[robertobaggio]

Hello,
I am about to begin my MBA at Rice University in Houston focusing in finance and marketing. I was recently working in the semiconductor industry of Silicon Valley, CA but I am ready for a change. I went to undergrad engineering at UT-Austin and have a MS in engineering from USF in Tampa.

My goal is to live and work in Miami post MBA. I am interested in both the marketing side of telecomm or high tech (the many Latin America operations headquarters), or possibly finance (the many banks in Brickell) or consulting sectors (like the McKinsey or Boston Consulting offices in Miami). I am going to make up my mind during the next two years given the MBA is a broad degree and also keeping an eye on the economy. I am also going to be enrolling in Spanish classes for the next two years to get myself to a fluent level which should open up more opportunities. I am a native of Italy originally.

My question is: what is the perception of Rice University in South Florida? Here in Texas and in general in the South, the school is often considered an Ivy along with other elite schools like Stanford, Northwestern, etc and probably above UT-Austin, but I am curious at its image outside the state given its limited alumni network (only 5000 students enrolled). I obviously have UT-Austin already on my resume as my undergrad and somewhat of a Florida connection with my MS at USF.

I chose Rice MBA (with a good scholarship) over an almost full-ride at University of Miami MBA (primarily because of rankings), and over USC and UT-Austin (which for MBA rank slightly higher) because of location and brand recognition (people associate Rice with academic, while the other two a lot with athletics as is the case even more with UF, reason why I did not even apply there).

So I was wondering if I made the right choice in my goal to find a good position in South Florida going with Rice University over University of Miami which of course would have allowed me to network locally rather than from another state. However, Rice seemed to be for everybody I spoke to a much better school academically and at the end that's what I based my decision on. Specifically, most rankings seem to show that no school in Florida comes even close to Rice, but I wonder if that will hold true once I try to find a position there.

[FSUMike]

Anybody who knows about colleges and universities knows that Rice is very prestigious. It's on the same level as Stanford, Duke, and Northwestern. Academically, Florida does not have an equivalent to Rice, but a degree from the Univ of Miami would still get you anywhere you wanted to go, especially in South Florida.

[Gatornation]

Well I think you answered your own question in a way. You got your MS at USF which has no reputation and most people out of FL have not heard of. Clearly have done well since going to USF and little of that success had anything to do with people knowing about USF. With an MBA so much of it is networking and past work experience.

I'm sure if a company has a history of hiring MBA's they'll know the rankings of Rice. That being said in South Florida I'm not sure you'll get too many people who think Rice and UF or Miami aren't on a similar level. People in FL are used to UF and Miami being the hardest schools in the state to get into.

[robertobaggio]

Originally Posted by Gatornation

Well I think you answered your own question in a way. You got your MS at USF which has no reputation and most people out of FL have not heard of. Clearly have done well since going to USF and little of that success had anything to do with people knowing about USF. With an MBA so much of it is networking and past work experience.

I'm sure if a company has a history of hiring MBA's they'll know the rankings of Rice. That being said in South Florida I'm not sure you'll get too many people who think Rice and UF or Miami aren't on a similar level. People in FL are used to UF and Miami being the hardest schools in the state to get into.

I wouldn't say USF has no reputation as I actually met quite a few succesful graduates in California working in Silicon Valley like me or in financial services in San Francisco. That is a competitive market with all the best California schools in close reach, but USF graduates do well for themselves there. Exemple, the San Francisco Bay Area Alumni Chapter is headed by a VP for the West Coast at Morgan Stanley. USF is just not known as much as UF, UM and FSU because it's a younger institution and due to not having a football team until few years ago. But academically is certainly above FSU for instance. Also, for engineering USF has better programs than UM and any other school in Florida except UF. But then again, engineering is much more about what research you do and what advisor you work for, than rankings or anything else. Personally, I opted for USF because at the time I wanted to live in Florida but not in Gainesville.

