Top MBAs - Foster School Climbs to #20 in US News

[creepycoug]

https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-business-schools/mba-rankings

Highest ranking I've ever seen, and now with really good company. They've invested a lot in the B-school and it shows. Took a walk around campus a few weeks back and don't even recognize the place.

We all know the giants, in changing order Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Chicago, MIT, Columbia, NYU, etc. The next round includes some that are debatably in the top group .... UCLA, UNC, Virginia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Duke, Michigan. Surprised to see Yale in the top ten ... in my day, Yale was a lower top 30 program and not known for its school of management. Shows what $31 billion can buy you when you feel like buying it.

Anyway, Foster is climbing. There are also always MBA programs that aren't as highly ranked but get you there depending on where "there" is. SMU, Northeastern, Boston University, Boston College, Indiana and Emory are some programs that I've been told over the years are strong feeders to Wall Street to a degree that is disproportionate to their respective rankings.

Any thoughts about other programs that punch above their ranking weight? I think the tech companies love Carnegie Mellon. @whlinder , GT is ranked #27.

 

[Tequilla]

Funny thing about SMU is that TCU took all of their top faculty back in the day

 

[creepycoug]

Funny thing about SMU is that TCU took all of their top faculty back in the day

I had always heard that SMU, undergrad and grad, is more about doing a good job with connections ... like USC is known for. Just a high level general Impression.

 

[HHusky]

It's funny, when I was doing the JD/MBA degree program, the law school was ranked about where Foster is now, and the Business School struck me as being about where the Law School is these days. But I've watched and been impressed with Foster's improvement over the years. I've known Frank Hodge for close to twenty years. Foster is in good hands.

 

[Swaye]

JHU didn't establish a MBA program and a business school until 2007. They have been investing pretty heavily in it. I wonder if they will ever get ranked?

 

[creepycoug]

It's funny, when I was doing the JD/MBA degree program, the law school was ranked about where Foster is now, and the Business School struck me as being about where the Law School is these days. But I've watched and been impressed with Foster's improvement over the years. I've known Frank Hodge for close to twenty years. Foster is in good hands.

Agreed. I didn't do the JD/MBA, and part of the reason for that was that I had an undergrad degree from there and thought it was redundant to an extent.

They've done well, but as I'm sure you'd agree, UW Law is criminally under-ranked. In terms of selectivity, areas of high competence and, now, facilities, it seems clear that it is outranked by lesser schools. I've never been able to figure it. When I was applying, I think they achieved like 23 or 22, right ahead of or behind Boston College. They haven't been close ever since.

 

[creepycoug]

JHU didn't establish a MBA program and a business school until 2007. They have been investing pretty heavily in it. I wonder if they will ever get ranked?

Just saw that. Very new, just got accredited recently, and unranked. That said, that's a name on which I'd gamble. Is the average person really going to say "pass" and take the guy with the Arizona MBA because it's ranked 46th?

I think especially now as healthcare investments are just flying and JHU's ability to connect with their vaunted health care wing, that MBA with the healthcare focus will be yuge.

And you also have to remember how fast schools can rise when they have money and throw it at a program they want to build. JHU has a pretty hefty endowment, and that's with Bloomberg still alive. He's going to Phil Knight JHU when he passes.

 

[Tequilla]

Funny thing about SMU is that TCU took all of their top faculty back in the day

I had always heard that SMU, undergrad and grad, is more about doing a good job with connections ... like USC is known for. Just a high level general Impression.

No doubt ... SMU is the definition of Dallas money

Not that TCU and Ft Worth doesn’t have money because they definitely do ... it’s just a different kind of money

And if you don’t understand that, then you don’t know DFW

 

[Woof]

I don't really pay attention to the exact number of each school, but I think there are essentially 4 tiers to MBA programs.

Tier 1 - Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Booth - if you get in, you have to go, even if nearly every person I've ever met from Booth is fucking weird.
Tier II - Every other school in the top 15 - if you get in, in 95% of situations it makes sense to go
Tier III - Every school in the top 30 - if you get in, crunch the math, but it probably makes sense to go
Tier IV - Everyone else - It could be worth it, but I hope someone else is paying

Foster used to be Tier IV, but is definitely climbing the past 5-10 years.

 

[creepycoug]

I don't really pay attention to the exact number of each school, but I think there are essentially 4 tiers to MBA programs.

