Kellogg vs Yale $$ vs. Tepper $$$

Question

Fortunate to have received multiple admits. Request the community to share your opinions.

bb · Answer

For your career goals, I think Yale will work great.

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friskymarkets · Answer

Thanks  bb  as always and apologies to other users for not adding more context

Post MBA goal is PM but also open to consult/strategy basis my conversation with current students and the tech situation. I also intend to go back to India after 3-4 years of work in the US post MBA

bb · Answer

Thank you and yes, it is hard to really give much value without knowing what you are planning to do with the degree. I don't know well enough the Indian market and how well Yale vs. Kellogg name play. I know in Europe Yale has a stronger brand recognition but by that time, you will likely not be relying on your MBA name but rather on the name of your latest employer and your latest accomplishments. If you are thinking consulting, then I feel all 3 programs could do the job as MBB's and all other consulting companies hire strongly from all 3 programs. In terms of Kellogg's value - PM is going to be the strongest play there but this year it's been barren and even Kellogg and Sloan and Columbia folks are struggling to find a PM internship now that AMazon and FB and Twitter have put a kibosh on the PM party. I am guessing things will open up in 2 years - job market tends to swing both ways... Most people (including myself) wanted to spend a few years in the US and then return to their home country. Usually does not work that way - you get married, sucked into a job, friends, your 5 years of life would have been in the US and so it makes no sense to abandon all of that (unless you have very strong reasons to). I found it would be hard to leave and move back to a place where you have to start from scratch and also a place that has changed since I left it even 3 years ago, so coming back would be an adjustment in all ways of it. So I would say unless you hit some major H1B issues, you are unlikely to go back permanently. Just telling you my thoughts, this is not a prediction of course, just personal observations so take them for what they are

I would say that students make the school strong more than the school makes the students. If you feel confident enough in yourself, you can go to Tepper. If you feel you need a lot of brand value and strength, then Kellogg is the right choice to maximize your chances of recruiting at the top companies including Apple and other FAANGs. Yale good middle option. Have to compliment you on doing a great job with applying to a variety of programs! I know people who have foregone scholarships and paid full price at Top 10-15 bschools and did really well. At the same time, it is very scary to owe $200K in debt and that weight and burden are uncomfortable for many so you have to decide what you are comfortable with as well. I had a tiny loan of $40K for my living expenses and even that made me feel uncomfortable but risk and reward are closely tied in the efficient markets usually. Back in my days when I was applying and dirt poor, I would probably have picked Kellogg. It did not matter to me if i borrowed 100K or 200K. Now, I would probably be more cautious (I am also in a diff stage of life) and perhaps chose Yale, still being brand conscious. Surprisingly Tepper is not a huge PM feeder school - yes for programming but not for MBA Tech PM, just FYI.

friskymarkets · Answer

Thank you  bb  ! REally appreciate you sharing your personal thoughts and experiences on this!

friskymarkets · Answer

Coming back here after graduation. First of all, thanks a lot for all the help from everyone on Gmatclub!

I went with Yale and got an MBB job. I would say it has been a big help on the finances as my financial position was particularly vulnerable. My only regret is that I was recruiting for tech and SOM just turned out to be really bad school for tech. But still overall I feel I made the right choice because I also found my life partner while I was here

bb · Answer

Congratulations on the job!

That's fantastic news!!! P.S. Tech has been quite weak with recruiting across the board, even places such as Kellogg and Sloan have struggled with people not being able to even break through at Amazon. Lots of companies are waiting and holding out right now but supposedly the internships this year are very promising. P.P.S. Would you recommend anything specific for MBB recruiting to recent admits? Should they do anything or just wait for the school to start and join the consulting club?

friskymarkets · Answer

The pre-MBA prep is always tempting and I asked that question to seniors who said "No need to do anything, just relax because things will get busy here". I of course didn't believe them and fretted a lot. But after coming here, I give the same advice to new admits and they don't believe me either. All consulting recruiting process starts only and only after you are on campus. The pre-MBA events, while good to attend don't move the needle at all.

The only thing I would say is to brush up your social skills especially if you are from non-salesy background.

friskymarkets · Answer

Also just to add, I made a few friends at Tepper during the admit events and I would say Tepper punches way way above its weight in tech. Maybe it's self-selection, maybe it's the CMU brand.

But if you are really really sure that you wanna go to tech, I would say Tepper>>Yale.

Kellogg vs Yale $$ vs. Tepper $$$

Which school to choose?

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