For MBA is all about rankings and perception. In general poeple think of Rice as an Ivy and UF/UM as big party schools not so great academically at least in California where I was working as there are probably 8-9 CA schools which rank higher (including several secondary UC campuses). I would imagine that holds true on most of the east coast too. This has a lot to do with its undergraduate programs and National Universities rankings:
http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandre...ational-search

[Gatornation]

Originally Posted by robertobaggio

I wouldn't say USF has no reputation as I actually met quite a few succesful graduates in California working in Silicon Valley like me or in financial services in San Francisco. That is a competitive market with all the best California schools in close reach, but USF graduates do well for themselves there. Exemple, the San Francisco Bay Area Alumni Chapter is headed by a VP for the West Coast at Morgan Stanley. USF is just not known as much as UF, UM and FSU because it's a younger institution and due to not having a football team until few years ago. But academically is certainly above FSU for instance. Also, for engineering USF has better programs than UM and any other school in Florida except UF. But then again, engineering is much more about what research you do and what advisor you work for, than rankings or anything else. Personally, I opted for USF because at the time I wanted to live in Florida but not in Gainesville.

For MBA is all about rankings and perception. In general poeple think of Rice as an Ivy and UF/UM as big party schools not so great academically at least in California where I was working as there are probably 8-9 CA schools which rank higher (including several secondary UC campuses). I would imagine that holds true on most of the east coast too. This has a lot to do with its undergraduate programs and National Universities rankings:
http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandre...ational-search

Well you can't say USF is better than FSU and then in you next sentence list rankings. In rankings USF is a tier 3 school with a very average reputation. They are not on the level of UM, FSU, and UF. The debate people in Florida have is between UCF and USF. USF may have a couple programs that can compete but overall it's a tier 3 school.

[robertobaggio]

Originally Posted by Gatornation

Well you can't say USF is better than FSU and then in you next sentence list rankings. In rankings USF is a tier 3 school with a very average reputation. They are not on the level of UM, FSU, and UF. The debate people in Florida have is between UCF and USF. USF may have a couple programs that can compete but overall it's a tier 3 school.

I was referring strictly about graduate school. USF in terms of research is on another planet compared to FSU. I have never even heard of engineering programs at FSU (which I believe according to USNews they share with Florida A&M), niether have I ever come across their students at any conference. I would indubitably place UF, USF, UCF, UM, FAU in that order for research activity in the engineering and sciences areas. FSU and FIU behind those.

[Gatornation]

Originally Posted by robertobaggio

I was referring strictly about graduate school. USF in terms of research is on another planet compared to FSU. I have never even heard of engineering programs at FSU (which I believe according to USNews they share with Florida A&M), niether have I ever come across their students at any conference. I would indubitably place UF, USF, UCF, UM, FAU in that order for research activity in the engineering and sciences areas. FSU and FIU behind those.

I'm not saying USF doesn't have a couple good programs. Overall the perception of USF is average and a tier 3 school. That is in FL and it's surely not better out of the state.

Back to main topic. People who know MBA schools will of course know how good Rice is. Will the average person in FL? I'd say no because it doesn't have the name recognition that the other Ivy's have.

[robertobaggio]

Originally Posted by Gatornation

I'm not saying USF doesn't have a couple good programs. Overall the perception of USF is average and a tier 3 school. That is in FL and it's surely not better out of the state.

Same goes for FSU. It's a tier 3 school. And the undergrad admission rate is actually tighter at USF (49%) than FSU (55%). So I reallly don't see your argument about FSU being a better school overall and USF having no reputation.

Furthermore, USF is classified by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching as engaging "very high research", which only UF and UM in the state of Florida share.

[Gatornation]

Originally Posted by robertobaggio

Same goes for FSU. It's a tier 3 school.

FSU is a tier 1 school. 102 overall by US news. USF isn't close to the level of FSU as an overall school.

Florida State University
*Tallahassee, FL
* Score 39
* Tier 1

btw stop making me defend FSU!

[robertobaggio]

Originally Posted by Gatornation

FSU is a tier 1 school. 102 overall by US news. USF isn't close to the level of FSU as an overall school.

Florida State University
*Tallahassee, FL
* Score 39
* Tier 1

btw stop making me defend FSU!

Anything past 100 is Tier 3. Usually, Tier 1 is 1-50. Tier 2 is 51-100. Otherwise notice how USNews doesn't list Tier 2.

If USF isn't even close to FSU, then why admission rate is tighter at USF than FSU?