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kingburger
Joined: 25 Oct 2019
Last visit: 23 Jul 2020
Posts: 10
Own Kudos:
Location: United States (CA)
GPA: 3.5
20 Apr 2020, 10:38
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Hello hive mind!
After eliminating a few other options, I am ultimately down to deciding between Yale SOM and Berkeley Haas for my MBA.
About me: I currently work in environmental consulting in San Francisco, but grew up in the Southeast. My academic and professional background has been in the policy / philanthropy / NGO space, and I went to an Ivy League school for undergrad, which I enjoyed. Before moving to California, I worked in Boston, so I have personal and professional networks in the Northeast and in the Bay Area, although admittedly stronger in California.
What I'm looking for: I am interested in moving into the climate finance space, ideally in the multilateral world (e.g., World Bank) but if not, then in impact investing. So, staying in the climate world, but playing with return-seeking capital. If that plan fails, working for a greentech startup could also be appealing. Absent getting a job that would be place-specific (such as moving to DC for the World Bank) I would like to end up in the Bay Area - I absolutely love it here.
Things I am considering:
- Yale seems like more of 'my people', in that they are more impact-oriented (at least in perception), and my own network mostly overlaps with SOM. However, Haas students seem to be stronger / higher caliber, based on my interactions with them. I worry that I'm not getting an accurate representation because I can't attend the accepted students' weekend in person. It feels like I will be stretched and pushed at Haas in a way that I will grow, whereas I don't get the sense that the classmates at Yale are not quite as strong.
- Yale seems to have a strong brand everywhere, including (but not limited to) the Bay Area. I worry that Berkeley has less 'WOW' factor, especially at a place like the World Bank, even though it's a very strong brand here in California. Similarly, nearly all of Berkeley's network seems to be on the west coast, and I worry that I am not taking advantage of the full value of an MBA by getting a more regional network.
- Going to school during COVID introduces a whole new set of factors that wouldn't normally be an issue. Should I be worried about budget cuts at Berkeley as a result of the economic turndown? In addition, does Yale have a better capacity to respond to the crisis, both in terms of financial resources and legal autonomy (i.e. not part of the UC system which is controlled by a legislature)?
- I would much, much rather be in Berkeley than in New Haven as a place to live for two years. I love the weather, the culture, and the community that I have here. Exercising outdoors is a huge part of my daily happiness, and so sunshine and hills in Berkeley are a huge plus.
- I'm very interested in taking classes outside of the business school, particularly in the policy or environmental arenas. Yale seems to be much stronger here, especially with the well-established MBA/MEM path at Yale. Many fewer Berkeley students seem to have taken advantage of the opportunity, despite being attached to a huge institution. Is this something that I should be considering?
- I've heard that Yale SOM is more theoretical/academic, whereas Berkeley is more hands-on. I know that a lot of the curriculum at Berkeley is applied, and many students are interning part-time while doing the full-time MBA. Is this perception real, and how much should I weigh?
- Total cost of attendance seems to be roughly even between the schools. However, I have a small amount of scholarship offer from Yale, and I'm worried about the 'incidental' costs incurred at Berkeley from club fees, competition fees, etc adding up over time.
Help me decide?
After eliminating a few other options, I am ultimately down to deciding between Yale SOM and Berkeley Haas for my MBA.
About me: I currently work in environmental consulting in San Francisco, but grew up in the Southeast. My academic and professional background has been in the policy / philanthropy / NGO space, and I went to an Ivy League school for undergrad, which I enjoyed. Before moving to California, I worked in Boston, so I have personal and professional networks in the Northeast and in the Bay Area, although admittedly stronger in California.
What I'm looking for: I am interested in moving into the climate finance space, ideally in the multilateral world (e.g., World Bank) but if not, then in impact investing. So, staying in the climate world, but playing with return-seeking capital. If that plan fails, working for a greentech startup could also be appealing. Absent getting a job that would be place-specific (such as moving to DC for the World Bank) I would like to end up in the Bay Area - I absolutely love it here.
