UNC ($$$) vs Emory ($$$) vs Kelley ($$$)

Question

I need some help on which school to choose out of the following:

Emory - Full-tuition scholarship
UNC - Full-tuition fellowship
Kelley - $$$$

I have admits from other top 8-15 schools as well (not much money) but I am keeping those on the backburner mainly due to cost considerations. 
My career goal post MBA is to do Consulting/Internal strategy planning in Life Sciences and Healthcare - preferably Deloitte or if possible MBB. Other option i would like to explore is that of Investment Banking or Investment management, which, I am aware, would be difficult for me to break in given my background in Tech. 
Similarities – A lot in terms of rankings and brand. Curriculum at both the schools offer me enough electives in the areas I am interested in. High placement in South and Southwest – strong regional presence.
Emory - 
Pros: Small class, excellent city, near 100% placement rate, good placement in consulting, better salary numbers, rising continuously in rankings. May get personalized services from Career center/faculty due to a small class. 
 
Cons : I have visited the campus but do not feel that the community is as tight knit as it should be for a small class, probably due to its location in Atlanta. Doesn't give collegiate feel - I honestly don't know what that is, but want to experience. No college athletics - I love watching college basketball. A very regional brand. Not enough networking opportunities - nos good schools in the vicinty - don't know how valid this reasoning is. Atlanta - safety/crime rate concerns.

UNC

Pros : Double the class size. Decent placements in Consulting. Better for finance. A lot of experiential learning opportunities, much better and more tightly knit community (based on my interaction with current students), good focus on leadership development and soft skills. Definite college environment. College atheltics. Just a little better brand personally - still regional. Good infrastructure, nice capital markets lab. Good school near by for networking.

Cons: Not so impressive placement numbers - by % employed or salary upon graduation. During my class visit, i was really impressed with the local students. However, the involvement of internationals was well below my expectations. May not get personal attention from CMC/faculty.

I am not keeping Kelley in the mix right now. However,i am really impressed with how good the community is and their alumni involvement. Very good ties with the local pharma and healthcare firms.

I know I can't go terribly wrong with these schools and that is what is making the decision even harder. Any advice/suggestions/comments would be greatly appreciated.

goodtogreat · Answer

In terms of your long-term goals it seems like Emory is the better choice. If you are worried about whether Emory is a cultural fit for you, I would reach out to current students/alumni and get their perspective. Maybe the day you visited was a fluke. Have you visited for admit weekend?

jxcho · Answer

I would strongly reject the notion that Emory is a "very regional brand". Goizueta is perhaps a regional MBA brand but Emory overall is nationally regarded as one of the leading US universities and has a very strong ties to health and related industries. I have a real soft spot for UNC (I wanted to go there for undergrad but couldn't afford it) but I think Emory has a better overall reputation, particularly among learned/academic circles. I wouldn't dismiss the Atlanta location either; it's a big city with lots of industries and the lack of highly-ranked MBA competition means Goizueta grads are a hot commodity down in those parts. If you personally prefer Kenan-Flagler (again... I also wanted to go KF for my MBA but certain application requirements precluded me from applying) I don't think you'll regret it for a second but my vote goes to Goizueta.

kingfalcon · Answer

Between consulting and banking, which are you more interested in? I've talked to students at tons of schools and they have all said it's nearly impossible to recruit for both, so you might as well make that tough decision now. Also, where would you rather live two years?

boothcornellrock · Answer

I haven't attended the Admit weekend yet. It is probably in April 1st week. My only concern with Emory is the campus atmosphere. Looks very scattered with not much going on in terms of activities. I know I need to explore more. Thanks for your perspective.

boothcornellrock · Answer

UNC voters.. any perspective/reason behind your vote would be of great help?

jumsumtak · Answer

From my research: it will be very hard to land up in a specific vertical (healthcare etc.) at an MBB (or even Deloitte for that matter) if you haven't had solid experience in the industry. Generally graduates are hired in a generalist role, basically meaning the project allocation depends a lot more than random factors (what kind of projects the partner brings in, where are you located, whether its a time & effort or a fixed fee project etc.) than on what your interest is. Make sure you research on this a bit and ask the consulting clubs at UNC/Emory. Also, as pointed above, visit the admit events and talk to alumni about your apprehensions (sports and activities scene at Emory etc.)

