CBS vs Johnson (Full Ride) vs Reapply

Question

I've been accepted to Johnson with a full ride and CBS with no $, and am having a hard time deciding. Any thoughts/comments would be appreciated!

My post MBA goal is MBB/T2 strategy firms/Deloitte/Accenture in NYC or NJ (aim is to return to NYC).

Columbia

-Stronger brand/prestige

-Stronger consulting placement stats, esp. for MBB in NYC/NJ. Based on conversations with students, the recruiting resources seem very robust.

-Larger and stronger alumni network, which may be helpful during recruiting and throughout my post-MBA career

-Need to take out at 150K loan to finance degree (need to apply for need based aid but pool is small at this point in time)

Johnson
 
-Brand/prestige not as strong as CBS

-MBB NYC/NJ consulting placements is pretty much a crapshoot, but T2 firms seem ok (though certain T2 Strategy firms don't hire there)

-Tight-knit community, which is something that I value in my MBA experience

-Emphasis on leadership development with ample opportunities, which is one of my goals for getting a MBA

-Alumni network may not be as broad as that of CBS

-Might be nice to live in Ithaca for 2 years (esp. after sheltering in place solo in NYC for past few months)

-Full ride scholarship so will be able to graduate with no debt

Other Thoughts

CBS definitely has the upper hand in most aspects, but given that 25 – 50% of the experience may be virtual, I don’t know if it’s worth the $150K loan to have a compromised experience esp for a once in a lifetime experience. With the economic uncertainty, taking the $150K loan seems a bit risky. (Pre-Covid I would have chosen CBS). However, Johnson isn’t as strong with recruiting and there could perhaps be an issue in which if companies need to cut back on recruiting, Johnson could be impacted because it’s lower in terms of rank.

In terms of recruiting, would it matter if I were in the top bracket of lower ranked school vs the middle or lower bracket of a higher ranked school? Having a full ride may help with differentiating my resume than being an average candidate at a higher ranked school.

If I ended up working at a T2 firm that I could have ended up at going to Johnson, it might feel like a pity since compensation is the same, but there's the additional $150K loan to repay.

I have 6 YOE and could also reapply to CBS ED for the class next fall, but it may be risky given that this fall will be very competitive.

Regenerate · Answer

I'd take the full ride and not even think twice.

The strategy consulting work at a T2 firm will still be high quality work and, coupled with an MBA from a solid top 20 program (and no debt) should set you up beautifully for the next quarter century of your career.

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Businessconquerer · Answer

Cornell has a storng base with Consulting recruitment
You won't have an issue with MBB placement in either of the two places,

I would pick city over town but full ride changes things. P.S. it means that you can travel to network anytime you want. Also the living cost will be low.

You can invest in networking and go out to network on weekends and have fun travelling too.

ANALysis · Answer

strongly disagree. look up the MBB stats from cornell yourself, far below CBS
still, i'd recommend cornell because full ride is a great option

Businessconquerer · Answer

I spoke in comparitive terms.
MBBs look for Brands associated with a person.

Cornell is a brand, yes obviously smaller in class size and value compared to CBS
But it attracts the MBBs due to the Ivy League tag

Plus I commend Cornell to have an agile mover advantage.
With a campus now in New York City, Roosevelt Island I guess, Cornell made it from being a college town to a hybrid college.

Yes, CBS is better in all the ways, it places well in Finance, Consulting, Real Estate, Tech
By far one of the three balanced placements I have seen

JohnnyBlaze · Answer

If you want to be in NYC post-MBA, CBS is your best / only bet btwn the two

Johnson does not place well at all in NYC for consulting. Most of Johnson's MBB roles are int'l or in the middle of nowhere. B4/T2 is a bit more mixed, but still very weak for Johnson vs CBS. Most of Johnson's NYC jobs are in IB, FP&A or BO.

The Johnson Club of NY is virtually nonexistent, check out their FB group. They haven't had a standalone event in years, the ones Johnson does w/ the broader Cornell world is mostly undergrads. CBS Club of NY on the other hand has a robust organized NYC presence w/ several monthly events. As the world moved virtual, Johnson and Cornell went quiet, CBS and Columbia on the other hand has been extremely active. CBS is just a better run b-school, in a downturn this becomes much more apparent.

Talk to current first years / soon to be second students from both schools. Many of the ones at Johnson want to defer their 2nd year as the school has handled covid so poorly. CBS is far from perfect, but has done a much better job on a relative basis. As the crisis hits summer 2021 recruiting, this will become even more apparent...

applicant123456 · Answer

MBB is not a guarantee at any institution. Just increases your odds the higher you go generally. Being a named scholar at Cornell probably means you are near the top of their list. And will pop on your resume. Would go with Cornell

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Regenerate · Answer

Remember ... it's easy for an anonymous poster to spend someone else's money.

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JohnnyBlaze · Answer

The scholarship will only 'pop' on your CV IF the scholarship has a long history of picking top candidates. Which is not the case at Johnson.

Johnson's various scholarship programs (esp the Park program), have in the past been used to promote diversity at the school OR for those w/ personal connections to the school, AND of course for top performers. Problem is it won't necessarily 'pop' on your CV and catch recruiters' eyes. Many alums actually dislike the Park program and usually ignore their applicants as the program has in the past given full rides to those who's statistics aren't equivalent of top students.

applicant123456 · Answer

Would that make a difference if OP was a diversity candidate? If anything else I don’t think that weakens my argument since there are so many companies looking for diverse applicants. For example, Cornell is a part of the Consortium which has its own network as well. In other words the tools to do well are at Cornell. Just going to Columbia alone won’t get OP into MBB.

But I get your point about the perception of the named scholarship being the eyes of the recruiter. But full ride at T-15 vs Columbia seems to be slightly too much money. If it was H/S/W this would be a no brainer.

JohnnyBlaze · Answer

Absolutely nothing to do w/ Consortium.

Specific to Johnson - the school's Park Program (full ride w/ leadership training) has some great BUT some really not great candidates. The program isn't well liked by many alums as many ppl who receive the Park program get it for 'other' reasons (i.e. diversity not meaning being an URM but having a "unique' background as in worked for 5 years in the rain forest BUT got a <600 GMAT OR went to a community college for school and the worked in the inner-city saving high school dropouts OR a 'friend' of the school, as in your dad gave a lot of money). There are plenty of alums who don't hire Parks as the program isn't well liked by the vast majority of students and alums. Just imagine sitting next to a Park recipient who fails basic core classes. Now some are strong candidates but definitely not all, and the losers tend to stand out.

So, yes, a full ride is great from a T15 program BUT don't go in thinking it will automatically open doors for the candidate. The candidate would see doors closed as there's a fairly strong sense of dissatisfaction w/ the Park program.

CBS vs Johnson (Full Ride) vs Reapply

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