Things I am considering:
- Yale seems like more of 'my people', in that they are more impact-oriented (at least in perception), and my own network mostly overlaps with SOM. However, Haas students seem to be stronger / higher caliber, based on my interactions with them. I worry that I'm not getting an accurate representation because I can't attend the accepted students' weekend in person. It feels like I will be stretched and pushed at Haas in a way that I will grow, whereas I don't get the sense that the classmates at Yale are not quite as strong.
- Yale seems to have a strong brand everywhere, including (but not limited to) the Bay Area. I worry that Berkeley has less 'WOW' factor, especially at a place like the World Bank, even though it's a very strong brand here in California. Similarly, nearly all of Berkeley's network seems to be on the west coast, and I worry that I am not taking advantage of the full value of an MBA by getting a more regional network.
- Going to school during COVID introduces a whole new set of factors that wouldn't normally be an issue. Should I be worried about budget cuts at Berkeley as a result of the economic turndown? In addition, does Yale have a better capacity to respond to the crisis, both in terms of financial resources and legal autonomy (i.e. not part of the UC system which is controlled by a legislature)?
- I would much, much rather be in Berkeley than in New Haven as a place to live for two years. I love the weather, the culture, and the community that I have here. Exercising outdoors is a huge part of my daily happiness, and so sunshine and hills in Berkeley are a huge plus.
- I'm very interested in taking classes outside of the business school, particularly in the policy or environmental arenas. Yale seems to be much stronger here, especially with the well-established MBA/MEM path at Yale. Many fewer Berkeley students seem to have taken advantage of the opportunity, despite being attached to a huge institution. Is this something that I should be considering?
- I've heard that Yale SOM is more theoretical/academic, whereas Berkeley is more hands-on. I know that a lot of the curriculum at Berkeley is applied, and many students are interning part-time while doing the full-time MBA. Is this perception real, and how much should I weigh?
- Total cost of attendance seems to be roughly even between the schools. However, I have a small amount of scholarship offer from Yale, and I'm worried about the 'incidental' costs incurred at Berkeley from club fees, competition fees, etc adding up over time.
Help me decide?
20 Apr 2020, 15:07
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East coast is for finance
While I may not have extensive information about it, I know that Bloomberg has an ESG (environmental, social and governance team) product that works with the ESG investment funds in New York
Posted from my mobile device
While I may not have extensive information about it, I know that Bloomberg has an ESG (environmental, social and governance team) product that works with the ESG investment funds in New York
Posted from my mobile device
BananaNation
Joined: 22 Feb 2016
Last visit: 13 Jul 2024
Posts: 89
Given Kudos: 13
Location: United States (CA)
Schools: Haas '21 (M) Kellogg '21 (A)
Updated on: 20 Apr 2020, 22:27
Originally posted by BananaNation on 20 Apr 2020, 15:34.
Last edited by BananaNation on 20 Apr 2020, 22:27, edited 1 time in total.
Last edited by BananaNation on 20 Apr 2020, 22:27, edited 1 time in total.
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Happy to give you some generic answers, but can connect you with people who are more focused on impact investing. DM me and I will put you in touch with them.
1) [CORRECTED] We have a lot of people going into impact investing who were accepted into both Haas and Yale and who ultimately chose Haas (including my flatmate). My understanding is that Haas has more resources and great hands-on opportunities that very few other schools can provide. Just an example, here is the link to the Haas Impact Fund https://haas.berkeley.edu/saif/curriculum/haas-impact-fund/ that allows students to invest into real world businesses (this is a 1 unit course where you select your topic, find a company to invest into and then compete against other Haas teams to get the right to invest. This fund has a grant of $500k). More importantly, Haas has a Sustainable Investment Fund that is entirely managed by Haas students with $3.5m under their command. Professors act as advisers and students are in complete control, with a power of final say in any investment decision resting in students hands. I can connect you with my friend who can tell you more about these funds and other impact investing opportunities at Haas
2) While Yale University is lucrative brand, your network will be primarily based around b-school alumni, not the larger university. Talking about the 'WOW' factor, people that matter (i.e. recruiters, business partners etc.) will know all business schools and how good they really are so I wouldn't worry about that. Also, I should say that the school name gets you a foot in the door but then it is all up to you, both Haas and Yale will get you into most of these doors without any issues.
