Advice on making a decision on what b school to attend

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Hello,

I am new to the forum and was unsure if this was an appropriate question to ask, since I see that most people inquire about their profiles for admission, while I am actually deciding where to go post-admissions process. I was wondering if I may be able to receive some advice on what b-school would be best to attend, considering not only ranking but also my scholarships, goals, location, etc.

So basically, I am 24 years old and have been in DC for 7 years, working in the public sector on energy and environment issues. I desire to continue in sustainability but am interested in consulting, either as part of a major company (internal energy audits, sustainability initiatives, etc... like a Sustainability Director of Sony or Walmart or the like) or as part of the sustainability arm of a major firm (Accenture, Deloitte, etc.)

I am deciding between three schools:
1. Cornell
2. Ohio State
3. George Washington

Clearly, Cornell is the most prestigious however it is in Ithaca, I would be a small fish in a big, over achieving pond, and most importantly, I would be heavily (think $150-200k) in debt as I received no $. Love the program as there is a dedicated Sustainability "Immersion".

Ohio State is also a great program with a small class size, however it is in.. well.. Ohio. While it is not ranked as high as Cornell, it still is around 25 to 30. The program has a decent amount of sustainability in it, but the real kicker is that they gave me a significant scholarship (and while I can not disclose the details of it, it covers a large amount of tuition, rent and a monthly stipend so I would be about 30k or less in debt at the end).

Finally, GW. I am already here in DC and the city and its opportunities are tough to beat. While they gave me the largest scholarship, it only covers most of tuition but does not cover living expenses (which are huge here in DC). The location is really what draws me to GW as well as my existing network, but the program is not highly ranked, the resources are not as good as the two other schools, and the program does not have many specific "sustainability" aspects although the energy and Net Impact clubs are highly active. Again, though, it is in DC which means a lot.

Anyways, if you can get through that whole novel I wrote, I would appreciate any advice you could lend.

Thanks!!!
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by Stacey Oyler » Tue Jan 31, 2012 4:11 pm
Hi

Thanks for your post. Congratulations on three great admissions offers!

I never like to tell anyone where to go to school, however I do think it's important that one feels 100% comfortable and excited about their decision.

After reading your post it seems to me that you really want to go to GW and might be looking for some validation on your decision. I think it's a great program, but from what you've shared it doesn't seem like it offers what you need in terms of programs and courses.

At the end of the day you need to decide which matters more - going to a prestigious program and being in debt or attending a great local program and coming out with much less debt to pay off. Essentially it's a choice between your wallet and your future career. My advice is attend all three admit weekends if at all possible. I find these weekends usually make a school choice easy since one program seems to "fit" better than the others.

Best,

Stacey
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by ny_mets » Wed Feb 01, 2012 6:09 am
Hi Stacey,

Thanks so much for your reply. That's a fantastic suggestion that I had not thought of. I guess my only reservation would be that I did want to make a decision as quickly as possible so that I could tell the two schools that I wont be attending so they can give my spot to someone else. Is that a valid concern or am I just crazy?

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by Stacey Oyler » Thu Feb 02, 2012 3:05 pm
That is very kind of you to think of others waiting for a spot. I actually just spoke with a client today about this very same thing. He got into three schools, but there was one that he clearly applied to as a back up that he really was not considering attending. I advised him to tell them right away so that someone else could have his spot - he wasn't doing anyone any favors by waiting to respond. Your situation is a bit different in that there doesn't really seem to be a clear last place program or for that matter even a clear front runner. Take your time, you spent a long time applying to these programs, you've earned the right to take your time and make an informed decision.

Best,

Stacey

PS - Someone will still get your spot in the 2 programs you don't choose no matter the timing of your decision.
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by voiceofsticks » Mon Apr 30, 2012 9:52 am
Fellow DC resident here. I'm starting at Smith in the Fall. I actually am from Columbus originally, and I would put in a bid for OSU here. My reasoning is simple, it would provide you a good balance between ranking and cost of living. Sounds like they've given you a good scholarship already and honestly life in Columbus can be boring but you'll only be there for 2 years. Also, from what I understand OSU works reallllly hard to get recruiters to visit the Midwest.

If you've already decided, feel free to disregard this message :-)

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by Stacey Oyler » Tue May 01, 2012 11:03 am
Thanks for sharing your two cents. Ny_mets - did you make a decision?

Regards,

Stacey
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