Tier 1 - Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Booth - if you get in, you have to go, even if nearly every person I've ever met from Booth is fucking weird.
Tier II - Every other school in the top 15 - if you get in, in 95% of situations it makes sense to go
Tier III - Every school in the top 30 - if you get in, crunch the math, but it probably makes sense to go
Tier IV - Everyone else - It could be worth it, but I hope someone else is paying

Foster used to be Tier IV, but is definitely climbing the past 5-10 years.

Northwestern Tier I? At least for marketing they were always thought of as tippy top. MIT as well?

 

[Swaye]

JHU didn't establish a MBA program and a business school until 2007. They have been investing pretty heavily in it. I wonder if they will ever get ranked?

Just saw that. Very new, just got accredited recently, and unranked. That said, that's a name on which I'd gamble. Is the average person really going to say "pass" and take the guy with the Arizona MBA because it's ranked 46th?

I think especially now as healthcare investments are just flying and JHU's ability to connect with their vaunted health care wing, that MBA with the healthcare focus will be yuge.

And you also have to remember how fast schools can rise when they have money and throw it at a program they want to build. JHU has a pretty hefty endowment, and that's with Bloomberg still alive. He's going to Phil Knight JHU when he passes.

They just put 25 M into the Carey school this year. I do know JHU doesn't fuck around. When they decide they want to do something they go hard. Probably be a top 30 program in 20 years.

 

[creepycoug]

JHU didn't establish a MBA program and a business school until 2007. They have been investing pretty heavily in it. I wonder if they will ever get ranked?

Just saw that. Very new, just got accredited recently, and unranked. That said, that's a name on which I'd gamble. Is the average person really going to say "pass" and take the guy with the Arizona MBA because it's ranked 46th?

I think especially now as healthcare investments are just flying and JHU's ability to connect with their vaunted health care wing, that MBA with the healthcare focus will be yuge.

And you also have to remember how fast schools can rise when they have money and throw it at a program they want to build. JHU has a pretty hefty endowment, and that's with Bloomberg still alive. He's going to Phil Knight JHU when he passes.

They just put 25 M into the Carey school this year. I do know JHU doesn't fuck around. When they decide they want to do something they go hard. Probably be a top 30 program in 20 years.

Sooner I would guess. Money talks.

 

[FireCohen]

I don't really pay attention to the exact number of each school, but I think there are essentially 4 tiers to MBA programs.

Tier 1 - Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Booth - if you get in, you have to go, even if nearly every person I've ever met from Booth is fucking weird.
Tier II - Every other school in the top 15 - if you get in, in 95% of situations it makes sense to go
Tier III - Every school in the top 30 - if you get in, crunch the math, but it probably makes sense to go
Tier IV - Everyone else - It could be worth it, but I hope someone else is paying

Foster used to be Tier IV, but is definitely climbing the past 5-10 years.

Northwestern Tier I? At least for marketing they were always thought of as tippy top. MIT as well?

M7 school are considered tier 1

 

[Woof]

I don't really pay attention to the exact number of each school, but I think there are essentially 4 tiers to MBA programs.

Tier 1 - Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Booth - if you get in, you have to go, even if nearly every person I've ever met from Booth is fucking weird.
Tier II - Every other school in the top 15 - if you get in, in 95% of situations it makes sense to go
Tier III - Every school in the top 30 - if you get in, crunch the math, but it probably makes sense to go
Tier IV - Everyone else - It could be worth it, but I hope someone else is paying

Foster used to be Tier IV, but is definitely climbing the past 5-10 years.

Northwestern Tier I? At least for marketing they were always thought of as tippy top. MIT as well?

I'd bet HBS, GSB, and Wharton win 95% of the dual admits vs. Kellogg. To me, Booth is the best of the M7, so that's why I lean toward them being in Tier I, but most Booth grads I've met are strange.

Honestly I don't see a massive difference between a school like Duke or UVA and a Kellogg. Deeper class, but not meaningfully so. That's the difference between Tier II and III, better opportunities in terms of employers and the depth of quality candidates.

 

[FireCohen]

I don't really pay attention to the exact number of each school, but I think there are essentially 4 tiers to MBA programs.

