Are all top 15 mba program networks worth more or less the same? Is there a big gap between Booth or Darden for example?

like
Posting as :
works at
You are currently posting as works at

I think all T18 are subjectively strong when you only need one hit. There are some differences between alumni networks. I wouldn’t call it a gap or better/worse, but more of a La carte. These are things to consider.

- geographic centricity:
you can read more about geographic placement in employment reports and search on LinkedIn. INSEAD and LBS will certainly have a more geographically expansive network than US programs. Within the US some schools place more in certain regions, but there may be elements of self-selection with people who want to be in NYC , on the west coast or in Texas or the Northeast gravitating to schools in those regions.

- size:
larger programs like Wharton will have a physically larger alumni base than the GSB or Cornell.

- Sense of connectivity among alumni at that business school: there is some thought that this works inversely with size such that a Tuckie might do a ton to help advance other Tuckies while other school alumni may be approachable but not die hard for the b-school. A similar example could be Darden, notice people don’t often refer to it as UVA and the case method brings consistency among b school classes.

- Connection to the broader university:
at some schools, like Ross, the Michigan connection is incredibly strong so choosing Ross is as much about choosing Michigan. For Sloan, there is a focus on the broader MIT ecosystem while in school so the broader MIT alumni may also see helping one another in that way. At Yale, the Yale brand is much stronger but there is some limited weird chatter internally like “it’s way easier to get in to the b school than the law school or undergrad” so I honestly I don’t know where to place SOM and am open to others insight.

- Response rate:
you sort of need to ask students and alumni directly about the response rate in their experience. Like some alumni definitely want to strengthen the network, but are just going to respond at slower rates.

- formal engagement with the school as alumni:
For some schools, alumni are involved as interviewers or people who call and congratulate you to help you choose the school. You can garner some of this information by asking schools about the interview process, talking to admits, or directly asking about alumni returning to campus to recruit or engaging in other formal ways like alumni clubs. For example, people with interviews at HBS can ask to be matched with an alum for a chat and that alum is often one of the first to congratulate the admit once admitted.

like

T15 is a big band.

Darden vs Fuqua, not really.

Darden vs Harvard/Wharton/Stanford. Yes.

like

Big gap.

Some of the lowest T15 are not nearly as well run or provide the amt of career options the M7s provide.

likefunny

Johnson, UNC, UCLA

like

Let’s say T15 vs M7 excluding H/S/W

Some difference for careers that care more about prestige PE/VC/top MBB offices. Other than that, nah

like

Depends on what kind of network you want. If you want a good consulting network, not big differences. If you want a good private equity network, then yes big gap.

Related Posts

Anyone gone through the CFI’s FMVA certification program? Is it worth it for FDD?

like
like

Hello All,

Could you assist me in choosing whether PMP certification really helpful for 15 yrs IT experience in various infrastructure tools.

Is examination is difficult in clearing.

likehelpful

Looking for advice and recommendations on starting a non-profit healthcare case management company in my area. The focus population served would be low-income seniors with the primary customers being primary care offices that could obtain contracted case management services based on the practice’s needs/financial constraints.

I have my MSW & nearing completion of my MBA. I have 11 years experience, 6 in healthcare inpatient&outpatient.

What recommendations do you have on starting this process?

like

Hello

Is it possible to join MBB as Technical Manager or Consultant without having MBA? If yes, what would be the best way to apply for a position? Please guide

McK 🐠 : CBS MBA here and I got invited to interview for the SA role in Atlanta. Any case/experience tips to maximize my chances of getting an offer?

like

Enrolled in Stern for a few weeks.
The number of the alumni and current students that go to top consulting firms FT& summer intern are countless even for a small class size.
Stern is way more than a finance school. Given its location, do you want to spend your 2 years in a rural area or heart of Manhattan? Location is almost everything for business school. (I have a friend in Cornell that frequently travels about 5 hours to NYC for events.)

like

Can anyone provide insights into Corporate Finance Institute’s Financial Modeling and Valuation Analyst certification? Worth it?

like

Hello All. I have 7 years of work exp in Data analytics & Data engineering team. Right now managing a team of 12. Will PMP certification help in career growth ? Needed some view points.

