this semester, so I'm not physically on campus. Our welcome weekend is going on right now, so please watch whatever webcasts you'd like, and best of luck with the decision.

highwyre237 · Answer

I would say they only reason to choose BU in this situation is if you what to be in Boston post graduation.

BU is a regional school BUT with harvard MIT and Tuck feeding boston companies aswell (along with BC, and Babson, which are comparable) it doesnt have as much clout in boston as Emory would have in Atlanta.

Personally, I'd choose BU.. BUT, thats due to my bias for the area, and my goals post MBA.

jillz · Answer

Thanks so much for weighing in with your thoughts... Really appreciate them. I guess I've become increasingly keen on Emory after hearing your views, talking to some people and watching the webcasts from welcome weekend. Kinda gives a nice feel and fit to it.

as to where I would like to work after graduation, well, as an international student, it would really depend on economic conditions and opportunities.

Looking forward to starting school! :-D

sanjuro9 · Answer

BU is a good school. For mba, go with Emory.

Capr · Answer

Congrats on admissions to two good schools! Like the crowd, I would strongly recommend Emory over BU. In terms of rankings and reputation, Emory is significantly better than BU. Also, as pointed out earlier, BU competes against BC, Tuck, MIT, NYU, Columbia, Wharton and HBS for placement in the Northeast. Emory really only competes against Vanderbilt, UVA and Duke for the South, so you should have better job placement (though I say this without looking at any stats). Plus, Atlanta is a great city also with a diverse population and much better weather than Boston.

Emory or Boston U?

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