CBS vs Kellogg for Post-MBA PE with Pre-MBA IB/PE Experience
Which school would you rather go to? I know CBS is seen as an IB feeder (>Kellogg) for MBA associate roles, but what if it were for a candidate who has already gotten into IB out of undergrad and did a two year stint at an MM/UMM/MF?
Post-MBA location is not extremely important (NYC/Chicago both seem like great cities to me and I've spent time in both). I'm hearing my peers talk about how the general prestige and brand of Kellogg is arguably stronger than CBS, but have also heard other people say CBS>>>Kellogg in those aspects, so I wanted to hear some opinions on the specific situation for a pre-MBA PE associate.
They're viewed basically the same and being at one vs. the other won't torpedo your chances at any firm. Obviously there's advantages to being able to network in person but it's not like it's particularly difficult to travel between Chicago and NYC. For what it's worth Booth is comparable as well. I'm sure Sloan is great too but for whatever reason I've seen significantly fewer Sloan alumni in PE compared to the rest of the M7.
Your decision should really come down to fit for you as your general happiness and motivation at school is going to have a lot more to do with your recruiting success than the specific school you choose to go to. Take some time to visit and chat with students and faculty to get a sense for the culture and the overall vibe at each school. I generally believe business school students are more similar than different no matter where they are but there is definitely a distinct vibe to each student body. Plus there are structural differences that could affect your experience like semesters vs. quarters, study abroad options, fixed vs. flexible curriculum, section assignments, orientation trips etc. Lastly, since you'll be coming from a strong finance background, you need to decide whether you want to double down on finance and go to Columbia or get a more well rounded education at Kellogg. There's valid reasons to wanting to do both, but IMO the latter is preferable in PE which I would argue is barely even a finance job to begin with and becomes less so the more senior you get.
Great insight, thank you!
CBS is better for NY buyside (especially smaller hedge funds with a value approach to equities), IBD, and anything outside the US.
Kellogg probably just as good or better for everything else. It's also a much more fun experience. I have plenty of friends who went to Kellogg and they're a tight group, loyal to each other, very fond of the experience etc.
That said, overall they're of a comparable caliber.
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