Kennesaw state good college? (Atlanta: school, live, rankings)

[GeorgiaTransplant]

Originally Posted by TakeAhike

The link wouldn't work for me.

As I stated previously I have no expertise in ranking MBA programs but I have heard opinions and know something about several universities in metro Atlanta.

It means little to me that 'Coles' ranks Kennesaw #7.

Whatever.

Coles is the Kennesaw business school.

CEO magazine actually did the study where they are rated #7.

The Kennesaw business school placed and hosts the article where they placed so high, because it is good PR.

That being said-I could also give two rips if 'CEO magazine' says it's Kennesaw MBA is all that.

In terms of national reputation-GT is best; UG/GSU are close seconds; Emory is up there; everything else in GA is also-ran and will be less useful to you in opening doors.

[Mishap]

Originally Posted by WilliamM

Yes. I would definitely think that Emory is a 1st-tier school in every respect, business/MBA and otherwise (as a national liberal arts school alongside the likes of Princeton, U of Chicago, Stanford, Duke, etc., so not covering areas such as engineering obviously).

The Emory MBA isn't really that distinguished given its cost. GT is half the cost of Emory(82k) at 44k for 2 yrs despite having upped their tuition from 22k for the program in past years and they still beat Emory this year in the rankings on US News. Emory managed just over 50% employment at graduation while GT got over 70%...(#1 Harvard got 77%) and UGA Terry got 38% and an overall ranking of 59. My friend went to Terry FT after doing his undergrad at Emory...he says its really bad there for recruiting and guys are taking any job they can find at this point (Median start salary US: 77k, Foreign = 45k). This translates into big risks if you're an average Emory grad w/ 60k in debt if you only have a 50% shot of getting any job at graduation. The salary differential between GT and Emory is less than the difference in student loans. Paying almost 90k to get a salary of 95k doesn't seem like a great ROI these days if the expected value of 95k * 50% = 48k.

It sounds like the OP is looking for an evening/part time MBA which changes things a bit. GSU is a lot better than KSU given it's GSU's specialty and dirt cheap on top of that. My older brother did his MBA there straight out of GT. The biggest flaw he saw from GSU was the mix of unqualified students that fill out the bottom of the classes which will still happen at KSU Coles. Housewives 20yrs out of the workforce don't bring recruiters to campus. That said it still helped him change industries when he got done. On that note, the last time I checked Emory doesn't allow PT students in the FT on campus recruiting pool so you're on your own if you want to change jobs post MBA. GT lets you in if you complete the pre-qualification steps which is a nice bonus if you're wanting to get into a management program.

The GT MBA is decent choice for a PT program and about the best value in GA despite costing 45k. A lot of the people skew toward the engineering side and there are some people that don't belong but you get access to FT professors which is the major flaw of the UGA program which has campuses in Gwinnett and Buckhead. There's just no way to keep the course curriculum the same across that many areas. Emory and GT both use the same professors across programs.

[WilliamM]

Originally Posted by Mishap

The Emory MBA isn't really that distinguished given its cost. GT is half the cost of Emory(82k) at 44k for 2 yrs despite having upped their tuition from 22k for the program in past years and they still beat Emory this year in the rankings on US News. Emory managed just over 50% employment at graduation while GT got over 70%...(#1 Harvard got 77%) and UGA Terry got 38% and an overall ranking of 59. My friend went to Terry FT after doing his undergrad at Emory...he says its really bad there for recruiting and guys are taking any job they can find at this point (Median start salary US: 77k, Foreign = 45k). .......... .

Thanks. You know, it's interesting. Speaking of PR - it seems both KSU and Emory have been geniuses at boosting their own reputations over the years. They've been hugely successful there. But perhaps less ostentatious - or so it seems, maybe I'm wrong - is little Ga Tech, which has (seemingly) quietly become one of the top schools in the nation reputation-wise, both for engineering and MBA. So for value for your dollar, it's hard to see how either KSU or Emory hold a candle to it. But then again, to take a more cynical attitude, maybe it's all a crap shoot anyway and just a matter of who happens to be tops in the name recognition sweepstakes at any given moment. If Terry is down now, who knows where they might be in another 10 yrs after they fire some people and hire a more hotshot consulting firm, etc. Don't know whether such cynicism is justified though.

[kdean8]

Originally Posted by agwambo

Hi I am considering going back to college for an MBA. my background is a BA degree from a foreign university and Iam looking for a USA college degree to assist me break into a professional job since employers totally ignore my foreign qualifications. I did my GMAT and attained a score of 650 which combined with other requirements is good enough for GA Tech or UGA however am getting impatient to wait for next Fall and I saw Kennesaw have a dual MBA/MSIS program which i may b interested in . However i do not know much about Kennesaw how reputable the university is etc, they have asked me to apply by July 1 for Fall 2010. How does KSU compare to GA State where I can also apply for Spring if i choose to not to wait for Fall 2011. I appreciate all advice

Hi, i am currently an IS major at KSU. Coles College of Business is one of the top 10 in the country. I thought about minoring in management, but I'm not sure yet. Hope this helps!

[moneill]

Tech is not quiet about its national ranking....it's just here in Georgia -- outside of the Perimeter -- Tech gets no respect.

Best thing about Tech, combination of top notch academic with a great relationship with many national and international corporations. You say Tech and companies all over the world know where you are coming from.

[Shantigo]

I used to work at Kennesaw State left in 07 and just letting you know don't sleep on KSU. in the past 6r years they increased in reputation and size and now they are the 3rd largest school in GA. The buisness school gets tons of money and support from the Atlanta area and high profile folks come there to speak all the time. Kennesaw State is on the move and will soon surpass GSU in enrollment for sure so it's not a bad place to be . Just letting you know a former employee and someone who works in higher education and knows how things work

[Mishap]

Originally Posted by Shantigo

I used to work at Kennesaw State left in 07 and just letting you know don't sleep on KSU. in the past 6r years they increased in reputation and size and now they are the 3rd largest school in GA. The buisness school gets tons of money and support from the Atlanta area and high profile folks come there to speak all the time. Kennesaw State is on the move and will soon surpass GSU in enrollment for sure so it's not a bad place to be . Just letting you know a former employee and someone who works in higher education and knows how things work

I don't think its a great idea to equate enrollment size with the quality of a school. OSU is a decent enough school but even w/ ~50,000 students nobody's mistaking them for Harvard. Not to discount KSU but the OP should apply and look toward the school/s that best suits their goals and brings the companies they're looking to work for.

[Shantigo]

Sorry if it seemed that i was equating it with the enrollment, I was just stating that alot of folks don't know how large KSU is and because its growing so fast more companies have been pouring into the school. There are tons of businesses now that come and speak to the business school

[cityrover]

Here are some updates:

KSU decided to fire a bunch of great teachers (not renew their contracts really) this year so they can fund their pointless soccer program.

Not sure how things are in coles now, but some of their other departments are really hurting from lack of good staff, including support staff. All the money they receive is currently (and has for a while) funneled towards NON ACADEMIC growth. Who needs that 10 million dining hall and their new mandatory fees to pay for it?!???

[vsmoove]

KSU is just focusing on getting larger and getting their sports program off the ground. Their Executive MBA program may get good marks but that is a totally different program from their regular MBA, which is lackluster. People here in GA seem to be fooled by growth and equate it with quality. To me, it's just an average school.