Hi,
I am confused between UTDallas and Olin, one is a fast growing B-school, and is offering 100 %V scholarship, while the other is an old school with good and consistent rankings.
UTDallas - Pros : 1. Location wise I think Texas is better than St. Louis which is in mid - west, so career opportunity for me being an international student would be more
2. Full scholarship and TA will take away the burden of loans, and considering the risk of getting H1B visa, cost is a significant factor.
3. MS+MBA - stem degree option- which will be helpful for visa extension to 3 years v/s 1.
4. Climate and city
5. I am targeting Fintech jobs, so i think texas will be ideal.
UTDallas- Cons:1. Relatively a new school, though fast growing, by the time i graduate not much will be changed.
2. Is ranked lower than Olin.
3. Due to better colleges in Texas such as RICE, Mccombs, Texas A & M, its regional ranking will be lower and competition will be higher.
4. Outside of Texas, the college is still struggling to make a name.
5. Placements statistics is a bit lower than Olin, and not much of the information is available on it.
Olin Pros:1. It has a consistent ranking of 25 and is an old school with massive alumni network
2. The Program is more structured than dallas (at least what i hear from seniors)
3. Has international exposure (They take you to different countries for gaining hands on industry experience with no additional cost)
4. The school has a record of having 97% people placed within 3 months from graudation
5. It is the only B-school nearby mid-west so regional competition is less.
6. Has the option of dual degree with STEM.
7. Has student exchange programs.
Olin Cons:1. Immigrants are a small portion of the batch size, and the firms that come for recruitment are reluctant to hire someone for whom they'll have to sponsor H1B Visa.
2. The location disadvantage- it is no secret that mid-west has limited industries in its vicinity, with even lesser FinTech firms.
3. Placement logistics are significantly at the lower end for immigrants which fuels the feeling of discrimination.
4. The climate is bad. Being someone from tropical country, adjusting to snow and extreme winter would be challenging.
5. Too much travel at the start of the program
Given both the programs have the provision of STEM, and are of comparable rankings, Please suggest which one would be a better fit for an international student.