| Topic Name: |
Confused in California |
| Message Name: |
Choices |
| Date Posted: |
01/23/2003 |
| In Reply To: |
Can someone offer me advice on which business school I should pursue...my choices are UCLA, USC and UC Irvine. I would prefer UC Irvine since I live in Irvine but I'm afraid that I will not be able to go after the top strategy consulting companies since UC Irvine is not a top ranked MBA program.
Just to give a brief background on myself. I'm a Big 5 Consulting alum (manager) with experience in systems integration. But, I want to join a strat. consulting firm after my MBA. Additionally, I'm applying to the part time MBA programs. Any suggestions on which school I should go to and if my consulting background will outweigh my school choice if I choose to attend UC Irvine.
Thanks!
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| Message: |
Which flavor of strategy are you interested in? Big 4 strategy, McKinsey/BCG, boutique? Operations vs corporate vs IT?
If you aren't sure and would like to explore all options, better play the odds and stick with UCLA. Unless you have strong connections or direct experience, getting interviews from Irvine and USC will be very difficult - especially in times such as these.
Honestly, my small firm has even cut-off our UCLA recruiting. Limiting to Haas and Stanford for West Coast. Be sure to get the real story from students, don't trust career services.
One other thing to consider in your choice of schools is future career potential. Even if you get into a good firm after Irvine, expectations regarding educational pedigree will remain high as you compete for both corporate and other consulting gigs. It sounds snotty, but it's the way things work. People tend to take care of their own in this 'clubby' industry.
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