Tier 1 - Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Booth - if you get in, you have to go, even if nearly every person I've ever met from Booth is fucking weird.
Tier II - Every other school in the top 15 - if you get in, in 95% of situations it makes sense to go
Tier III - Every school in the top 30 - if you get in, crunch the math, but it probably makes sense to go
Tier IV - Everyone else - It could be worth it, but I hope someone else is paying

Foster used to be Tier IV, but is definitely climbing the past 5-10 years.

Northwestern Tier I? At least for marketing they were always thought of as tippy top. MIT as well?

I'd bet HBS, GSB, and Wharton win 95% of the dual admits vs. Kellogg. To me, Booth is the best of the M7, so that's why I lean toward them being in Tier I, but most Booth grads I've met are strange.

Honestly I don't see a massive difference between a school like Duke or UVA and a Kellogg. Deeper class, but not meaningfully so. That's the difference between Tier II and III, better opportunities in terms of employers and the depth of quality candidates.

All that matters is job placement when talking about a MBA. Why the fuck spend all that $ and not make money

 

[creepycoug]

I don't really pay attention to the exact number of each school, but I think there are essentially 4 tiers to MBA programs.

Tier 1 - Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Booth - if you get in, you have to go, even if nearly every person I've ever met from Booth is fucking weird.
Tier II - Every other school in the top 15 - if you get in, in 95% of situations it makes sense to go
Tier III - Every school in the top 30 - if you get in, crunch the math, but it probably makes sense to go
Tier IV - Everyone else - It could be worth it, but I hope someone else is paying

Foster used to be Tier IV, but is definitely climbing the past 5-10 years.

Northwestern Tier I? At least for marketing they were always thought of as tippy top. MIT as well?

I'd bet HBS, GSB, and Wharton win 95% of the dual admits vs. Kellogg. To me, Booth is the best of the M7, so that's why I lean toward them being in Tier I, but most Booth grads I've met are strange.

Honestly I don't see a massive difference between a school like Duke or UVA and a Kellogg. Deeper class, but not meaningfully so. That's the difference between Tier II and III, better opportunities in terms of employers and the depth of quality candidates.

All that matters is job placement when talking about a MBA. Why the fuck spend all that $ and not make money

I agree with this. There are a lot of educational pursuits you might chase that have varying other degrees of value. I would say law is one of them. There are a lot of reasons to get a law degree that go well beyond private practice or even sitting for the bar. It was one hell of an education and eye opener for me.

But the MBA is for punching your ticket IMO.

 

[FireCohen]

I don't really pay attention to the exact number of each school, but I think there are essentially 4 tiers to MBA programs.

Tier 1 - Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Booth - if you get in, you have to go, even if nearly every person I've ever met from Booth is fucking weird.
Tier II - Every other school in the top 15 - if you get in, in 95% of situations it makes sense to go
Tier III - Every school in the top 30 - if you get in, crunch the math, but it probably makes sense to go
Tier IV - Everyone else - It could be worth it, but I hope someone else is paying

Foster used to be Tier IV, but is definitely climbing the past 5-10 years.

Northwestern Tier I? At least for marketing they were always thought of as tippy top. MIT as well?

I'd bet HBS, GSB, and Wharton win 95% of the dual admits vs. Kellogg. To me, Booth is the best of the M7, so that's why I lean toward them being in Tier I, but most Booth grads I've met are strange.

Honestly I don't see a massive difference between a school like Duke or UVA and a Kellogg. Deeper class, but not meaningfully so. That's the difference between Tier II and III, better opportunities in terms of employers and the depth of quality candidates.

All that matters is job placement when talking about a MBA. Why the fuck spend all that $ and not make money

I agree with this. There are a lot of educational pursuits you might chase that have varying other degrees of value. I would say law is one of them. There are a lot of reasons to get a law degree that go well beyond private practice or even sitting for the bar. It was one hell of an education and eye opener for me.

But the MBA is for punching your ticket IMO.

Money money boost my morale

 

[Woof]

I don't really pay attention to the exact number of each school, but I think there are essentially 4 tiers to MBA programs.

Tier 1 - Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Booth - if you get in, you have to go, even if nearly every person I've ever met from Booth is fucking weird.
Tier II - Every other school in the top 15 - if you get in, in 95% of situations it makes sense to go
Tier III - Every school in the top 30 - if you get in, crunch the math, but it probably makes sense to go
Tier IV - Everyone else - It could be worth it, but I hope someone else is paying

Foster used to be Tier IV, but is definitely climbing the past 5-10 years.

