MBA: McCombs vs. Anderson

Any help/insight here would be appreciated. My background is in site acquisitions for a commercial/multifamily developer but I'm trying to transition to REPE post-MBA. I'm also potentially interested in RE/gaming/lodging IB. My initial goal was NYC, but I was waitlisted by both Columbia and NYU. I was accepted to both Anderson and McCombs and am struggling with the decision. Anderson is obviously ranked a little higher, but I feel that, culturally, I'd be more comfortable in Texas vs. LA. Long-term, I'd probably want to head back to the mid-west (Chicago) to be closer to family. Any thoughts/insight would be appreciated.

 
Most Helpful

I remember UT constantly selling their real estate curriculum but I’ll be honest I know nothing about UCLA.

Your money will obviously go a lot further in Austin than LA so you might save more money at UT. Also you seem to like the culture at UT as well and that is hard to measure.

I’m not sure how well either school places in RE PE but I know if it is in Texas, UT will get you an interview. Pretty sure Dallas has a lot of this type of work and you would be competing with SMU kids. I’m sure the hoards of SMU students will give me MS but UTs students are a cut above, especially MBA, and I think you would do well. Goldman has a small MM real estate IB practice out of their Dallas office so maybe that is an indicator of buyside presence in the area. I know Starwood Capital has an office in Dallas. Also Hines is HQ’d in Houston and they obviously run big developments.

 
[Comment removed by mod team]
 

Anderson places a decent amount of people in REPE, but it's harder to locate opportunities outside of the region the school is in (this is true for any school). I know a few people who got opportunities in NYC, Texas, DC, etc., but most stay in the LA area. It's not impossible to get beyond the geographical boundaries of the school, but you need to put in a lot more legwork in your networking, and it can be heavily dependent on where alumni end up. See where the alumni end up and judge opportunities that way. 

As for culture, that's going to be a personal preference, although I will say while there are stereotypes of LA there are still plenty are people who don't fall into that category. 

 

Aut rerum et officia iusto. Ex non natus doloremque. Atque qui necessitatibus corporis qui facilis. Rem quo unde quidem dolores a.

Career Advancement Opportunities

March 2024 Investment Banking

  • Jefferies & Company 02 99.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 19 98.8%
  • Harris Williams & Co. (++) 98.3%
  • Lazard Freres 02 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 03 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

March 2024 Investment Banking

  • Harris Williams & Co. 18 99.4%
  • JPMorgan Chase 10 98.8%
  • Lazard Freres 05 98.3%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.7%
  • William Blair 03 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

March 2024 Investment Banking

  • Lazard Freres 01 99.4%
  • Jefferies & Company 02 98.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 17 98.3%
  • Moelis & Company 07 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 05 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

March 2024 Investment Banking

  • Director/MD (5) $648
  • Vice President (19) $385
  • Associates (86) $261
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (13) $181
  • Intern/Summer Associate (33) $170
  • 2nd Year Analyst (66) $168
  • 1st Year Analyst (202) $159
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (144) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
8
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
9
kanon's picture
kanon
98.9
10
numi's picture
numi
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”