The Application Process

I am planning to apply to b-schools in the fall, and trying to narrow down the list of schools. Stanford and Haas are both programs that really appeal to me. However, the one thing that has given me pause about applying to those schools is that I am pretty sure I'll want to be in NYC after graduation, and I've heard that West Coast b-schools are not very good with East Coast job prospects.

I've already dismissed this concern with Stanford. After all, Stanford is Stanford, and I realize that an MBA from Standford will be extremely valuable to any U.S. company, regardless of what coast they're on. But I'm not so sure about Haas. Does anyone have thoughts on this? If I am very likely to want to work in NYC after getting an MBA, should I cross Haas off of my list of schools?

Thanks in advance.

Hi JP,

Great question. Interestingly, this issue comes up often and there are several strong opinions on the matter. Here is my take (which could engage push back!).

While Haas is a fantastic program, I do believe that Haas suffers from 'lower' recognition on the East Coast - esp in NYC. Several Haas alums have told me that they had difficulty breaking into traditional post-MBA careers based in NYC (IB, PE, Consulting). I am not sure how this relates to your career interests. Also, the school does not attract the same % of east coast students (as other programs might have).

That said, I do believe that in any top MBA program, you can find the opportunities you are looking for with the right amount of networking. Given Haas strength and strong alumni network (which unfortunately is mostly based in the Bay), you should be able to work your way into companies that are interesting to you.

** Also, Haas has a joint program with Columbia. I don't know specific details of the program, but my guess is you could use Columbia's resources to forge stronger networks in NYC.


Hope this helps,

NP