Undecided - 07-28-2023 | Clear Admit DecisionWire

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July 28, 2023 1:48am ET

Enrolled: Undecided

Admitted: U. Chicago Booth , Columbia , MIT Sloan

Applied: U. Chicago Booth, Columbia, Harvard Business School, MIT Sloan, UPenn / Wharton

Entering Year: Other

Post MBA Career: Undecided

GMAT: 780

GPA: 3.8

Notes:

Deferred candidate looking to transition to PE/VC before matriculating and want to leverage the MBA network and brand. I know PE and VC are very different but I have interned in and enjoyed both (I like VC slightly more). I could also see myself in consulting or tech. To me, MIT and Columbia brands hold more weight, but Booth is strong in PE/VC.

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Show Comments (4) Last: July 31, 2023

anon14326 Likes Earned: 2 Original Poster: Should add that I am going into consulting and have a finance background so transitioning to PE/VC is doable. I have always liked being around start-ups and high-growth companies but prefer being in the role of an investor/partner. Location isn't a major factor for me. I also change my mind about careers often (if you couldn't tell) which is why I want to leave doors open as I start my career. (0)

alexbr4 Verified User. Likes Earned: 1461 Consulting is a very good starting point. I’d consider all three programs to be comparable, being in the same tier. While Booth May have a small edge for VC/PE, that goal is challenging for each of these programs. I’d really go with fit, and Columbia might be worth further examination, especially given its location? (0)

anon14326 Likes Earned: 2 Yes, definitely hard from all three. In terms of fit, I seem to like Sloan the best, but I am concerned because based on my conversations with students (and employment report data) it is the weakest in PE. Very few students recruiting for PE since it is not very finance-focused. Also a smaller network. In VC it seems to be stronger, and if I wanted to pivot to tech it would likely be the strongest. Either way, I will need pre-MBA experience for which the name and network could be important. (0)

grichmond Verified User. Likes Earned: 1059

First off, congrats on making the cut at three amazing MBA programs. One of the nice things about being admitted as a part of deferred enrollment is that you can certainly take some risks and push for a role in PE/VC after doing a couple of years in consulting - ultimately setting yourself up nicely for your post-MBA career.

As to where you should land, I cannot stress enough that - as Alex pointed out - these programs are very much equals/in the same tier, and that it is really going to come down to your personal fit and the details of your career aspirations (which sound a bit fluid for the time being).

As to your comments about Sloan, I would do some more digging into finance in their program, since your comments/feedback do not fit with my understanding of their strengths in this area.

One final thought: have you considered geography and where you want to land post-MBA and in the longer term? If you know where you want to land - e.g. VC in the Bay Area - that could help you to better asses each program's alumni network and alumni club activities in a given market/domain. Best of luck!

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