Has anyone taken up and completed any course from upGrad? Is it really beneficial in career growth? Do companies consider upGrad certification as legit?

PS:- I am planning to do a Data analytics course. If anybody is aware of a better course pls suggest.

like

Does previous Consulting experience increase your odds when applying for MBB during MBA recruiting?

like

Ex healthcare workers in Tech/Sales Engineering/ Healthcare consulting;
I have my masters in nursing/FNP (1 yr) making <K70 (Indiana) due to low patient census in my role. No desire for a different FNP job nor to return to bedside nursing (RN 5 yrs). I have heard of some individuals with remote positions making >K100 with little to no experience in tech or consulting after doing a boot camp or cert?
If you pivoted; What’s your current role/ Income & what did you do to complete the transition?

like

Looking to apply to manager positions at S& and ATK, 7 YOE strategy consulting at a boutique with top 10 MBA , just curious what is rough range for comp? Thanks

like

Hello guys,
Hope you all are doing good.!
Does cgi provide free udemy access??. Also do we get any reimbursement if we clear the online examination like Microsoft or ccna kinda certification? Pls do reply!

like

New to Fishbowl, currently working on a career pivot! I graduated in May with my MBA and have experience as a Director of Operations as well as recruiting and HR experience. I am looking to move more into Change/Project Management or Director of People Operations roles. I have been at the application game now for two months with only two interviews and over 20 applications sent out each week. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!! Feeing a little defeated over here. Thank you!

like

I just had the initial call with HR. I was told that Senior Analysts start at 56k and Business Operations Specialists start at 67k. I was told the next step was Junior Manager but they rarely started anyone at that level. I'm shocked. Is that accurate or are they trying to lower my expectations? I have an MBA and an MHA and 20 years military experience.

like

Does anyone know of any programs for aspiring Strategists in NYC? I know Miami Ad School does a 3 month crash course starting in April and but I'm not seeing much else.

likefunny

Hello fishes,
How much value would an AWS certified Developer associate certification add to one's profile?
And how convenient would it be to switch to DevOps with that certification and the necessary skills?

like

Hi all,
I am tech guy with almost 3yr exp, but I want to switch to a Management role. Going for an MBA is not possible for me. I was wondering about the possibility to switch to a management role within the next 2 years without an MBA. Company/Brand is not a bar for me.
Can somebody please suggest how to do this?

like

More Posts

Recent immigrant and about to buy a car - insurance company said it would take 2 weeks to process my application. Is this normal? In the US I insured my car with one 10min phone call, so was a bit surprised

funny
like

Hello! Question for anyone that works at Google if I have hit my 3 applications per 90 days can I still apply to an additional role through a referral link? Or will I have to wait until the 90 days is up? Actually asking for a friend that doesn’t have this app 😊 thanks in advance for any insight.

like

Are interview case studies difficult? Is it done live or is it take-home? What should I expect in terms of content/questions, duration, difficulty?

like

What’s your target retirement number and at what age do you plan to retire?
Of course I know it depends on a wide range of factors, but I’m curious to get a sample from this group.
Mine is $5M at 55.

like

is AC required in Bangalore?

What does J grade in BNY MELLON means?
What is the salary range for this grade

EY interview tips needed.please help.

like

Is it common in Optum to ghost candidate again and again??

like

Best to Worst in terms of work-life balance: Tech Trans, M&A or Capital Markets? (California if that makes a difference)

like

What do you think are some distinctive personality traits among people who are drawn to big law for the money, compared to people who seek out more creative, idealistic or caring jobs, like a writer, journalist, artist, doctor, nurse, public defender or plaintiff-side personal injury attorney?

like

Mckinsey fish, how is implementation practice? How does it compare to general consulting? How is the growth trajectory? Got an opportunity to join as implementation consultant but I am worried it will be a step down (will be taking a paycut as well).

like

Does EY GDS and EY Global have separate sets of clients or does GDS aide Global in its operations ? I have an SAP offer from GDS but worried if I'll actually get any direct client exposure.

like

I have a consulting/PE interview on Friday, please recommend consulting books or sites to read. Need to speak consulting language

like

Interested in a San Francisco/Bay Area networking/support group for consultants that have been laid off?
See comments for more details

likeupliftinghelpful

Does anyone know salary estimates for an Associate role at Norwest Venture Partners?

like

Asking for a friend - anyone staying in a marriage just for the kid(s)?

