USC Marshall with $$$ Vs. Mich Ross without scholarship

Question

Hi Guys,

I am kind of in a fix. First up, I have 3 years of mixed experience in E-learning and an year in MC with a top for MC firm. I want to continue working in MC post MBA.

I have received admits from Marshall with a hefty scholarship and anticipate an admit from Ross as well. The big question is given my experience, and future goals, should I take up Ross (a dream school for people who want to go the consulting way) without any scholarship or should I take up USC Marshall.

The question is pretty simple, is the extra money spent on Ross justified for the opportunities it offers and brand image??

jumsumtak · Answer

If you do end up getting an admit from Ross:

Ross for sure. From my interactions with current students at both Ross and USC, Ross looks so much better for general management/consulting. Unlike USC, Ross has all the top consulting firms visiting its campus. In fact this is pretty evident from the employment reports as well. The dollars saved are definitely not worth that huge a risk if you want to go in consulting.

Moreover, there is quite a significant 'prestige' gap as well. We are talking about a school in top 8-16 and a school that lies outside top 20. I understand where you are coming from in giving this a thorough thought, but, its a no-brainer from a third person's perspective.

good luck.

slugabedd · Answer

thanks for the response. It is much appreciated. Will surely take me a step closer in taking my decision.

slugabedd · Answer

Any other opinions, current USC and Ross students. Anybody else in the same predicament?

kingfalcon · Answer

You said you already work at a top-tier MC. Have you tried reaching out to your colleagues or HR to see which school they suggest? For example, if the hiring manager at your firm doesn't really look at Marshall, but views Ross as a core school, I would think that would make your decision easy.

aerien · Answer

Kingfalcon is spot on with this.

slugabedd · Answer

I did ask around but they are not willing to divulge if they prefer one college over another. They gave me their usual HR nonsense, "We care about talent and not where it i comes from". Working in India, I personally know many from the Harvards and Kelloggs of the world, while none are from USC. However, this is the trend in India and might be different otherwise. Looking at the employment statistics of both the colleges over the last 5 years, I know that the top 6 consulting firms have consistently recruited at Ross, while people from USC going to these firms have been few and far in between. It is difficult to gauge if this is due to the preference of these firms or due to the sheer quality of students that Ross churns out each year.

kingfalcon · Answer

Ah, I see. Well, that's a shame. I did a lot of research into placements when I applied, too. I often saw Ross mentioned alongside Haas/Fuqua/Darden as schools that are very strong in consulting recruiting, albeit a little less so than the M7 and Tuck. I can't say I ever saw Marshall mentioned in the same breath, honestly.

old1442 · Answer

definitely reach out to current students as well (i didn't hear the best things about the direction USC is going)... but if recruiting is strong there then the money might be worth it... and if you do get into Ross w/ no $ make sure to let them know about your usc offer and see if they'll come up with anything

how much is $$$ to marshall btw if you dont mind sharing?

AbhiJ · Answer

It really depends on the percentage of scholarship. Anything above 2/3 of tuition and I would go with USC. Ross has stopped offering loans without US Cosigner that maybe a point you need to consider. Ross is not in same league as M7. As Columbia Dean said schools outside Top 5 are not performing at the same level as Top 5 while the tuition is the same.Another point you need to consider is the location of USC. How important is MC as a Career to you ? I have seen people in schools ranging 8-20 in MC Career outside US.With USC you can land a job at Google, Facebook etc. In worst case return to India and join the MC firm in a higher position.

slugabedd · Answer

That is exactly what lands me in a fix. What I am unable to understand is if this brand value and placement record that Ross brings to the table worth the extra odd $50k. Anyway, I think I would have to go more by instinct than anything else to make this decision. thanks.

slugabedd · Answer

Thats sounds like an idea. But do you think a schol from Marshall gives me any leverage to try and negotiate something with Ross? I have a 50% tuition $$$ to answer your last question.

slugabedd · Answer

While MC is the natural progression at the moment, it would be unfair to say that it is set in stone. But I believe coming from the field of MC, my best opportunities lie in the field of MC. So let me ask you another question. On a scale of 1-10, how difficult is it to completely switch industries/nature of work post MBA?

I do understand that USC will also throw open opportunities, especially in the entertainment industry. What is the best way to contact current students at USC and Ross. I tried emailing them from the addresses provided on the school websites but did not get any response.

kingfalcon · Answer

The schools should be bending over backwards to give you everything you need right now. If current students aren't responding, reach out to the Career Development Office. I would imagine both schools can set you up with current students in your field(s) of interest.

old1442 · Answer

MacFauz · Answer

I think that on a very superficial basis, Ross is leaps and bounds ahead of Marshall in terms of prestige... Additionally, the University of Michigan is often ranked in the top 20 universities of the world.. So I guess my vote is for Ross.

AbhiJ · Answer

Try to get 1 month LinkedIn Pro account, it charges close to 25$. Before doing that you need to check if any of the current USC/Ross Students are connected to you by 3rd connection at least. You can send them messages and some will respond if your emails have 1-2 questions.
As far as switching industries is concerned, switching to Finance would be 8-10, switching to entertainment and tech should be easier than that as most MBAs are still crazy about finance.

kingfalcon · Answer

I'm not sure I buy that it's easier to switch into Entertainment than Finance. I always hear of people going to BB IBD firms with zero relevant experience, but I don't often hear the same of folks joining entertainment firms. On an unrelated note, I'd be curious to hear what most Marshall grads are doing at places like Disney, Warner, and Paramount.

slugabedd · Answer

Yup, some referrals might be helpful. Also, any suggestions on how to approach Adcom with such a proposition will also be helpful. Thanks for all your help. Appreciate it.

slugabedd · Answer

Thanks for all the inputs guys. Has been really helpful. So now the questions remain:

1. How to get in touch with current USC/Ross students in order to get more insight on my predicament?
2. If I do get into Ross, do you think it might help if I try and negotiate with Ross Adcom using the Marshall admit and schol as leverage. If so, any suggestions on the best way to approach the dreaded conversation?

USC Marshall with $$$ Vs. Mich Ross without scholarship

USC Marshall with $$$ Vs. UM Ross without Scholarship

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