J.D./M.B.A. Rankings Forum

[Warbucks]

I'd almost have to agree (to choosing Columbia over Chicago GSB) because I'd probably choose Columbia Law over Stanford Law. They're 4th and 3rd (88 and 93), respectively, but NYC is definitely the market I'd (and a lot of others) want to be in after law school.

Being in the area you eventually want to practice in is seriously important especially when you're comparing schools that aren't even remotely close.

(Cambridge isn't that far from NYC so, even if you did want to end up in NYC, it probably wouldn't be wise to forego Harvard BS for Columbia.)

But if you wanted to practice IP in Silicon Valley I'd don't care if you got into Yale and Harvard, it would be pretty damn silly to not go with Stanford. Unless, you have your own private jet, you're never going to go over there and network with firms and businesses in the community. The importance of this (networking) is far greater in B-school so, yes, I can very well see someone choosing Columbia over Chicago GSB in a heart beat.

[imchuckbass58]

The bolded is simply untrue. Booth is definitely more respected than Columbia Business school and it has the second best finance program in the country.

I wasn't arguing that Booth as a program isn't more respected, I was just saying most people tend to choose CBS over Booth, probably for location reasons (both being closer to certain employers and personal affinity for NYC). CBS' placement in finance is quite good, even if it's it's due to more to the location/alumni network than the program itself.

And what I was basing this off of is the fact that of the four people making this decision at my consulting firm last year, all four went to Columbia. This dude (admissions consultant) also agrees with me (http://adam-markus.blogspot.com/2007/09 ... ision.html).

Really it's kind of a silly argument though - they're both very good schools that specialize in finance, and really it's going to come down to whether you'd rather spend 2 years in Chicago or New York. I'm just saying more people choose New York than Chicago.

Edit: Should disclose that I have a horse in this race.

[Blindmelon]

You are all forgetting that not all MBA programs have the same concentrations. Some schools are better at certain things than others. This isn't really productive. Outside of HSW, specialties start to weigh a little.

[sayan]

never knew stanford had a good b-school.... in fact, I don't see how your rating is correct since you assume SBS is #1 (SLS is #3).

[Dignan]

never knew stanford had a good b-school.... in fact, I don't see how your rating is correct since you assume SBS is #1 (SLS is #3).

Note that the OP's post is from 2.5 years ago. Based on the 2010 rankings, a lot of the schools would shift downwards or upwards. Northwestern, for example, would be several places higher today.

[sayan]

never knew stanford had a good b-school.... in fact, I don't see how your rating is correct since you assume SBS is #1 (SLS is #3).

Note that the OP's post is from 2.5 years ago. Based on the 2010 rankings, a lot of the schools would shift downwards or upwards. Northwestern, for example, would be several places higher today.

hah, didn't see that. thanks for heads up!

[Unadilla Kayaker]

As a 0L planning to get a JD/MBA, I was wondering whether anyone knows of someone (or has done) combined JD/MBA with the JD at one school and then the MBA at another. I know it adds a bunch of levels of all sorts of issues, but does anyone know someone who has done this? From what law school and what MBA program? Just curious if it could be done. I'm not (yet) planning to do it or inquire about it.

[rejectmaster]

get Yale out of there, a Yale JD is great but a Yale MBA is meaningless.

[rejectmaster]

As a 0L planning to get a JD/MBA, I was wondering whether anyone knows of someone (or has done) combined JD/MBA with the JD at one school and then the MBA at another. I know it adds a bunch of levels of all sorts of issues, but does anyone know someone who has done this? From what law school and what MBA program? Just curious if it could be done. I'm not (yet) planning to do it or inquire about it.

i know an individual with a Columbia JD and a Stern NYU MBA but they weren't simultaneous.

[Unadilla Kayaker]

I'm looking for the simultaneous. I know there are 1 year expedited MBAs, but I'm looking into do the joint-degree at two universities.

[Warbucks]

I know a kid that got his JD from Yale and his MBA from Harvard concurrently. I just can't see the point in that. His prestige and pedigree is unparalleled but...a Yale JD/Harvard MBA is a theoretical 200. Harvard JD/MBA is a 195 plus you save the head ache of going back and forth. When you're talking about Top 10 schools, Yale JD/Harvard MBA is the only combination I can see being feasible and logical and it's not even that much better than just JD/MBA-ing at Harvard.

[AngryAvocado]

I'd also add that business schools also have a lot of variation between specialties and student choice follows the rankings a lot less. Anecdotally (I don't have stats to back this up, but from my experience it's pretty true), most people would choose Columbia Business School over Chicago GSB in a head-to-head, even though the latter is ranked higher. Similarly, a very significant majority would choose Wharton over Kellogg, even though they're tied, though it might be the reverse if you wanted to go into marketing.

The bolded is simply untrue. Booth is definitely more respected than Columbia Business school and it has the second best finance program in the country.

Yeah, it may be true in your experience but I wouldn't go so far as to say it's true in general. I worked for a major financial services corp and Booth was definitely considered top tier, right along with HBS and Wharton.

