USC Marshall or Cornell Johnson

Question

Hi All,

Got admitted into both schools for the FT MBA program. I currently live in New York and want to be there post-MBA so Cornell would be the correct choice.

However, coming from a city i am not sure how well I would in a town like Ithaca. For that reason I think USC being in LA would be better for me but that would make it harder to pursue a role in New York post-MBA.

Can anyone provide some advice on how to look at this or what they would do?

Trekbiking23 · Answer

Cornell. Doesn't make any sense to do USC if you want to work in New York. Easy choice, USC has a strong network but is still a regional school.

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Regenerate · Answer

Any material cost difference?

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sflocal · Answer

Cornell!! Dude go by rankings too

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Trekbiking23 · Answer

If you really want to live on the west coast and go back east try to get into Berkley or Stanford. Those two I believe will give you decent opportunities

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JohnJohnJ · Answer

Ranking is usually BS
My heart says LA - I love that city
Brain says Cornell

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bb · Answer

I would vote for Cornell. Strongly

I see no way Marshall’ would give you more value in any aspect. You may actually be disappointed with the Marshall’’s location. While it is in Los Angeles, it is really not a great spot in the city. UCLA is in a much better location. Posted from my mobile device

JohnJohnJ · Answer

BB, that’s harsh-you make it sound like the USC kids are making a mistake going there. USC has over 50k students. 
I spent some time LA in 2019 and the USC campus is nice-the neighborhoods around it aren’t a Beverly Hills, but it’s not unsafe. It’s working families living around USC. 
Yes, DTLA has its issues because of homelessness, but the USC campus is a few miles away from those spots. Like all big cities, LA has its issues.

The state school UCLA has a significantly bigger campus and it’s closer to the fancies parts of LA.

Getting back to your question - Cornell would be a better choice (not because it’s significantly better) because you want to live in New York after graduation and Cornell has a reasonable network here.

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bb · Answer

I lived in LA for 8 years... and USC is not in a nice part of town. As an example of another school in a not great neighborhood, Neither is Booth... so it is definitely not a deal breaker but I also would not pick Booth or Marshall because of a location

I don’t know much about Marshall students or where they live really since it is a recent entrant in Top 20 but the part of the city it is in, next to the 110 and 10 ain’t good. There are student housing areas for undergrads but that’s not where you want to live. My guess most live in SM or West LA and then they take the 10 in and out... also, in LA you must have a car. Not sure about Ithaca but LA is very heavy car-dependent.... you want to have a car or immediately start dating a person with a car

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marditte · Answer

Not sure I totally agree on this. DTLA is hip and trending upwards, and no matter what you're still in the Cali sun. You will also be driving so you can commute from somewhere that fits your vibe better. Relative to Ithaca, USC location will be a much more enjoyable 2 years if you're a city person and appreciate the sun.

However -- to the original question -- what should you do -- no one can make this decision but you. Only you can judge and value HOW important post-career NYC placement is. Same thing goes for HOW important 2 years of LA living is. The answer is relative to your own value system.

I would keep in mind -- at a program like Cornell, you can always make an active effort to travel more. And if the post-MBA/long-term benefits all favor Cornell, I would keep in mind you can do things like travel to break up the routine.

I would assume if you're in DTLA there will be less pressure to travel on weekends given all that LA has to offer.

JohnJohnJ · Answer

Agree, LA is a great city. 
But remember, this is an open forum and people can comment anything without data to back their arguments.

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Trekbiking23 · Answer

To Marditte,

As someone who has lived in LA for most of my life, DTLA is not hip, unless you consider trash and grime hip lol. People in LA do not hang in downtown for the most part. Most young adults go to the Westside, Silverlake/Hollywood or South Bay for fun (depending what they are into). With that being said, LA is a great city and I wouldn't let location deter you. This is more an issue of which MBA will benefit your long term career on the EAST COAST. Seems to be Cornell here

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marditte · Answer

I personally think that's a little harsh. Regardless, the question isn't DTLA vs those areas. It's DTLA vs Ithaca. We are in agreement that Cornell would better align with OP's long-term goals. I'm not here to argue DTLA as the coolest place in LA to live. I'm here to suggest that if OP were to attend Cornell and travel more regularly it would perhaps allow them to reap the long-term career benefits of Cornell without feeling like they're sacrificing as much from a lifestyle perspective over the next 2 years. With something as long-term as an MBA, I would avoid choosing USC JUST because it's in a city.

Trekbiking23 · Answer

Totally agree!

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JohnJohnJ · Answer

Is Leo’s Taco truck still the most popular taco truck? Or do you recommend others

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bb · Answer

Good discussion. I think we all agreed on Johnson but what the hell, let's bash LA some more....

t's been a while since I've been in LA... but I liked LA personally. it was home for 8 years. It is easy to fit in. Sun was nice except during Christmas - it was kind of sad but it is a blissful land and once you are there, you stop noticing the large swaths of concrete and traffic. Some areas are really really nice and i really enjoyed living in Marina Del Rey, Westchester, even the quiet streets of Beverly Hills (North Maple Dr. close to Civic Center where the farmers market is (or used to be?) on Sundays. Good city for tourists... much better than Seattle

JohnnyBlaze · Answer

Cornell

Would living in DTLA and going to USC be more fun??? Absolutely!!! You can't compare the locations. Also, the programs are very different. Johnson students are usually trying to 'prove' something so the MBA program tends to go overboard on work and underwhelm on fun/bonding, aka the best part of the b-school experience. That being said, if we're talking about pure placement and not experience, Cornell is the obvious choice due to NYC proximity. However, it also depends on what you want to do. Cornell will get you closer (4hrs 1 way) to NYC, BUT for NYC based jobs post-Cornell it's not a slam dunk. Most of IBD placement ends up in NYC, but other roles are more spread out. If you want a non-IBD job in NYC post-Johnson, it may not be as easy as you think as CBS/Stern are the easy choice among NYC firm MBA hiring.

USC Marshall or Cornell Johnson

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