Rice (\$$$) vs USC Marshall (\$$)

Question

Hi Everyone,

I have been offered admits in both Rice (90% scholarship) and USC Marshall (50% Scholarship).
However I am having a hard time deciding where to go to.

I will be coming in with my wife and daughter and would like to know the perspective of experienced people from these schools.

Some things that I have thought so far

Rice 
Located at Houston so plenty of employment oppurtunites.
Cost of living is decent.
The University is well known in the US but its probably ranked lower than Marshall.

USC Marshall
Location is a big advantage - situated in the west coast so not only job opportunities but also networking opportunities will probably be huge at the school.
The alum network of the school is very well renowned.
Its higher in ranking in US news and has a bigger brand name.

I have not yet thought of a career post MBA but I would like to go into Consulting or Product management post MBA.

Which school should I choose ??

bb · Answer

Congratulations Akhil! Something to point out right away is that both cities will require driving. Houston a bit less so than LA as it has Metro going to the University of Houston, but both are spread out and will require both you and your wife to drive. i would say that your wife is probably more likely to have to drive than you while shopping and dealing with the kid transportation, etc. So, if she is not a dedicated driver yet, make sure she gets plenty of practice and a license back home. Driving in the US is infinitely easier than in India so that will be easier but getting some decent practice first hand will be best. Adding a bit more about LA, it is very diverse, and you will definitely feel not out of place, but it is a lonely city because you have to drive to get anywhere and meeting up with friends often involves 45 mins in a car, as does going for groceries :-)

As to the schools - I have no idea :-)

.... I would say the MBA programs are probably equally good with USC having a much stronger name recognition. US news ranks them as #25 and #33, which is not that much of a difference. It is noise. Jones has a good Houston/Texas foothold though is about half the size of Marshall (so slightly different feel). I have copied some of the employment data from both and they are really close. Since your future path is not very defined yet, I think the choice is based on money, location, and other non-care aspects. It would be great if you and your wife (or just her) could visit the schools, locations, and see what it involves. USC is in a bad part of town, which is not uncomon so are many other top schools but that sometimes surprises people. If you can't visit, at least do a Google Street view and do a virtual drive by and see how you feel about the vibe of both cities. It is not just 2 years of school, you are highly likely to stay in LA or Houston after graduation as well, so make sure you like both places. P.S. If having to pick blindly, and money was a consideration, I would pick Jones.

Greekmythology · Answer

I think it comes down to where you want to live: California vs Texas in this situation. Personally, I'd probably go to USC but I don't know much about Rice. 1. USC is ranked higher and poised to go up to 20ish in my opinion. Don't know about the MBA but Ive never met anyone who went to USC and didn't absolutely love it. I think it reflects in the network as well.

Having said that if its all about the money then maybe go to Rice as Texas is a far cheaper place to live during and post MBA than California.

Having said that if its all about the money then maybe go to Rice as Texas is a far cheaper place to live during and post MBA than California.

akhil911 · Answer

Thank you bb and Greekmythology for your thoughts.
I like the idea of taking a view via google street view but of course its still virtual.
I am also reaching out to current students and talking to them about the program to know more about the school so that I can make an informed choice.

Everyone : Please do provide your valuable input here.

Mo2men · Answer

I can see that you limited your career aspirations to consulting or product marketing. I would choose the university which can provide high percentage of students in both fields. Suppose the consulting is your first choice. After analyzing both schools, both seem provide students to 2nd tier consulting companies such as Deloitte 7 PWC. If your first wish does not come true, so you can think in marketing. Clearly from both school reports, Marshall has more students into market than in Rice (23% vs 9%).

My advice is to declare your goals before going to at least prioritize them.

If you want to end up living in certain place, so this will limit your options.

I have seen that you applied to different schools, have you received any thing from them except Rice and Marshall?

My advice is to declare your goals before going to at least prioritize them.

If you want to end up living in certain place, so this will limit your options.

I have seen that you applied to different schools, have you received any thing from them except Rice and Marshall?

Rice (\$$$) vs USC Marshall (\$$)

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