Seeking some advice from Finance/Economics/MBA experts please or anyone else who may have an opinion ... Can you kindly focus your response to the 3 schools outlined below only. Which is the better institution for a MBA: MIT, Cornell or Chicago Booth and why? MIT and Cornell seem to be more Engineering focussed, better for undergraduate programmes perhaps more so than for MBAs. Cornell is Ivy League, but I'm uncertain as to whether it is really known for its MBA. Chicago seems popular amongst the finance students, but is not Ivy. LBS/INSEAD are not in the scope of this discussion. Any thoughts which you may have would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
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MBA School Advice - Cornell, MIT, Chicago, got into all 3
Source: Beat The GMAT — Research MBA Programs |
Sloan and Booth are on another level compared to Cornell in terms or rankings and recruiting opportunities. I would focus on fit when it comes to Sloan vs. Booth. I visited both programs and student body is distinctly different. Both have great facilities, located in great cities, and strong for tech skills. Johnson is a great program in it's own right, but I would rule it out without hesitation.
Hi JBSimon
Thank you for your email. Can you tell me a little about your experience when you visited Sloan and Booth. When you say the student body is distinctly different, how so ? Could you please you provide a little more colour on how they differ and which you prefer. I would be most grateful. I understand you Cornell point.
Thank you,
Thank you for your email. Can you tell me a little about your experience when you visited Sloan and Booth. When you say the student body is distinctly different, how so ? Could you please you provide a little more colour on how they differ and which you prefer. I would be most grateful. I understand you Cornell point.
Thank you,
It's difficult to describe the difference and would say to try to see for yourself rather than my take my opinion. but, I will try to add some color for you:
People:
Sloan- Everyone was very friendly, smart, and sharp. I would say they have a different style than many other programs. Not in a bad way, but my impression was that they were less "polished". The positive side of this is that I think they are a little lower on the BS meter. The negative maybe is that there is less business presence you expect from MBAs. You might think you're at a Engineering school rather than a business school. Again, limited sample and just my own impression.
Booth - On the other hand Booth students were quite polished. I.e. they set off the BS meter a little, but also give a very professional first impression and seem well trained. Still down to earth.
Facilities:
Sloan - Very nice facilities, in the a great location in Campbridge. The main building is new and very nice. Then there are some older facilities that they use.
Booth - Top notch facilities. The building itself has a huge collection of modern art and the architecture is quite impressive. Located just south of Chicago. Students tend to live in one of 3 locations and 2 of those are not campus. They will swear that it doesn't impact their community, but it doesn't seem like everyone is always in the same spot. They also have a great building downtown where students meet or attend night/weekend classes.
Transparently, I am biased towards Booth. I can't say it enough, you have to make your own opinion. Both places are world class and anyone would be privileged to attend either.
People:
Sloan- Everyone was very friendly, smart, and sharp. I would say they have a different style than many other programs. Not in a bad way, but my impression was that they were less "polished". The positive side of this is that I think they are a little lower on the BS meter. The negative maybe is that there is less business presence you expect from MBAs. You might think you're at a Engineering school rather than a business school. Again, limited sample and just my own impression.
Booth - On the other hand Booth students were quite polished. I.e. they set off the BS meter a little, but also give a very professional first impression and seem well trained. Still down to earth.
Facilities:
Sloan - Very nice facilities, in the a great location in Campbridge. The main building is new and very nice. Then there are some older facilities that they use.
Booth - Top notch facilities. The building itself has a huge collection of modern art and the architecture is quite impressive. Located just south of Chicago. Students tend to live in one of 3 locations and 2 of those are not campus. They will swear that it doesn't impact their community, but it doesn't seem like everyone is always in the same spot. They also have a great building downtown where students meet or attend night/weekend classes.
Transparently, I am biased towards Booth. I can't say it enough, you have to make your own opinion. Both places are world class and anyone would be privileged to attend either.
I disagree with the Cornell statement that the school si mostly known for engineering. That is highly incorrect. Johnson is an amazing school and has great credibility. I made a visit to Cornell a few months ago for their Women in Business event, and I must say that I fell in love with the atmosphere and the smaller class size. You need to choose the school that will help you to acheive your post mba goals. I spoke with a number of mba candidates geared towards Finance/IB and they all had offers to work for the some of the best banks in the world. Now Booth is known for their Finance MBA and has a wonderful reputation in the financial industry. MIT I know is more quant focused. This is just my opinion.
I just read the other comments...and it all come down to you. Where do you see yourself fitting in, since you will be there for 2 years. I know a Harvard grad who turned down Columbia to attend Johnson.Gaining admission to a top 20 program is difficult and each school has their own attributes.
If its ranking based go with Booth...either way you go, I don't think you will have an issue getting the job that you want.
If its ranking based go with Booth...either way you go, I don't think you will have an issue getting the job that you want.
