Mccombs w/o $$ vs Georgetown w/ $25k aid

MBA
1

Hi, I need some inputs in choosing between McCombs and Georgetown. I have got a $25000 scholarship from georgetown for each year (totalling to $50000). However McCombs seems to be better suited w.r.t my career goals (strategy consulting and tech…

2

Hi,
I need some inputs in choosing between McCombs and Georgetown. I have got a $25000 scholarship from georgetown for each year (totalling to $50000). However McCombs seems to be better suited w.r.t my career goals (strategy consulting and technology commercialization) than Georgetown. It also is ranked consistently in the top 20's. Georgetown has come up in the last few years and has a good potential to break into the top 20's. It is also not a bad school as for as strategy and management consulting goes.
Under these circumstances, will it be a good idea to take georgetown because of the $$ considering that it is not far behind McCombs or will McCombs anyday be a better option to take?
Please suggest. Any personal experiences is also greatly welcome.

Regards,
vinod

3
Hi,
I need some inputs in choosing between McCombs and Georgetown. I have got a $25000 scholarship from georgetown for each year (totalling to $50000). However McCombs seems to be better suited w.r.t my career goals (strategy consulting and technology commercialization) than Georgetown. It also is ranked consistently in the top 20's. Georgetown has come up in the last few years and has a good potential to break into the top 20's. It is also not a bad school as for as strategy and management consulting goes.
Under these circumstances, will it be a good idea to take georgetown because of the $$ considering that it is not far behind McCombs or will McCombs anyday be a better option to take?
Please suggest. Any personal experiences is also greatly welcome.

Regards,
vinod



dude, check post #373 in here:
http://www.pagalguy.com/discussions/admitted-rotman-business-schooltoronto-25013228

i wrote my 2 cents on Austin/McCombs.....hope it helps.
Altho i think Georgetown is fantastic school also....with great location and many other universities closeby, so good for making contacts. Gdluck wit ur decision making.

longhorn
4
Hi,
I need some inputs in choosing between McCombs and Georgetown.
Regards,
vinod


Disclaimer:
  1. I have not applied to Gtown and do not know much about their MBA
  2. program.
  3. I will be attending McCombs, starting this fall.
  4. I am a U.S Citizen so don't have the H1 issue to think about after
  5. graduating and so look at schools from a different perspective.
  6. Forgive my grammar/spelling :smile:
I suggest you call career services at each school and find out how many intl' students get placed in strategy consulting/tech; which countries they get placed in; what sort of companies in your intended field come to network/hire on campus; what the average pay is for intl' students. I'm sure a lot of us have opinions and experience - but I just feel that when making such an important decision, you have to reach out to the correct source. If they can provide you with this data, then you can compare and you'll know which way to lean.

Also, please look at the BW/Princeton Review/WSJ profiles of each school and see what they're known for, what type of companies hire there, etc. Also see the attached PDF.


Now, as far as my opinion on the situation goes

The thing to think about is that it is really important to get a great first job. Which school will provide you with more opportunities to do so? E.g. does McKinsey/BCG/Bain etc. hire more McCombs grads than Gtown grads; are there more tech related opportunities available in Austin than in DC, etc? I think if you get a great first job - and do your best after that - then your degree from a top school (or lack thereof) shouldn't restrict you to climb further. I doubt that 10 years down the line, a Gtown MBA vs. a McCombs MBA will be the deciding factor that determines your career growth. But when you graduate 2 years from now, Gtown vs. McCombs could very well be the deciding factor as a school that opened the right doors for you. That I feel is key...

Both schools are really good - but as you mentioned, you need to understand how each school matches up with your goals.

Gtown as a university is world class. It has a strong overall undergraduate reputation across the globe, and an extremely well-known international relations/public policy program. This name will stay with you forever. I'm assuming the strength in the international aspect carries over to the bskool (jntl' business). Until recently, the bskool, did not seem to have as good a rep. as the univ's other departments. However, if you just look at the recent jump in the US News rankings, you'll notice that it does have the potential to be a top 15 or 20 school. And, I have heard that there is a new dean and a new building in the making - so these are good things for the school.

As far as UT goes - the overall university may not have as strong a reputation as Gtown, but it is definitely a very,very recognizable name. The fact that approx. 10,000 students graduate every year means that the alumni base is large and so it's not like the school name will be forgotten. Also, McCombs has a very strong presence in the southwest, and is also known to be a strong bskool around the U.S (undergrad and grad). There's also no doubt that McCombs is strong academically, so the educational experience should be really good.

Looking at things from a rankings perspective, while Gtown may or may not be a top 20 school in the future, McCombs has consistently ranked in the top-20 (BW and US News rankings). I'm sure the FT/Economist rankings present a different story, but since I'm not interested in working in Europe, I'm not really paying attention to those rankings. And as far as I know, in the U.S, US News/BW rankings are the ones most people refer to. Moreover, looking at the specialty rankings, (News & Information from the McCombs School of Business - The University of Texas at Austin), McCombs is present in several of them in the top-20, and is top-10 in information tech/systems, mgmt. consulting. So McCombs may cost more, but from a purely rankings point of view, it's less of a risk, and seems to mesh with your career path.

But you just have to look beyond the rankings (fit, education ROI, job placement, etc.). There's no doubt that McCombs is strong academically, and based on the people I know/have met, they're really friendly, and the environment seems to be collaborative. The downside - the administration is unresponsive (for e.g., I have emailed someone in career services with questions and have not received any response). The school's BW profile says that McCombs isn't responsive to the career needs of intl' students. On the other hand, per US News this year, approx. 93% of students were placed 3 months out. So obviously, many intl' students did get jobs. The question is - what type of jobs do they get? Hopefully the school's career services will provide you with an answer.

Finally, ask yourself where you want work, region wise - at least initially. U.S or Europe or Asia? If you want to work in Europe, then I would ask, why McCombs and Gtown, why not a European school. If you want to work in the U.S, does it matter if it's the east or west or southwest, etc.? If you want to stay in the southwest, then McCombs is the way to go.

It is definitely going to be tough getting a job as an international student, whether Gtown or McCombs. Easier said than done, but if you can answer - which school will open more doors for you out of school, and which will give me the better overall experience - then you'll know where to go.

Good luck and perhaps we'll meet in Austin.
5

Vinod, what are your stats like? just curious

6
Hi,
I need some inputs in choosing between McCombs and Georgetown. I have got a $25000 scholarship from georgetown for each year (totalling to $50000). However McCombs seems to be better suited w.r.t my career goals (strategy consulting and technology commercialization) than Georgetown. It also is ranked consistently in the top 20's. Georgetown has come up in the last few years and has a good potential to break into the top 20's. It is also not a bad school as for as strategy and management consulting goes.
Under these circumstances, will it be a good idea to take georgetown because of the $$ considering that it is not far behind McCombs or will McCombs anyday be a better option to take?
Please suggest. Any personal experiences is also greatly welcome.

Regards,
vinod

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