For JD, though, Columbia toes take the "prestige" cake (outside of HY and possibly S) in my very limited experience.

[Starting5]

If you look at cross-admit statistics (over many years, including the present), Harvard and Stanford Business Schools are the clear winners. While there are obviously exceptions to any rule, applicants consistently choose Stanford and Harvard over all other B-Schools (including Wharton, Kellogg, Chicago and Columbia). Harvard and Stanford business schools both have "yields" of 75% to 80%. The two schools fight it out for the relatively modest number admitted at both places, with little (%) advantage to S or H from year-to-year. Harvard Law and Harvard Business School both have very large entering classes; in contrast, Stanford Law and the Stanford GSB are smaller in size. (Harvard Business School has a total of about 1800 MBA students; Stanford Business School, about 750. Harvard Law has a total of about 1700 law students (one of the largest law schools in the Country), while Stanford Law--like Yale Law--has a total of about 550 law students.) Stanford has the lowest acceptance rate (it's the most selective) of any business school in the Country. And by extension (with Stanford Law having the second-lowest acceptance rate among all law schools), it also has the most selective JD/MBA program in the Country.

[ughOSU]

This is a several part blog on the jd/mba.... some of the best information I found when I looked into it:

http://blog.veritasprep.com/2009/02/pro ... ances.html

e:
part 2
http://blog.veritasprep.com/2009/04/pro ... jdmba.html

part 3
http://blog.veritasprep.com/2009/05/pro ... jdmba.html

part 4
http://blog.veritasprep.com/2009/07/pro ... jdmba.html

those were all the blog entries that I found

[psfs]

I am thinking that I would like to do a JD/MBA joint program. But I was wondering how much weight should I give to a certain law school for having a better business school? Do I pass up the chance to go to a top 20 law school with an average business school to go to a top 50 law school with a better B-school???

[bberry32]

Can we bring this thread back to life? I would be very interested to see how people rank them now.

[071816]

Can we bring this thread back to life? I would be very interested to see how people rank them now.

pretty much the same

[twenty]

Business school rankings are (if this is possible) even dumber than law school rankings. With law, at least it's loosely correlated to "these law schools are the best because they give you the best chance at biglaw/A3." With top MBA programs, there's a considerable diversity in "top" outcomes.

[Moneytrees]

Is there any point in business school if you dont go to a top tier program?

[iliketurtles123]

Is there any point in business school if you dont go to a top tier program?

Depends on a lot of things but (generally) probably not.
JD/MBA isn't for everyone, even at a top tier program. A non-top tier program makes it even less useful.

[071816]

Is there any point in business school if you dont go to a top tier program?

depends. many people go to lower tier business schools because their job pays for it and/or an MBA will help them advance at their current job. other than that, probably not.

[Moneytrees]

Is there any point in business school if you dont go to a top tier program?

depends. many people go to lower tier business schools because their job pays for it and/or an MBA will help them advance at their current job. other than that, probably not.

I get that. I just dont see the point of going to a tier 1 school and spending hundreds of thousands of dollars for that sort of degree. Not sure what tangible benefits you are getting in doing that.

[071816]

Is there any point in business school if you dont go to a top tier program?

depends. many people go to lower tier business schools because their job pays for it and/or an MBA will help them advance at their current job. other than that, probably not.

I get that. I just dont see the point of going to a tier 1 school and spending hundreds of thousands of dollars for that sort of degree. Not sure what tangible benefits you are getting in doing that.

in the situation i mentioned, the tangible benefit is usually a pay increase/better job title/increased future earnings. other than that, it's useless.

[Instinctive]

Is there any point in business school if you dont go to a top tier program?

depends. many people go to lower tier business schools because their job pays for it and/or an MBA will help them advance at their current job. other than that, probably not.

I get that. I just dont see the point of going to a tier 1 school and spending hundreds of thousands of dollars for that sort of degree. Not sure what tangible benefits you are getting in doing that.

in the situation i mentioned, the tangible benefit is usually a pay increase/better job title/increased future earnings. other than that, it's useless.

Depends on your UG also. For a personal example, I'm pursuing something that simply can't be done from my UG alone, but from my graduate program is not only possible, but is perhaps the number one (and certainly in the top 3) most represented school in the field. It's the difference in telling people who have that job that you want to do what they do, and the answer being:

"Well that's certainly going to take hard work and I wish you the best of luck"

versus

"Oh, great, let me put you in touch with Person X and Person Y. They've done something similar and can help on that path. How else are you positioning yourself now? Part of Group X? Good, we hire from there every year. Sounds like you've got the right plan, if you want to summer here I ca help make that happen, and you can leverage it to get to here and then..."

[bberry32]

Does anyone know of any scholarships specifically for JD/MBA programs? Also, is it possible for a more informed reader than myself to provide an updated dual program ranking for just the T14 (Law school is more important than B-school to me)? Thank you.