Columbia MBA or Yale SOM

Hello all,

I am here for some advise as I can’t decide between Columbia Business School and Yale SOM, I got accepted to both of their MBA program Columbia with 80 percent scholarship starting in January 2022 and finishing in May 2023, Yale SOM with 25 percent scholarship starting in August 2022 and finishing May 2024, I can’t decide on which Business School I want to go too, I wanted to go to Columbia until I got accepted at Yale SOM just last week, and now I can’t come up at a decision. I care more about the brand name of the school that is more recognized world wide, I come from an underdeveloped country in the Middle East and would like to go back one day and work in my own land. Post MBA, I am interested in working for the United Nation, Amnesty,  USAID, World Bank, Google and McKinsey and a school that has a good non-profit program as well. So basically brand is more important for me than anything and if any of these schools get me at least closer to one of the companies I mentioned to get me to my dream Job at the United Nation. I will be happy. Thank you so much for your time, I look forward your insightful advise. 

 

80% at Columbia is pretty unbeatable.  The important people in your country will know what that school is.  The more important question is are you able to have an internship during the shortened term?  

 

I did had an offer to start in August 2022 for Columbia, but I realized the more I delay my MBA program the more I overthink my decision and keep applying for other schools and than that would be a harder decision. I could do an internship while in the program but yes that’s the only disadvantage for the J-term and its solely because I didn’t wanted yo wait for august 2022 to start. 

 

I would look at the prospects of getting an internship at your desired organization with the January starting date. That's the biggest concern to me of Columbia J-term. I think it hurts you a lot but it really depends on the recruiting schedule for those firms (McKinsey and Google definitely start before January, not sure about the World Bank and the like).  Yale SOM is really great for non-profit, policy, social impact, so I would take it if I find out my chances of landing an internship will be adversely affected by CBS' January starting date. Congrats on both offers!

 

I thought about the internship a lot and I still can request to start in August 2022 for CBS but for some reason I just wanted to start the program in January and not wait any longer, and I understand that Yale SOM has a pretty good non-profit program but I also feel like Columbia has been there longer than Yale SOM in terms of legacy, if you look at Yale school of management, it’s only about 20 years old, in compare to Columbia and their notable alumni’s as well. I am still so confused, though I remember when I got accepted to Berkeley Haas, in the same week I got my acceptance from CBS too, and I knew I wanted to go to CBS but now for some reason when it came to Yale SOM, the decision is much harder. 

 
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