MBA Crystal Ball

Hi Sameer,

So I got into McCombs with a 50k scholarship and Kelley with a full scholarship, so I'll definitely be choosing Kelley over McCombs especially because I want to go into Marketing and Communications.

However, I've also been waitlisted for Wharton and Stern. I will find out about Wharton till 3rd May but I have to pay Kelley by 1st May. Stern hasn't given a date but their waitlist could extend till August.

I know if I get into Wharton I will definitely take it, but not too sure about Stern right now, considering the ROI. But I just want to research and make an informed decision if I do get in. So I wanted to get your opinion on how much of a difference it could make in the long run. I know NYU has more brand value, alumni network might be better than Kelley, but does it make enough of a difference to factor in the 150k loan?

Thanks

hey sharmishtha,
i can give you my 2 cents. taking debt is never a good idea esp when you are a student. keeping that in mind I would bring down the options to kelley and mc combs. Having said that almost all of the consumer marketing comp that recruit from kelley do not sponsor intl students, so you have no chance in them. however, there are a lot of B2B companies that hire intl. other than marketing most indian students get placed in tech practice of consulting and the pay scales are extremely attractive. Now, the location of mc combs is great, esp if you are interested in the energy space. There are lot more jobs in texas than in the mid-west where kelley is located, and this could be a major decision-criterion for you.
I would suggest you to speak to an indian student at mc combs and find out the companies that hire intl. and placement rate for only intl. students. That should give you an idea about the list of companies that you would be interested in.

hope this helps..

nitin

Thanks for the response Nitin. I want to get into marketing of technology and the marketing professor I talked to at Kelley seemed to suggest that it wasn't that hard as long as you were flexible about which company or location you prefer.
But you probably have seen firsthand what the situation is like currently.

Also, I would definitely prefer Austin if I wanted to settle down but because of Kelley's strength in Marketing and the scholarship I thought it might be a better fit for me. Also have you seen a lot of international students who are able to move to the east coast or west coast after the Kelley MBA?

And one final question. I heard that if you can show the money, it is possible to sponsor yourself for the visa. Do you know anything about that?

Thanks

"And one final question. I heard that if you can show the money, it is possible to sponsor yourself for the visa. Do you know anything about that?".....

I have never heard of this happening. A lot of kelley grads move to the east coast but you would find very few people on the west coast.

HI Nitin,

I have been waitlisted at Kelley. Would you please suggest what shall I do further to strengthen my chances.

And does Kelley really go to its waitlist category? It would be great if you could provide an approximate conversion rate. I know it's tough to say as waitlists depends on the application pool and varies from year to year. But some idea regarding how the waitlist really works would be great.

Thank you.

Regards
Shweta

Hi Nitin,

I was going through all your post and found it interesting.

I am currently juggling between two B-Schools and not able to decide which one to choose. I am in the same situation as you were few years back I have around 6+ years of exp in software development, IT pre-sales, Business Development, Solution Architecture, Bid Management, Account Management and Front-end Sales. Currently I am working in Dubai with a leading IT company and handling their sales operations.

Due to my busy schedule, I am interested in Online MBA/ Part Time MBA program. I have an offer from Kelley Direct (Online MBA) and Manchester Business School Dubai (Part Time MBA). From the cost point of view, Manchester is a little cheaper as compared to Kelley Direct MBA. Please share your valuable feedback on which B-school should I choose.

Hi Sameer, How are you ?

I want to know the placement scenario at Smith B School. What would be the average starting salary etc ?

Can you please throw some light on it ?

Dushyantv wrote:I want to know the placement scenario at Smith B School. What would be the average starting salary etc ?

The Smith MBA website has the details in a pdf file hosted on this page: http://www.rhsmith.umd.edu/office-caree ... -placement