Northwestern Tier I? At least for marketing they were always thought of as tippy top. MIT as well?

I'd bet HBS, GSB, and Wharton win 95% of the dual admits vs. Kellogg. To me, Booth is the best of the M7, so that's why I lean toward them being in Tier I, but most Booth grads I've met are strange.

Honestly I don't see a massive difference between a school like Duke or UVA and a Kellogg. Deeper class, but not meaningfully so. That's the difference between Tier II and III, better opportunities in terms of employers and the depth of quality candidates.

All that matters is job placement when talking about a MBA. Why the fuck spend all that $ and not make money

Yes, but don't undervalue the network you also get. Your friends and classmates at HBS are in general going to be CEOs and your classmates at a Tier III MBA are going to be middle to upper management management. Getting paid immediately after MBA is important but earnings 10 years is also a metric you can't overlook.

 

[creepycoug]

I don't really pay attention to the exact number of each school, but I think there are essentially 4 tiers to MBA programs.

Tier 1 - Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Booth - if you get in, you have to go, even if nearly every person I've ever met from Booth is fucking weird.
Tier II - Every other school in the top 15 - if you get in, in 95% of situations it makes sense to go
Tier III - Every school in the top 30 - if you get in, crunch the math, but it probably makes sense to go
Tier IV - Everyone else - It could be worth it, but I hope someone else is paying

Foster used to be Tier IV, but is definitely climbing the past 5-10 years.

Northwestern Tier I? At least for marketing they were always thought of as tippy top. MIT as well?

I'd bet HBS, GSB, and Wharton win 95% of the dual admits vs. Kellogg. To me, Booth is the best of the M7, so that's why I lean toward them being in Tier I, but most Booth grads I've met are strange.

Honestly I don't see a massive difference between a school like Duke or UVA and a Kellogg. Deeper class, but not meaningfully so. That's the difference between Tier II and III, better opportunities in terms of employers and the depth of quality candidates.

All that matters is job placement when talking about a MBA. Why the fuck spend all that $ and not make money

Yes, but don't undervalue the network you also get. Your friends and classmates at HBS are in general going to be CEOs and your classmates at a Tier III MBA are going to be middle to upper management management. Getting paid immediately after MBA is important but earnings 10 years is also a metric you can't overlook.

All of education is the long game. I've preached that to my kids. When you think about it, that's probably what it signals to future employers ... that you play the long game.

I'll never know what the ROI on undergrad would have been because I took one year off and then went to law school. The ROI on the latter was pretty good. I paid for that (or, more accurately, others paid for it) with pennies on the dollar in today's tuition. So, really, it was amazingly good.

 

[FireCohen]

I don't really pay attention to the exact number of each school, but I think there are essentially 4 tiers to MBA programs.

Tier 1 - Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Booth - if you get in, you have to go, even if nearly every person I've ever met from Booth is fucking weird.
Tier II - Every other school in the top 15 - if you get in, in 95% of situations it makes sense to go
Tier III - Every school in the top 30 - if you get in, crunch the math, but it probably makes sense to go
Tier IV - Everyone else - It could be worth it, but I hope someone else is paying

Foster used to be Tier IV, but is definitely climbing the past 5-10 years.

Northwestern Tier I? At least for marketing they were always thought of as tippy top. MIT as well?

I'd bet HBS, GSB, and Wharton win 95% of the dual admits vs. Kellogg. To me, Booth is the best of the M7, so that's why I lean toward them being in Tier I, but most Booth grads I've met are strange.

Honestly I don't see a massive difference between a school like Duke or UVA and a Kellogg. Deeper class, but not meaningfully so. That's the difference between Tier II and III, better opportunities in terms of employers and the depth of quality candidates.

All that matters is job placement when talking about a MBA. Why the fuck spend all that $ and not make money

Yes, but don't undervalue the network you also get. Your friends and classmates at HBS are in general going to be CEOs and your classmates at a Tier III MBA are going to be middle to upper management management. Getting paid immediately after MBA is important but earnings 10 years is also a metric you can't overlook.

I agree, but I would say only about 20% of the folks that go the same elite mba programs really stay in touch. Others will forget about each other. It really matters if you are in position to start raising capital for some start up or fucking fund