Paul25 wrote:Iowa Tippie (full ride) vs SMU Cox (half ride)

Hello,

Total work ex : About 6 years at matriculation

<<snip>>

Request you to avoid discussing/suggesting other business schools.

Thank You

Paul,

As you seem to have rightly surmised that the two are pretty close in terms of opportunities and brand. The location is a minor thing provided there is a sufficiently big alum network out there.

Given the context and scenario, it would definitely make sense to go for Tippie - that'd be out vote.

Cheers,

Thank you MG. I might have to still secure my spot at Cox because it will easily take up to a month to complete all formalities and get I-20 for Tippie. One cannot take any chances with these complex procedures.

Thanks again!!

Dear MG,

I also have admit from Carlson (Minnesota) - Rank 27 in US News, with zero scholarship. School has refused me any possible funding.
What do you suggest. I know that Carlson is a good school, but is it worth taking a huge loan for a non top 20 MBA ? Will I be at a huge disadvantage if I don't go to Carlson ?

Please help!

Hmm....that does make things even more interesting. See if the schools can put you in touch with alums in your post-MBA target industry and try to take a call basis that. I'd perhaps vote for Carlson.

Dear MG,

Thank you for your prompt response. To be honest, I don't think that I will be able to afford Carlson without scholarship. I know that Carlson is a great school and is part of a well-known University. I am 28 years old and don't want to take a huge loan either. I am also a bit disappointed to learn that most top companies in Minnesota don't sponsor internationals. However, I will do some more research.

Regards

Sure Paul.

Just a pov to share. Loans are very common for MBA grads; the rationale for not taking it hopefully is more objective than emotional one.

Cheers,

Hi MG,

Thank you very much for your valuable inputs. Sorry for the delayed reply. Yes, I am willing to take a loan but not to the tune of 120k - 140k for a school that is not even a top 20 by any means. Hence, I did not put down my deposit for Carlson as they refused to offer me any scholarship. Many of my friends have experienced the same thing with Carlson.

After a lot of research, I felt that I should try to strike a balance among such factors as reputation, cost, location and suitability to my career goals. My total scholarship at Cox is now 65% (of tuition). If at all, I would also be taking a very small loan for Cox. Due to Dallas location and my interests in Energy and Tech, I am currently leaning towards Cox. Iowa's offer is great and they have a good alumni network but the location is just too unattractive for me. I am also not very interested in opportunities offered by employers in Chicago, which is a good 5-6 hour drive from Iowa city.

In R2, I also interviewed at Michigan Broad and Georgetown McDonough. Both have waitlisted me after interviews. I am also waitlisted at my top choice - McCombs since R1 without interview. I am a reapplicant at McCombs (was interviewed in R1, waitlisted and denied last year). I highly doubt that anything is likely to materialize from these waitlists. I am sending regular updates. I shall keep you updated. I am very grateful for your help.

For now, it seems that I shall be heading to SMU Cox in Dallas.

Regards

Sounds like a decent deal this one Paul. Assuming you've told McCombs about your other offers of course.

All the best buddy

Cheers,

Dear MG,

Thank you for your prompt response. Yes, I am interacting regularly with McCombs. For many obvious reasons, it is the only school that I would still be interested in attending; even without a scholarship or any kind of aid. It is definitely one of the best schools in the world for Energy and Tech. Of course, only if I get an admit. I shall keep you posted. Thank you very much.

Regards

Hi MG,

I'd be grateful for a quick evaluation of my profile thus far. I'm looking at the likes of Tepper and UNC Kenan-Flager (possibly ISB as well).

I dont really want to go into details of my resume on public forums, hope you understand.

I graduated from IIT-D with a pretty horrible cgpa (6.007 ). During the undergraduate degree, I founded a start up in the education sector and ran it pretty successfully for a year but had to close it down.

After graduating, I joined a more or less unknown startup, which I left after 6 months when a batchmate approached me with an idea for a startup. That one has been going pretty strong now and we will be looking for Series A funding in the next few months.

All in all, my work experience is 2 years after graduating and 2 years while studying. Can I say that the work experience is 4 years?

My GMAT score is 720. I bombed the verbal section sadly (Q51, V35)

So what are the chances of getting into the above mentioned Schools?

Also, what is your opinion on the online MBA programs that have been cropping up? Are they worth it? I'm asking this because I dont really want to leave my job right now although I feel I need an MBA to work to the best of my ability in a rapidly growing organization. That's why I'd rather go the online route instead of Exec MBA or full time MBA.

Thanks for all the help!

mps13 wrote:Hi MG,

I'd be grateful for a quick evaluation of my profile thus far. I'm looking at the likes of Tepper and UNC Kenan-Flager (possibly ISB as well).

I dont really want to go into details of my resume on public forums, hope you understand.

