I'm just an A1, so I have a few years to go until I have to make a decision, but I am curious what you guys think. What T15 school has the most fun MBA program? Would you ever turn down a Booth/Kellogg/Tuck/Yale, etc. to go to UVA/Mich, etc. to have more fun? I'm leaving HSW out of this conversation, because I believe those three (especially HS) are on another level when it comes to MBA prestige.
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Kellogg is the party school of the M7. Tuck seems to be pretty fun. I probably wouldn't focus your search on "fun" because every school has its party crowd, but I think you are wrong on Kellogg and Tuck being stiff, boring places to be.
I didn't say that they were stiff/boring places to be, but in comparison to a Mich/UVA/Duke, I highly doubt they come close in that area. So, what would the benefit be of going to a Kellogg/Booth >> Mich/Duke? The employment reports seem to be fairly identical, and they all have top tier networks.
Yes, the employment reports are fairly identical and they all have top tier networks. This is why I think the focus on M7 is a little overblow and you can probably do just as well at any top 15 school. I think the difference from a hiring perspective can be somewhat regional, particularly in consulting. For example, UVA and Duke send more people to Atlanta or DC offices while Kellogg and Booth students are more likely to stay in Chicago.
Other people have talked about the differences in what "fun" might be below.
You haven't defined what you mean by 'fun' so it is a little difficult to give you a crisp answer. Is fun going to parties? Hot girls? Activities? Cool trips?
Believe it or not, all of the top MBAs can be really fun. The amount of fun you have really depends on your own personality. Kellogg / Booth both have students that are partying all the time, taking trips around the world, hooking up, etc. Grade non-disclosure helps as there is no pressure to secure top grades in order to improve career prospects, which is the primary focus of the MBA for most (pressure from family / oneself is different).
Depending on the campus, you also have access to activities / people that are unaffiliated with the university. Booth students live in the center of Chicago and frequently go out to bars or have dinner in the city. It is easy to meet a non-Booth person just as you would if you were a working professional. Remember, you'll be doing your MBA in your late 20s and will have a bit of cash to spend, so the universe of things to do and people who will be attracted to you is a lot larger than when you were an undergrad.
I turned down Kellogg for UVA and would absolutely make the same choice again.
That said, all of the top schools from what I can tell are a ton of fun if that's what you want out of them, but they are different kinds of fun. Kellogg students seem like they do a bit more globetrotting (or at least did pre-pandemic) because they have O'Hare right there and can be anywhere in the world in 12 hours. UVA and Tuck are much more equivalent to each other in terms of fun culture than they are Kellogg or Booth (or really any city school) because they're ~2 hours from a major airport but are situated near some great outdoors spots and have the skiing/hiking/breweries/vineyards/outdoors lifestyle stuff all right there (plus the usual college town shenanigans).
Thank you!
Hey "Principal in PE" can you PM me? I would love to hear more about your experience at UVA
PM'd
Sitting on the other side of my MBA, I would not base my education decision on which school is more "fun" but rather which school is more in line with my professional goals. Do I agree that these next two years will be a welcomed break from your pre-MBA activities? Absolutely, but it's also a MAJOR investment in your future so it's important to think about the ROI.
For me, I first looked to Poets & Quants and reviewed job/industry placement stats, salary metrics, etc. From there, I compared alumni networks, satisfactions scores, you name it. After I scoured all the data I could find, I looked to an overlooked (but incredibly important) metric: the faculty. The professors at top-tier schools aren't just professors but leaders directly influencing (and revolutionizing) different industries, operations and workforces. While the schools have found a way to put a dollar number on this (via tuition), the exposure really is priceless. And if you play your cards right, those professors and guest lecturers might become future mentors and help you with future career decisions. At least, that was the case for me.
Lastly, something that I didn’t think about until after graduation was how much my classmates would shape my future. Many of them have started businesses or went the search fund route (which became investment opportunities for me), I started a non-profit with another, the list really does go on. Maybe you already did this, but I would take a look at what innovative activities alumni are doing and see how that may (or may not) fit with your plan.
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