r/MSBA

Got into Carnegie Mellon University MSBA Class of 2026!
Looking forward to connecting with fellow admits & alum and hearing about your experiences at CMU!

I am very grateful to have been admitted to all of the above universities however, I now have to pick one. Let me tell you a bit about myself and my goals and lay out the offers on the table.

I applied mostly to MSBA programs at these schools but I was accepted to UW for their msim (information management) program. I have a 3.52 undergrad gpa in finance and was a member of my universities investment fund which directed me towards consulting/ finance for my final goals.

Now for the schools:

Cal Poly: I like the curriculum for cal poly slo and that it includes classes like econometrics but cal poly places much better for tech roles and tech consulting (not necessarily a bad thing) but I want to try to do something more aligned with finance. It is also a very cheap option in California which I like.

ASU: This was my first admit. I like the school and Phoenix but it is mostly still in consideration because it has a big enough brand for Arizona and it is cheaper than some other options. I do like that it dominates Phoenix recruiting.

UCSD: I received a 30k scholarship for here. I love San Diego as a city but I’ve heard that San Diego is kind of a bubble for recruiting and that it’s harder to go back to LA from San Diego. I like that this program is as technical as UCLA’s MSBA and that they have a summer quarter for catchup classes, but they also lean more tech than finance and consulting.

USC: This is by far the most expensive school on this list but it is also probably the best for consulting and finance placement. It also carries an elite alumni network. This would be the biggest “take a chance on yourself” option here.

UW: I just got off the waitlist for UW msim. I am in state for this program and the tuition wouldn’t be too bad. I think this program also leans more tech but it has a good balance of business + tech at the same time. This might be one of the strongest middle ground options I have.

Also of note: I am ok waitlists for the UW MSBA and UCLA MSBA right now. Either of those would be huge decisions if I were to land them.

Given what’s on the table right now, which do you think is the best option? Thank you for your help!

Hi all,

So I am an Indian Female 27YO, below is my profile:-

UG Degree: Bachelor of Engineering(Computer Science) from a private university in India
GPA:7.21/10

Work Experience: 5 years(I work at a US based MNC)
Work Summary: IT professional with experience in production support, monitoring, operations analysis, and troubleshooting enterprise systems, along with creating dashboards and handling business-critical workflows.
Awards and certs: I have multiple awards from my org and 2 cloud certs.

GRE:Q167 V155 - 322

Community work: I take care of community animals

With this profile I would like to apply to below schools:-
Carlson
Foster
WP Carey
Mccombs
Purdue
Simon
UCLA
UC Davis
USC Marshall
Questrom

I want to apply for fall 2027.

I would like to know which of the schools mentioned above are known for offering good scholarships to international applicats such as me, since financial aid is very important for me. Also, do MSBA students typically receive full rides, or is that mostly common in MBA programs?