Owen ($) vs McDonough

Question

Hi All -
I was wondering if I could receive some advice/feedback on deciding between Owen vs. McDonough. Both programs rank around the same, so currently not considering ranking. Personally, I strongly value experiences during my time at MBA school.

Intro 
I currently work for a healthcare company and want to switch to consulting and aim to move to London Post-MBA.

Owen 
 Close - knit student body (more opportunities to stand out, make a difference in the program) - I also connected well with the Owen community
Scholarship of $10k/year and Nashville cost of living is cheaper
Leadership development opportunities

McDonough 
 Global (Consulting Abroad, multi-diverse student body)
Brand especially international
Strong consulting placement

Are there other factors that I should consider for each school?

Thank You!!

bb · Answer

Congrats on your admits!

Unfortunately neither school is really going to put you into London. Though if I had to choose, I would probably pick Georgetown as it is better known. Though again, it is not McDonough but Georgetown that are known and you are likely to find the alums in London. You may have a shot and a chance though every english-speaking alum of INSEAD, LBS, IESE, Judge, and Said are going to be angling for London consulting opportunities. There has to be a reason for you to stand out among the sea of applicants... applying from McDonough may be just obscure enough that you actually can stand out but it is also a moonshot to an extent.

Owen is great for healthcare and is much stronger for healthcare play. I am not sure how much you will love living in Nashville vs. DC. DC is definitely more cosmopolitan and the center of everything there. Owen is also very strong but in Nashville. It's been growing and lots of people been moving there but you still have a fair share of Southern culture which some may find particular. I would not worry about it too much though

I would really be curious what rtbs15 Dleerium think about applying to London for consulting from the US. How ambitious is it?

sydneygirl · Answer

bb  Thank you for your insight! If I did not weigh moving to London as a factor. Which program would you still advise?

rtbs15 · Answer

I don't think that moving to London from McDonough is a realistic goal. London is one of the toughest 3/5 offices (depends on who you ask) to get into for any of the major firms, and they have their spots well covered by core schools. For the US, those core schools would be M7s, although there isn't much appetite to move to the UK with US debt.

Still, I'd say apply to all the firms you're interested in and put London as your top choice (+ start networking YESTERDAY), construct the story as good as you can, and you'll find soon enough if it worked or not. If it doesn't, you'll get to your second/third options, but make sure that those options are offices with less competition, as you'll find the same issue with NY for example. McDonough is not a core school for top MCs.

Just to clarify, I'm not saying it's impossible, but your chances are low. If it's your dream go for it, but I would hedge my bets with my fallback options.

Good luck!

Gnpth · Answer

I agree with  rtbs15  and  bb .

Congrats on the Admit. Comparing Owen, MSB(substitute Georgetown) has more global appeal. Bain and BCG started hiring from MSB, so you may make few connections to help you get connections across the pond if you want to move to London.

Also, MSB students can apply to do 2nd year fall semester at LBS, ESADE, or few other schools in the EU. So you might work that card. Make connections while you are there at LBS to find consulting jobs there.

P.S - Since you got a scholarship at Owen, check with MSB if they give you any.

I hope it helps.

Dleerium · Answer

Hi Sydneygirl,

Congratulations on your admission to both schools! Having been through the MBB consulting process in London I would agree with the consensus here and say it would be difficult to apply to London consulting but not impossible.

London, San Francisco, New York are the most competitive offices for MBB and usually have a large intake of candidates from M7 + 2 schools.

Also as you’re transitioning both Industry and Location, it may be hard to do a double jump. But you could potentially leverage your industry experience and aim for an industry vertical in the organisation. Hope that helps!

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Owen ($) vs McDonough

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