Hey everyone! I’m really struggling to pick between three amazing MBA programs and could use some outside perspective. I got full scholarships to all three schools which is incredible but now I’m totally torn about which one to choose.
My background:
Female, minority student
Want to get into top consulting firms after graduation
Long term goal is starting my own business or impact investing
Looking for strong networking and entrepreneurship support
My main concerns:
Living costs: One school is in an extremely expensive city which worries me about quality of life even with the scholarship
Teaching style: I love interactive learning but want a good mix of different course types
Career support: Need strong placement into consulting but also want entrepreneurship resources
Campus culture: Want a supportive community but worried about fitting in at smaller programs
Location benefits: Torn between beautiful campus life vs big city networking opportunities
Alumni network: Considering both size and diversity of graduates
I’ve visited a couple campuses and my initial preference completely changed after seeing them in person. The community feel was so different than I expected.
Has anyone faced a similar decision or have thoughts on what factors I should prioritize? I keep going back and forth and the deadline is approaching fast. Any advice would be super helpful!
go with ur instinct! those visits are key. u gotta spend 2 years there, so vibes are super important. rankings don’t mean much if u don’t feel at home. consulting placements will be solid from any of them if they’re top tier.
you’re overthinking this. three full rides to top programs? pick the one with the best consulting placement rates since that’s your goal. the “community feel” stuff won’t matter when you’re pulling 80-hour weeks at mckinsey. most mba “entrepreneurs” end up back in corporate anyway, so don’t weigh that heavily. focus on the hard numbers - employment stats, average salaries, recruiting partnerships. everything else is just marketing fluff.
Your campus visits completely flipped your initial preference? Trust that gut feeling - it’s solid data. Cultural fit matters way more than most people think for MBA success and career satisfaction down the line. For consulting, McKinsey and BCG recruit from pretty much all top programs, so placement differences between elite schools are minimal. But living costs hit harder than you’d expect. Even with full funding, expensive cities eat into your networking budget and stress you out financially. Since you’re planning your own venture, find the program with the best mix of real entrepreneurship curriculum and actual startup incubators. Don’t just look at alumni network size - quality beats quantity every time. You want programs where alums actually mentor and stay engaged, not just big graduate numbers.
Great problem to have! Consulting recruitment’s strong everywhere, so pick whichever program got you more excited during your visits. That energy will show up in your performance and help you connect better with people.
Been there! Three years ago I had funding at multiple programs too. Here’s what they don’t tell you - even with a full ride, expensive cities will drain you. I picked a pricey location and ended up working part-time just for decent food and going out. Couldn’t afford the bars after networking events, which hurt way more than expected. Since you want to do entrepreneurship, go with whoever has the strongest startup scene and alums who actually keep in touch. My buddy chose pure prestige and regrets it - says good community support beats brand name. Your campus visits changing everything? That’s your gut telling you where you’ll actually thrive.
I’ve been in your shoes as a program director - make a weighted decision matrix. Since consulting placement looks similar across top programs, focus on what matters for your entrepreneurship goals. That interactive learning preference you mentioned? It’s huge. Some programs are all case method, others mix in simulations, projects, and regular lectures. This’ll make or break your learning experience. For living costs, think beyond rent and food. Expensive cities might kill your ability to take unpaid startup internships or hit industry conferences. But they usually give you better access to VCs and entrepreneurship scenes. Those campus visits? Pure gold. The program where you felt most at home is probably where you’ll build the strongest relationships - and those connections often beat formal alumni networks. Given your minority status and entrepreneurship goals, pick programs that actually support diverse founders and have real startup accelerators, not just theoretical entrepreneurship classes.