I've seen people who have gone to MBB after Emory/UNC, but those are few and far between. I'm not trying to digress from the poll, but have you thought on the top 8-16 admits thoroughly? The dollars might not be worth the risk if you can't land up your gig. If you could let us know what are those schools and how much $ do you have there, people might be able to give a better answer.

good luck

I've seen people who have gone to MBB after Emory/UNC, but those are few and far between. I'm not trying to digress from the poll, but have you thought on the top 8-16 admits thoroughly? The dollars might not be worth the risk if you can't land up your gig. If you could let us know what are those schools and how much $ do you have there, people might be able to give a better answer.

good luck

boothcornellrock · Answer

As I said, I am interested more in consulting right now. It might change later after some more research and talking to more people. Which of the two would you prefer for consulting - i guess it would be Emory. For Finance/IM UNC seems to have a very slight edge. As far as spending two years is concerned, I am fine with both Chapel Hill and Atlanta.

boothcornellrock · Answer

I agree with your first point. However, I would still like to gain more experience in the sector. The school that provides me with that opportunity would be a better choice for me personally.

About the last point - I thought about this a lot and decided against taking such a huge loan. I am not convinced the risk is worth it, even in the long run. Money could be recouped easily provided I get into consulting but I do not have the risk profile to handle the initial burden. MBB fight at those schools would be even more fierce - another reason the huge debt burden doesn't seem that enticing to me.

kasonhills · Answer

what are your other admits, lets weight them into the mix

boothcornellrock · Answer

It would only become more confusing for me as I pretty much have made up my mind not to think about them. I do not want to go back to where I started. UNC folks please say a few words as well.

kingfalcon · Answer

Ha! I understand where you are coming from when you say you don't want to open a door that you've already closed. In regards to your previous note, I agree it seems Emory is a little stronger for consulting whereas KF is stronger for finance. If you are ambivalent between the locations and cultures (a big if, I know), then I'd vote for Emory given your goals.

boothcornellrock · Answer

Thanks. My mind seems to go with Emory but heart has a soft corner for UNC. It is going to be a really tough decision. If i take Emory, i might always have a regret about a bigger network and probably more enjoyable two years. If i choose UNC and end up at not so 'prestigious' consulting firm, i would wonder what if....

On a side note, UNC seems to be doing well in the polls.

PatBateman · Answer

You've got to go with your heart. Everyone here is so caught up in the rankings. All of the schools are great and will realistically get you to similar places. Neither of their 'prestige' is better than the other. Go with what feels good and which one you get most excited about.

I turned down a full ride at a school because I just couldn't get excited about it. If you're going into the program excited you will be more active in the program and more engaged with the other students and faculty, and truly that is where the opportunities will come from.

Posted from my mobile device

CobraKai · Answer

#FACT

This is why I took it a step further during my process and visited all the schools I was interested in and only applied to the schools I was excited about.

OptimisticApplicant · Answer

Given the that (a) you're not 100% sure of your post-MBA goals and (b) you're considering prestigue jobs (i.e., MBB, IB, etc.), I would choose the school that offers you the greatest flexibility. My rank order would be:
 - The schools ranked 8-15 that you got into
 - Emory
 - UNC
 - Kelley

Good luck and let us know how you make out!
OA

jumsumtak · Answer

I might not be able to help you further, apart from saying obvious things such as you should definitely go tho the admit weekends, visit campuses, talk to consulting clubs and career centers etc.

But I want to mention this:
I'm impressed by your clear thinking. There are no right or wrong arguments here. There are just better reasoned arguments. It seems you have given this a thorough thought. Good luck with your choice.

boothcornellrock · Answer

That helps but is Emory really above UNC for prestige jobs? If yes, how much would you say is the difference?

kingfalcon · Answer

I think KF and Goizueta are more or less equivalent for "prestige" jobs. Honestly, though, if you're looking for "prestige" jobs, you really may want to reconsider the 8-15 school. It's not that you don't have the ability to get a job at one of those employers, but it's that those employers may not actually come to recruit at KF/G (verify this, of course!).

OptimisticApplicant · Answer

This. Also, based on your post, it just feels like you're definitely interested in consulting, but would also consider finance jobs. Looking at the employment reports... Emory - https://viewer.zmags.com/publication/f90 ... f900d1f9/5 - sends 57% of students into these two industries (37% consulting, 20% finance) Keenan Flagler - https://www.kenan-flagler.unc.edu/progra ... statistics - sends 47% into these two (just 16% consulting, 31% finance) So Emory sends more grads into the two fields you're considering and way more grads into consulting (your primary interest to date). This article may shed some light on why they have stronger placement stats than K-F: https://poetsandquants.com/2013/02/12/em ... as-needed/ Quite honestly though, you can't go wrong here...they're both tremendous schools. Best of luck, OA

UNC ($$$) vs Emory ($$$) vs Kelley ($$$)

Which school should i attend?

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