3) COVID situation is too unpredictable, but I feel like every school will struggle equally. but if Harvard can receive $9 million government aid, then the UC system can expect an even better level of government support.
4) Weather and nature here are just perfect! We have lunch time hikes into Berkeley hills and it is just more enjoyable to live in a place that is sunny and warm most of the days.
5) Many students take classes outside of Haas, but majority of them are from the I-school or EECS school. Having said that, you can always take classes at the Goldman school of public policy, but do a bit of digging into the courses available there (I can ask around if anyone is doing any public policy classes).
6) Level of hands-on experience really depends on the class you are taking, but yes there is a general tendency to promote hands-on experience. For me, there is a good balance between theory and practice at Haas, with some tendency towards more hands-on experience.
7) Haas annual tuition fees are usually $10k lower than any other top 10 school, but you can always leverage your scholarships at Yale to ask Haas for more money!
Hope that answers some of your questions but let me know if you want to get connected with people who are closer to climate finance or impact investing and I can put you in touch. Finally, I do no know much about Yale's community, but my advise is connect with as many people from both schools as you can and see which culture/people you like the most. For me this was the most important factor in making my b-school decision. Good luck!
1) [CORRECTED] We have a lot of people going into impact investing who were accepted into both Haas and Yale and who ultimately chose Haas (including my flatmate). My understanding is that Haas has more resources and great hands-on opportunities that very few other schools can provide. Just an example, here is the link to the Haas Impact Fund https://haas.berkeley.edu/saif/curriculum/haas-impact-fund/ that allows students to invest into real world businesses (this is a 1 unit course where you select your topic, find a company to invest into and then compete against other Haas teams to get the right to invest. This fund has a grant of $500k). More importantly, Haas has a Sustainable Investment Fund that is entirely managed by Haas students with $3.5m under their command. Professors act as advisers and students are in complete control, with a power of final say in any investment decision resting in students hands. I can connect you with my friend who can tell you more about these funds and other impact investing opportunities at Haas
2) While Yale University is lucrative brand, your network will be primarily based around b-school alumni, not the larger university. Talking about the 'WOW' factor, people that matter (i.e. recruiters, business partners etc.) will know all business schools and how good they really are so I wouldn't worry about that. Also, I should say that the school name gets you a foot in the door but then it is all up to you, both Haas and Yale will get you into most of these doors without any issues.
3) COVID situation is too unpredictable, but I feel like every school will struggle equally. but if Harvard can receive $9 million government aid, then the UC system can expect an even better level of government support.
4) Weather and nature here are just perfect! We have lunch time hikes into Berkeley hills and it is just more enjoyable to live in a place that is sunny and warm most of the days.
5) Many students take classes outside of Haas, but majority of them are from the I-school or EECS school. Having said that, you can always take classes at the Goldman school of public policy, but do a bit of digging into the courses available there (I can ask around if anyone is doing any public policy classes).
6) Level of hands-on experience really depends on the class you are taking, but yes there is a general tendency to promote hands-on experience. For me, there is a good balance between theory and practice at Haas, with some tendency towards more hands-on experience.
7) Haas annual tuition fees are usually $10k lower than any other top 10 school, but you can always leverage your scholarships at Yale to ask Haas for more money!
Hope that answers some of your questions but let me know if you want to get connected with people who are closer to climate finance or impact investing and I can put you in touch. Finally, I do no know much about Yale's community, but my advise is connect with as many people from both schools as you can and see which culture/people you like the most. For me this was the most important factor in making my b-school decision. Good luck!
