Frankly, there are a lot of unexpected things that pop up during the application - you may be the most interesting person in the room and all schools throwing themselves at you your feet but you can also be the most boring one too. That all depends on both you and other applicants and since you only know part of the equation, there is always uncertainty.
The best option is to have a diversified application strategy/approach and looking at both R1 and R2.
https://gmatclub.com/forum/round-1-vs-r ... 98430.html Here are my thoughts about the R1 vs. R2 and I recommend shooting for both.
In terms of scholarships/ROI, there is no strong empirical evidence about how that affects your ROI and one's ability to score a better job or higher paying job after graduating from a high ranking school vs. someone going to a lower-ranked school with a scholarship. My main point is to look at on campus recruiting. It has been a mess in the past year but perhaps to go back and see if the companies you are looking to join recruit on campus. If not, then the opportunities would be more balanced. However, there is a lot that comes with a Top 10 MBA program for example - here is another post that considers the value of a Top 10 MBA:
https://gmatclub.com/forum/value-of-a-t ... 13365.html and there are differences in being a part of an exclusive group such as Kellogg/Booth vs. attending a more regional program such as McCombs for example.
samgtang wrote:
Looking to get an mba to boost long term career earning potential in corporate strategy (not IB or consulting). Was considering PT at booth or Kellogg but after scoring well on the gmat I was wondering if some other schools might be willing to give out $$$/$$$$ scholarships and still boost my career.
Purdue finance - 3.5
Gmat 720
4 years WE at F100 companies with a few promotions
Some ec volunteering but nothing extraordinary
Posted from my mobile device