I graduated from IIT-D with a pretty horrible cgpa (6.007 ). During the undergraduate degree, I founded a start up in the education sector and ran it pretty successfully for a year but had to close it down.

<<snip>>

best of my ability in a rapidly growing organization. That's why I'd rather go the online route instead of Exec MBA or full time MBA.

Thanks for all the help!

A few points for you to ponder on mps13:

1. Well without a full profile, it becomes a bit tough to do a good assessment. But first up, nope, the years of experience won't be 4. Though you will get rich points for the undergrad gig. The non-stability though could be a bit of an issue and you'll have to articulate the choices well.
2. In general, I never recommend online MBAs. But then, it really depends on the reason you are looking for an MBA frankly. Read here for a bit more perspective on this. If you do decide to go for it, read this.
3. I wouldn't really call the GPA horrible; just about average. But that, with the GMAT will make the overall arc pretty average. Since there is an assignable cause, definitely consider a retake.
4. For reasons mentioned here, we don't really speculate on your selection chances. That said, the 2 years experience is likely to make things a bit on the tougher side. Even so, with a better score, there is definitely merit in testing the waters with a limited applications this year.

Hope this helps some.

Cheers,

Hi MG,

Thanks for the prompt reply! Yes, I did a bit of research on the online MBA programs and the only ones I'd be interested in are either Kelly, Kenan-Flager, IE or WBS, because it seems that reputation of the school precedes the teaching etc. In my opinion, online MBAs are getting stick just like any revolutionary idea does. MiMs by LBS faced some criticism when the program started but in less than a decade, people are desperate for getting in!

And as I said, it will probably be impossible for me to take time out of work for quite the foreseeable future but I do feel as though an MBA is quite necessary for me to perform to the fullest of my abilities. That's why the most efficient way was the online MBA route (obviously from a well recognized school)

And as for retaking the GMAT, I definitely will give it some thought but the fact of the matter is, "GMAT english" is not really my strong point and there are no guarantees that I'd be able to do much better after staring at questions for the better part of 3 hours. I dont think an improvement of 10-20 points would make much more of a difference because as it is, 720 is 94th percentile and 740 is 96th percentile, am I right in thinking about it in this way?

I'm looking forward to a deeper discussion when I sign up for the MBA MAP, couple months down the line but I'm grateful for your help so far and am looking forward to your thoughts.

Thanks

mps13 wrote:Hi MG,

Thanks for the prompt reply! Yes, I did a bit of research on the online MBA programs and the only ones I'd be interested in are either Kelly, Kenan-Flager, IE or WBS, because it seems that reputation of the school

<<snip>>

I'm looking forward to a deeper discussion when I sign up for the MBA MAP, couple months down the line but I'm grateful for your help so far and am looking forward to your thoughts.

Thanks

mps13,

Sure, the jury is still out there for online programs. But the point you have to research is that it will help you get to where you want to be 'today', not after a decade; you don't really have a personal crusade to make online MBAs successful right?

On the GMAT front, if you haven't tried it, seek some professional help; there is a huge difference between 720 and 740.

Cheers,

Paul25 wrote:Dear MG,

Thank you for your prompt response. Yes, I am interacting regularly with McCombs. For many obvious reasons, it is the only school that I would still be interested in attending; even without a scholarship or any kind of aid. It is definitely one of the best schools in the world for Energy and Tech. Of course, only if I get an admit. I shall keep you posted. Thank you very much.

Regards

URGENT

Dear MG,

Earlier this week I was accepted at Michigan State (Broad). I got a full ride..pretty much (fellowship,GA, medical insurance etc). I have decided to go there and I am finishing paperwork at breakneck speed. It's a great school for my goals : Supply Chain, Operations etc. I have work experience in same. Should I still wait for my top choice - McCombs ? I've been updating McCombs regularly as I am still on the Waiting List. Am getting late for Visa. Even if I get an admit from McCombs, is it worth going there ?

Regards

Paul25 wrote: URGENT

Dear MG,

Earlier this week I was accepted at Michigan State (Broad). I got a full ride..pretty much (fellowship,GA, medical insurance etc). I have decided to go there and I am finishing paperwork at breakneck speed. It's a great school for my goals : Supply Chain, Operations etc. I have work experience in same. Should I still wait for my top choice - McCombs ? I've been updating McCombs regularly as I am still on the Waiting List. Am getting late for Visa. Even if I get an admit from McCombs, is it worth going there ?

Regards

Excellent news that Paul.

I am sure since you've been at it, you would have done your research too? What does it say about employment prospects and cultural fit with the two schools?

I personally recommend going for the Brand but the difference here isn't super huge. So unless your research says that the prospects at McCombs will be much better, I would go with the full ride.

Cheers,