Go to UCLA Anderson vs reapply to top-10 programs next year

Question

Hi everyone,

I was wondering if any of you in the GMATClub community have any thoughts on my situation. I'm a Manager with 6+ years of tax accounting WE at a Big 4 firm and am looking to transition into MC to do strategy consulting (ideally at MBB). I've been accepted into UCLA Anderson and am trying to decide whether it is better to go to Anderson this year or reapply to top-10 programs next year that are better for MC (M7 + Tuck).

Right now, I am trying to make my decision based off of these decision points:

Why I should go to Anderson 
1. I'm already a little over the average age of a typical MBA student
2. I don't have to go through the arduous and stressful MBA application process again
3. I don't have to stay another year at a job that I'm not in love with
4. I might not get into any top-10 programs next year as I don't have the strongest profile (see details below). If I go to Anderson now I don't risk losing an opportunity to go to a top-15 program
5. Anderson seems like it has a collaborative community that will be helpful both during and after my MBA studies
6. I would prefer to work on the west-coast post-MBA and I'm not sure if a midwest/east-coast school brand outside of H/W will be better than having access to the Anderson west-coast network

Why I should reapply next year to a top-10 program 
1. If I get in, much better brand name on my resume. It will be much easier to get MBB and subsequent good exit opps from a Kellogg/Booth compared to Anderson. Anderson sends very few of its students to MBB. I am still waitlisted for Kellogg (even though I don't think I'm getting in at this point) so I feel like my profile is at least in range for a top program if I reapply.
2. At this point in my career, I'm not convinced that my opportunity cost of going to b-school (I think it'll be around 350-400K) is worth giving up for anything other than a top-10 program
3. After another year of working, I'll have enough savings to not need loans (even without getting any $)
4. Having some time to reapply will allow me to strengthen areas of my post-MBA job candidacy (GMAT, extracurriculars)

Just a little bit more background on me, I have an undergrad GPA in the low 3's and I've taken the GMAT 4 times and my best score is 710. I feel like I am capable of scoring higher; I got a couple of 730's on practice exams the day before I took the actual exam for the first time. However, since I've taken the test so many times now I wonder if it's even worth retaking. I've heard that MBB, especially McK, looks a lot at GMAT score so I was thinking that it may be helpful to try to get a better score to have a better chance to make it past the initial screen.

Appreciate any thoughts anyone out there wants to share.

jz4analytics · Answer

Go to Anderson, no question. Many good reasons to go, and no good reason not to.

MBB recruits there, which is all that matters. MBB gives class-wide offers across universities. No one cares what your degree is once you get a job. Anderson places fewer graduates in consulting, true, but that doesn't tell you much. Anderson consultants pull in a $135K median salary and $30K signing bonus, exactly the same at Booth, Stanford, Harvard, or Wharton.

Employment reports are helpful for determining whether the program is worth it:
https://www.anderson.ucla.edu/Documents/ ... 5%20LR.pdf

CPAtoMBA00 · Answer

Thanks for your input. I agree with your point that career growth is merit based once you get your foot in the door, but doesn't that strengthen the argument for going to a program that places more of its students in the most sought after jobs? If I can't "get a job" at the right place then I'm not sure a top-15 bschool investment is worth it.

Porkbun123 · Answer

Not necessarily. From what I've gathered a lot of Anderson MBAs self select into tech. It would be like declining hbs for kellogg because hbs sends a smaller percentage into MBB.

RemainInLight · Answer

If you are already above the average age - I would definitely go to UCLA. Its a good school. If you wait, you may never go (get married, have kids, etc.)

drivechipputt · Answer

I think that the short term is a push. You'll get the job you deserve, whether that's MBB or another firm that you don't even know about right now that'll be a perfect fit in the future. What matters far more is the next step: do you want to continue along partner track or do you want to move into industry? If you're like most of us, you'll look to put in your time, make sr. manager, and then move client-side. That is the real question of whether you should matriculate at UCLA. I'd think seriously about these questions:
- Do you want to stay on the west coast? (that seems to be a yes)
- Are you interested in tech/media & entertainment?
- Which network will give you a better shot to be successful in your preferred region?

Finally, I'll offer one other thing I learned in recruiting this past year. There is a generally accepted pipeline for recruiting into certain offices (although H/S/W are probably the only exemptions) and you may have a hard time getting your first choice. If you go to Anderson, you will have LA/SF as your top options, whereas with, say, Columbia, you'll be fighting the pack out west.

CPAtoMBA00 · Answer

Hi, thanks for your feedback. Your third question is one of my core decision points. I'm not sure whether having a larger west coast network in Anderson is better than having a potentially "better" brand name on my resume from a Kellogg.

gcb09173 · Answer

You might be overthinking this. Did you only apply to Anderson this year and no M7?

Anderson will get you where you want to go - the 'brand' will only help marginally for the first couple of years post mba. Unfortunately you look like a 'typical' mba applicant - big 4 accountant seeking move to MC - your already at longer odds at the big schools and you dont (yet) have an incredible GMAT to make them sit up and take notice.

Anderson has a great school and you are already in - theres certainly no guarantee you will get into M7 next year especially following another year of your current work experience.

I'd be going to Anderson - but given you seem to be wavering towards wanting a M7 name you might be best having no regrets and waiting the year. You'll have to apply to some lower ranked schools for safety though or maybe test the water at Anderson to see if they would defer for a year for some 'great work reason'.

jz4analytics · Answer

You probably can get the job. That's why employment reports are important - Anderson places students in MBB, whereas lower ranked schools, such as Georgetown, do not.

Let me put it this way: your chances of getting into MBB from Anderson is greater than your chances of getting into a higher-ranked school next year.

Plus, you would be unhappy for another year at a job you don't like, and would have to invest a lot more time and money in retaking the GMAT and applying again. Getting into consulting a year earlier is more important than having, say, Columbia instead of Anderson on your resume.

EuroEng · Answer

instead of asking "what if" questions, you could re-take the GMAT and see if you can actually get 730 (or higher). then ask a few admission consultants to evaluate your chances of getting into a top 10 program.

yes you did get into the waitlist at Kellogg and that's a good sign. but I would expect the same outcome next year unless you can demonstrate material improvement to your application - starting with your GMAT.

dimochka · Answer

As a current Anderson student pursuing MC, I would say that if you want to go into MC and be on the West Coast, definitely go for Anderson. If you're still on the fence PM me and we can discuss specific MBB-related stats.

fxMBAconsulting · Answer

Go to Anderson - you can still recruit for consulting there and it's a great school - not to mention great weather. The fact that you were WLed at Kellogg is promising - it means that maybe your story just wasn't tight enough or you didn't present well in interview. This is the sort of decision that needs to be made with all the details lain out on the table - not generic details presented in a forum. Age is certainly a factor here. Check out the graph at the bottom of this article
https://fxmbaconsulting.com/too-old-full ... r-kellogg/

Go to UCLA Anderson vs reapply to top-10 programs next year

Go to UCLA Anderson vs reapply to top-10 programs next year?

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