It's not like the marriage is terrible or unhealthy, but they would take an out if not for having had the kids.

Anyone else experience this? I'm wondering how common this is.

like

Can anyone suggest a civil litigation lawyer based in San Francisco? (Preferably Canadian - if not, It’s fine too)

Does anyone know if Dwell Design in DC is a good company to work for?

Hello Amex Fishes,
Can someone please help me with what to expect in 2nd round of interview for product development analyst? Thanks in Advance!

Additional Posts in MBA Applicants

Going to Wharton in the fall. Is it worth going MBB over returning to big 4 (sponsored)? Is this a common path?

like

Sponsored folks, where do you plan to intern during bschool?

like

Unique MBA exit opps you’ve seen lately?

like

HBS interview in 1 hour - tie or no tie?

like

How useful is sponsorship as a negotiating lever for full-time roles? I realistically do not see myself going back to consulting after B school. I have to stay for 3-4 more months to keep my sponsorship but starting to seriously consider quitting ASAP

like

Is starting your own side business seen as a good extracurricular for MBA applications?

like

Hello, has anyone filled in the Forte Fellows Kira video questions?

Are they any different from usual Kira interview questions?

like

Any tips on getting to 51 on quant for GMAT? Stuck around 47-48.

like

How bad can be for gap years?

like

Does anyone know what time of day Sloan released decisions last year? And if it was by email/portal/phone call?

like

What is the obsession and appeal for MBB among MBA grads? Is it really that amazing - from afar it seems like it may be romanticized (maybe not the right word) among applicants. I know it’s way better than the work I do now, so I’m not knocking MBB at all. It’s super impressive. Maybe a better way to phrase it is that MBA applicants seem to have a fairy tale view of consulting as a whole. I get the impression that people think a job in consulting is a magic ticket anywhere

like

How would you rank in order of prestige/ease of getting in: UCLA, Cornell, and NYU ??

Looking to transition to MBB if that matters.

Recent admit here - how important are these pre-MBA Virtual networking sessions? Feeling like it’s hard to network virtually.

like

In need of advice: I am starting a full time role (Senior Consultant) in an industry that is my post-MBA goal. I want to start MBA Fall 2022. Does it look bad to AdCom if I apply R1 having been in my job for 1 month? (Will have 1 year when I attend). Thanks!

like

Use savings to (partially) pay for business school or invest and fully cover via loans?

like

If your not ready due to career change, etc but interested in getting an MBA, is it better to withdraw application or pay non refundable deposit and defer? Any advice would be great!

like

Can we talk companies? what companies are known to take care of employees versus toxic ones either from those either who recently graduated or in an internship

like

Anyone who can share their experience with the Harvard Extension School?

like

Solid background and thinking of a dual MBA/MS degree at H/S. Class of ‘19 — worth applying R2 or wait a year? Didn’t get in the H/S deferral program in 2019 and heard this year is quite competitive.

like

Has anyone gone to INSEAD while intending to end up in the US afterwards? I’m enrolled to start this fall and getting cold feet 🙈

likefunny

New to Fishbowl?

Download the Fishbowl app to
unlock all discussions on Fishbowl.
That was just a preview…
Sign Up to see all discussions
  • Discover what it’s like to work at companies from real professionals
  • Get candid advice from people in your field in a safe space
  • Chat and network with other professionals in your field
Sign up in seconds to unlock all discussions on Fishbowl.

Already a user?
Login here

Share

Embed this post

Copy and paste embed code on your site

Preview

Download the
Fishbowl app

See what’s happening in your industry
from the palm of your hand.

A phone with Fishbowl app

Scan your QR code to download
Fishbowl app on your mobile

Download app

Sign up for free to view this conversation on Fishbowl

By continuing you agree to Terms of Use and Privacy Policy

Already have an account? Log in

Sign up for free to continue using Fishbowl

By continuing you agree to Terms of Use(New) and Privacy Policy(New)
Messaging rates may apply

Already have an account? Log in

For account settings, visit Fishbowl on Desktop Browser or

General

Legal