Notre Dame vs Rochester vs William and Mary: Rank or OPT extension?

I am a CA and finance professional from India with over 5 years of consulting experience with BDO in tax and regulatory advisory services where I have provided advisory in relation to corporate restructuring exercises such as Merger and acquisitions. I have been offered admission from following MBA schools in US:

1) University of Notre Dame (Mendoza): US News rank 26 and has 1 yr OPT (don't want to pursue dual degree for the sake of OPT extension)
2) University of Maryland: US News rank 40 and has 1 yr OPT
3) College of William and Mary (Raymond Mason) - US News rank 54 and has STEM Designated extension of OPT for additional 2 years with Business Analytics concentration

Post MBA, I intend to join finance consulting practice of Big 4s or other mid size firms such as Gartner. My second preference would be to work in corporate finance profile. I am seeking guidance on which decision should I accept in this case. ROI, curriculum and learning experience is almost at par for all the schools. My key points of consideration and queries are the following:

1) To what extent does the rank of school matter from employment perspective? Does a higher ranked school with a better brand value preferred by employers over lower ranked schools? E.g. In my case, will Mendoza's reputation be useful in getting desired job in corporate finance/ consulting ? or are the other two universities equally accepted?
2) What is weighed more by employers - a higher rank or 3 years OPT? Particularly in my case, would it be worth to forgo higher rank of Mendoza as against 3 year OPT offered by William and Mary? I do not mind returning to India, but I hope to join and work at a top consulting firm before I go back.
3) Which school would have a better brand value in India or are consulting firms indifferent about it?

My personal inclination would be towards College of William and Mary since I found their alumni and admissions staff to be warm and welcoming. However, Mendoza's rank and brand is something that I cannot disregard. Considering its proximity to DC and NY, University of Maryland is worth considering as well (warmer climate than Notre Dame).

 
 

Facere ea nihil nemo omnis sunt nostrum autem. Vero sunt tempore et ut dolores harum. Qui minima est neque excepturi quaerat. Omnis voluptas omnis saepe reiciendis error.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2024 Investment Banking

  • Jefferies & Company 02 99.4%
  • Perella Weinberg Partners New 98.9%
  • Lazard Freres 01 98.3%
  • Harris Williams & Co. 24 97.7%
  • Goldman Sachs 17 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2024 Investment Banking

  • Harris Williams & Co. 19 99.4%
  • JPMorgan Chase 10 98.9%
  • Lazard Freres 05 98.3%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 97.7%
  • Moelis & Company 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2024 Investment Banking

  • Lazard Freres 01 99.4%
  • Jefferies & Company 02 98.9%
  • Perella Weinberg Partners 18 98.3%
  • Goldman Sachs 16 97.7%
  • Moelis & Company 05 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2024 Investment Banking

  • Director/MD (5) $648
  • Vice President (22) $375
  • Associates (93) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (14) $181
  • Intern/Summer Associate (33) $170
  • 2nd Year Analyst (69) $168
  • 1st Year Analyst (206) $159
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (149) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
6
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
kanon's picture
kanon
98.9
9
numi's picture
numi
98.8
10
bolo up's picture
bolo up
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”