PhD Finance Washington University(Olin) VS Vanderbilt University

[shashwatalok]

Hey friends, I have received competitive PhD finance offers from both the universities and am having a very difficult time choosing between the two.
I am undergraduate i my last semester of Computer Science and Engineering course. Please help me choose the right Graduate school.

[howdoesitmatter]

Wustl

[desimba]

I cannot tell you which program to choose and even if someone on the forum were to suggest you one way or the other, you have to do your own research. The best way of doing that is campus visits and talking with present doctoral students and faculty members. Very often you find that you have a better chemistry with one set of folks over the other and that is a clear indication of which way you should go. In addition, you should take out the time to speak with alumni from both of these programs and get their unbiased opinions of what they think of their graduating programs. It may strike you as surprising, but I would say that the alumni are very willing to share their honest opinions with someone in your shoes. You should also look at the quality of placements from these schools as you make your decision. Once you have gone through these steps, I think you will be at a point where you can take a well thought-out decision. In my case, I had some offers from good schools such as Wharton, NYU, Michigan and UCLA, and eventually I ended up deciding to go to Michigan after having gone through all of the steps I have outlined for you above.

[shashwatalok]

Actually, I have gone through most of the above mentioned steps.
However, I am still undecided. Placements at both college form a very similar pattern. Are you doing your PhD.

Thank you for suggestions.

[desimba]

I will be starting this year at Michigan.

[shashwatalok]

You'll be doing a PhD coz your name suggests an MBA. My friend is going to Michigan. Congraaaats You managed awesome admits. You plan to choose ROSS over Wharton and Stern. So you from IIT/IIM.

[doubtful]

Originally Posted by desimba

I will be starting this year at Michigan.

can I ask you why? I mean you could go to wharton or ucla...

[shashwatalok]

Could anybody comment on the quality and reputation of both the programs because the placements tend to be of similar nature.

[desimba]

Originally Posted by doubtful

can I ask you why? I mean you could go to wharton or ucla...

Eventually what swung it for me were in favor of Michigan International Business-Business Economics over Wharton Management were:

1) The presence of a large number of faculty members in the Michigan IB-BE department whose work I was interested in (4-5 maybe) as compared to just 1 at the Wharton Management department (My admit from Wharton was in their Management department);
2) The chance to be a part of a program at Michigan which is solely focused on Economics rather than trying to combine bits and pieces of the Applied Economics program with the Management program requirements at Wharton and trying to be too many things to too many people. With the current structure at Michigan, I am free to decide on a "field" in my second year, whether that be corporate strategy or finance from within the business school or any of the economics sub fields such as trade/ industrial organization/ labor and I view that as a big positive.
3) Greater levels of interaction between the program and the other schools/ departments on campus such as Economics, Public Policy & Law. The fact that Michigan has a well-respected full-fledged department in Public Policy was also one of those things which made a difference on the margins. In addition a number of faculty members in the IB-BE department to which I am being admitted hold dual appointments in the Econ department or the School of Public Policy.
4) Last but not the least, the charm of staying in a Mid-west university town was also not lost on me.

UCLA Global Economics & Management was lesser of a consideration because it is in LA and as per point 4 above, I like staying in the Mid-west. Besides it is a much smaller department from the number of core faculty members in that department (2 till 2007;3 since 2007 & 5 from 2008 onwards) as compared to 10 at Michigan.

[shashwatalok]

I finally accepted WUSTL