Hello everyone,

I'm an international computer engineer with 7 years experience.
I am in quite a dilemma. :)
I got accepted into a number of MBA programs for this Fall, but I've narrowed it down to Virginia Tech MBA and AU Kogod.

The dilemma is that I got an excellent scholarship from Kogod that dramatically reduces the tuition cost while I got no Financial assistance from Virginia Tech. And so I will be paying full tuition for Virginia Tech.

While I think both schools are great but I'm not sure which to opt to. I'm not sure which will be better for an international student such as myself. My career goals after graduation is to work internationally in Business/Technology Consulting.

Any insights on either school?
I would really appreciate the response.

Thank you

I would consider Kogod carefully, but I think I'd choose Pamplin. Kogod has a slightly higher starting salary, on average, and a more experienced cohort. But only 8% go into consulting. Pamplin's top industry is consulting. The GMAT is higher and the school is better geared to your goals.

Hello JK,

Thanks for your response.
I want to understand what you meant by consider carefully. Is there any other concern other than the placement into consulting? Are you saying Kogod is not a very good choice?

I did look at career stats. And I know that consulting companies do recruit from Kogod. (Actually some ranking stats put consulting as one of its top industries)

Kogod's location in DC is also a plus in my view. In fact, I was told in the interview that for recruiting, Pamplin organized trips to DC for company visits.

But on the other hand, Virginia Tech is more reputable as a university at large.. And it offers a concentration in Technology which is very much towards my goals...

I'm actually torn between both.
Any insights?

Thanks again

I literally means that you should consider is carefully. In some respects it is superior to Va Tech. However, the Kogod program feels as if its main audience is part-time students who already have jobs, and that will mean that careers support might not be so strong. The 8% figure comes directly from its placement report, which is more reliable than rankings.

The fact that Va Tech has a much higher GMAT also matters. Many consulting firms look for schools with high GMAT scores since the work requires strong quant and verbal skills. I think that 20% placement rate is a strong signal that Va Tech is a better route to your goal.

As a current first year full time MBA student at Kogod, I would strongly recommend you consider the opportunities available at Kogod. If you are considering consulting, you will have many opportunities presented to attend industry days highlighting consulting and panels featuring consultants from both large and small consulting firms. Several consulting firms recruit directly from Kogod.

Additionally, the Kogod Center for Career Development (KCCD) is beyond exceptional with staff who are dedicated to assisting the graduate student population in their career search. The career support for full time students is, in fact, very strong and I have relied on the KCCD for assistance in my internship search and know I can count on their support when I begin job searching in the fall.

Just curious to see what your final decision was. I'm looking into a similar career as you are - and wanted to hear about how you scored that Pamplin scholarship.