Kellogg vs. MIT-Sloan

Question

Hi Guys,
I got admits from both Kellogg and Sloan and am having a really tough time deciding between the two.
My short term goal is to join a top tier strategy consulting firm.

The factors that matter to me are following 
1. Brand (specially in India in the longer run)
2. Placement opportunities (specially in strategy consulting)
3. Friendly culture (during the two years at school)
4. Option to pursue dual degree in policy with HKS

Any and all help will be greatly appreciated.

thanks
Mayank

mgg234 · Answer

Are you able to go to the admit weekends?

Honestly, both are global brands with collaborative environments that will get you a strategic consulting job in all likelihood.

If you want to go with overall reputations, among the M7, Kellogg is known as having the "strongest interpersonal skills" school, and Sloan is viewed as the "technology" school (50% come from STEM background). Sloan will be a bit more quantitative and Kellogg a bit more soft-skills focus.

But, you'll find an assortment of all type of people at both schools, and there's no easy choice.

kingfalcon · Answer

I agree with this. Both are fantastic schools. I'd also consider how important a dual degree is at HKS to you; the logistics of getting both degrees would certainly be simpler if you choose to attend Sloan.

jumsumtak · Answer

1. Brand (specially in India in the longer run) - I think MIT pips Kellogg here. The alumni base for Sloan and Kellogg might be very similar, but the broader MIT university carries a LOT of weight. Having said that, I've interacted with quite a few consultants from Kellogg who have successfully transitioned back to India. In fact, a couple had very successful exits from MBBs after coming to India. To me, there isn't a huge gap between the two. It's just that the word 'MIT' carries the wow feeling within non-business/layman circles.
2. Placement opportunities (specially in strategy consulting) - Both will get you there. Kellogg is a consulting powerhouse (might be self selection).
3. Friendly culture (during the two years at school) - Kellogg's student body is very friendly and 'collaborative'. Also, I can't say this with certainty, but MIT's is less so. 
4. Option to pursue dual degree in policy with HKS - As KF mentioned, I'd give a point to MIT here.

So, you probably knew this, but it's more or less a choice between MIT's slight prestige advantage and Kellogg's culture/student body. If I were you, I'd make sure that I'm happy for two years and therefore, my vote goes to Kellogg.

P.S - I haven't factored HKS here. Are you still exploring the option or pretty set on doing the dual degree?

mgg234 · Answer

On points #3: My friend goes to Sloan, and I've met quite a few people from there...I wouldn't say that its not collaborative, it's just that it's a bit - for lack of a better word - geeky in its collaboration (43% of people were engineering majors in college, 8% were math, and many follow the stereotypes within those majors). A lot of cliche tech guys who want to create tech start ups or work at trendy tech giants. It's a certain type of personality, but people seem collaborative within that framework (as opposed to the finance schools like Wharton/Columbia where everyone is competing against one another) and everyone is friendly.

kingfalcon · Answer

Yeah, Sloan definitely has a unique culture. Sloanies are very collaborative, but probably not in the same way that Kellogg students are collaborative (just as I would imagine Kellogg students aren't collaborative in the same way that Tuck students are collaborative). While I wouldn't say students are geeky, it definitely feels like lots of folks come from STEM backgrounds. Also, it is completely true that tons of people are interested in entrepreneurship and tech here, but there's a lot of interest in consulting and operations, too.

jumsumtak · Answer

I probably used the incorrect word there. MIT could be as 'collaborative'. I meant, as mgh and kf suggested, there is quite a difference between the two schools' culture. From my visit and talking to various students/alums, Kellogg looked like a more 'fun' school. Obviously, this is subjective and difficult to put into words.

ekc978675 · Answer

I'd go with Kellogg. They're both great schools (both m7), but Kellogg is typically considered a superior business school and I think it'll present better opportunities in the long run. Kellogg tends to build leaders, and I've found MIT (both the coursework and the students) to be a bit more focused on skills). I think Kellogg offers really unique experiential learning and challenging courses

jessepinkman · Answer

reviving a 3 year old thread to pitch kellogg hmm

VeritasPrepDozie · Answer

Great options here. i would go with Kellogg, AMAZING culture topflight consulting recruiting and also the HKS option is available for you. But make sure you attend both admit weekends and make the decision on personal fit with your classmates, these schools are neck and neck otherwise

deepsanku · Answer

What your profile  212mayank ?

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Kellogg vs. MIT-Sloan

Which one should I choose - Kellogg or Sloan ?

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