Undecided - 01-02-2020 | Clear Admit DecisionWire

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January 2, 2020 8:43am ET

Enrolled: Undecided

Admitted: Dartmouth / Tuck $

$30,000

, MIT Sloan , Northwestern / Kellogg $

$120,000

, UT Austin / McCombs $

$114,000

, UVA / Darden $

$100,000

Applied: Dartmouth / Tuck, MIT Sloan, Northwestern / Kellogg, UPenn / Wharton, UT Austin / McCombs, UVA / Darden

Entering Year: 2020

Post MBA Career: Technology

GMAT: 760

Location: United States

Notes:

Hi Alex, Graham, All,

I received some great options and am struggling with the decision. I would happily attend all of them and am open to all US locations.

It's hard to look past a Sloan admit for tech and I love Tuck's feel, but it seems like the answer is to take the Kellogg money and run? Any advice?

Also Wharton WL if that should matter

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Show Comments (13) Last: February 27, 2020

anon28599 Likes Earned: 76 Tech is a lucrative industry. Money should be a factor in the decision, but not the dominant factor. Sloan is the best for Tech, and if its your dreams school, then pick it. Try to leverage the Kellogg money to see if Sloan gives you $$$. Congrats! (6)

anon55611 Likes Earned: 7 Same position and went with Sloan. Leveraged scholarship somewhere else and got a partial match but not guaranteed, depends on how much Sloan wants you I guess. Definitely your best option for your goals. Go to MIT (4)

alexbr4 Verified User. Likes Earned: 1584 Looks like some good advice, here. I'd also encourage you to pursue Wharton's wait list, to keep that option open. (2)

anon20747 Likes Earned: 50 OP - thanks all for the comments. It's a good but tough decision (0)

anon68436 Likes Earned: 15 Congrats, I'd take the money at Kellogg. Please withdraw from McCombs so I can negotiate more money. =) (2)

anon28599 Likes Earned: 76 Focus on your goals and land a your dream tech job! Go with Sloan its extremely hard to get in! Don't pass it up! (2)

alexbr4 Verified User. Likes Earned: 1584 More details on this decision in this episode of Wire Taps: https://www.clearadmit.com/2020/01/episode-75-wire-taps-mba-profiles-with-740-gmat-3-61-gpa-marketing-324-gre-3-23-gpa-consulting-post-mba-and-more-from-decisionwire/ (1)

anon20747 Likes Earned: 50 OP - Whoa! A Wire Taps feature! I was listening and realized it sounded familiar... Thanks for the advice! @anon68436 : I have already withdrawn, McCombs is a fantastic place && best of luck to you! (2)

anon21584 Likes Earned: 6 What kind of $ did you get for McCombs? (0)

anon68436 Likes Earned: 15 anon21584, linger your mouse over the $ sign. It says $114,000. (2)

anon20747 Likes Earned: 50 OP - For the benefit of future readers: I decided to enroll at Kellogg. The decision was immensely difficult and came down to a few key personal factors: (1) The consistent positive impression I had of both current Kellogg students and alumni. There is a warmth that extends beyond professional success that makes me feel welcome and excited about joining the community. I didn’t over-index on DAK/AdMIT experiences, instead focusing more on the interactions, calls, and experiences I had outside of those marketing-heavy, yield-boosting weekends. (2) My overarching MBA goal is to maximize my personal and professional growth in as many dimensions as possible. I studied engineering during undergrad at an MIT peer school and have spent my entire life in the northeastern United States – the opportunity to break this mold (a little) both culturally and geographically was appealing. I’m fairly introverted and Kellogg's social environment seemed capable of greater personal development and comfort zone expansion. I believe soft skills and relationships will become a greater differentiator mid/late career, especially as technological advancements change the business landscape. It seems many advanced-stage careers focus on marketing and selling, above and beyond pure technicals. (3) I am confident that I can take the degree in my intended career direction within the technology space. Honestly, MIT is ahead here (though the edge may be slimmer than some think), yet the contrarian in me wants to take a different route. It took some self-convincing to give up the vast tech resources at your disposal at MIT, but Northwestern is a fantastic parent. I frequently remind myself that business school is a means to an end, not an end in itself. (4) Finally, the elephant in the room: the scholarship opportunity, combined with generally a bit lower cost of attendance, really takes the edge off of things financially and allows me to entertain a vast array of options that otherwise might be overlooked due to financial pressure. I know (prospective) business school students like to talk big game about post-MBA salaries and employment reports back much of the ROI up, but this really is a massive opportunity for me. If you’re looking for some unqualified advice, I would say to really talk to as many students as you can. You will start to build up a gut-direction based on those interactions - use that to steer your decision-making and accept that some people (family, friends, coworkers, etc.) may disagree with that direction. Keep in mind that it is likely impossible to optimize for everything you might care about (location, curriculum, career-placements, cost/scholarship, culture, size etc.) so build a set of priorities on what matters most to you and take solace knowing you made a fantastic choice! (3)

anon10142 Verified User. Likes Earned: 1584 Congratulations on your choice, and thanks for posting a very thoughtful analysis of your choice. Best of luck at Kellogg! (1)

grichmond Verified User. Likes Earned: 1155 Wow - what a thoughtful and well-reasoned explanation! Best of luck in Evanston and thanks so much for sharing your thought process with our community!
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