Top tier MBA or MBA in city you want to work?
So I'm still a few years out from applying to an MBA program but have been thinking a lot about it lately.
As I start to target in on schools that I want to attend I have to start being real with myself about the schools that I can feasibly get into. Based on how I've done with standardized testing in the past, I'm guessing my GMAT will be in the high 600's/ low 700's. Obviously this isn't great, but not horrible.
So my question to everyone: would you be just as well off as going to a bus school in the city/state you want to work/live in long term vs getting into a top tier program?
What are your goals? Why are you getting an MBA? That'll heavily influence your list of schools. Eg: I'm looking to do IB, so I'm targeting schools like Virginia, Columbia, Duke
Start GMAT'ing now. And I wouldn't necessarily base your GMAT expectations on past standardized test performance. That is, unless you studied like crazy for a few months for the SAT and still scored under 1200.
To answer your question, I'd say it depends on which industry you want to work in post-MBA, and whether any schools in your desired region feed well into that industry (e.g., a candidate wants to work in Houston IB, so he chooses Rice over Kellogg).
Agree that goals are the #1 driver. For 90% of exits, M7 trumps a regional program. T15 is more of a mix and depends on the end industries the school is strong in.
If you're talking about a regional school in a major city (NYC, SF, Chicago, Boston in particular) national top schools usually take precedence.
For consulting/IB, it's almost always top programs.
Startups/tech may skew towards a regional school.
Corporates are a mixed bag.
So if I'm understanding what you're staying correctly, a grad from Kellogg would take precedence over a grad from BU/BC in Boston?
All else equal? Yes. If the company is willing to hire you as a Kellogg graduate, they'll have no issue with you starting in their Boston office.
Sure, if you can get into Kellogg go Kellogg. But if you want to live and work in Boston, I’d take BC/BU over some higher ranked schools like Emory, Vanderbilt, Georgetown, etc.
M7 > regional school > T30
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