I feel extremely fortunate to have been admitted to Stanford GSB, Wharton, Haas and Columbia, and to have been offered a full ride to UCLA Anderson and $80K by Fuqua. I come from a creative background as a television producer and want to move into consulting in the media sector. My friends, family and colleagues are urging me to accept Stanford or Wharton, but it's hard to say no to the money. I also worry that at Stanford or Wharton I may run into issues competing for consulting jobs with other students who have a background in consulting. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
You've raised some fantastic points. You're right in that the immediate money calculation is going to be skewed in the favor of UCLA. And you're also right in thinking the size of the fish / size of the pond may come into play while you try to land a consulting gig. That said...my advice is still simple. UCLA and Stanford are not an apples to apples comparison. Stanford is better. Period. And that's the brand that'll follow you around for the rest of your life. I know in the immediate term $140K can seem really daunting but keep a longer time horizon in mind. Stanford is, in my opinion, the absolute right choice.
Oh - and did I say congratulations on the fact that you're facing this situation? That's really awesome!
Bhavik
















