Current Student
Joined: 10 Dec 2010
Posts: 239
Given Kudos: 15
Schools:<strong>Ross '13</strong>
Q46 V40
GPA: 3.3
WE 1: Business Development / Sales
Re: Fuqua vs Darden vs Ross
[#permalink]
07 Apr 2011, 06:10
Hey great post rpratt620!
I was just wondering how much is your scholarship at both Ross and Duke that youre choosing to disregard those for Darden?
I kinda agree Ross' consulting advantage over Darden's is negligible. Also, Darden's case method fits very well with the consulting world.
US News 2012 rankings also put in figures that seem to put Darden at an advantage. Though the differences are not so significant, the figures would still be good to know (even if not screened at the consulting/IB fields).
Darden:
Average starting salary and bonus: $119,278
Full-time graduates employed at graduation: 69.0%
Ross:
Average starting salary and bonus: $116,201
Full-time graduates employed at graduation: 59.8%
Fuqua:
Average starting salary and bonus: $118,923
Full-time graduates employed at graduation: 63.6%
Darden's employment rate at graduation seems to have a significant difference with Ross' (69% and 59%).[/quote]
Good point about the employment stats. I will say through, in Ross's defense, one of the reasons why they are so low is due to the fact that Ross has graduation about 1 month earlier than most other top schools. I spoke with their career center this week and they said that they have taken some aggressive initiatives to overcome this handicap (she didn't specify exactly what) and they anticipate substantially better numbers for this coming year.
Ross offered me $40K total and Duke about $34K total. It was tough to pass on the $$, especially since they are both excellent schools. You can only create so many comparative analysis spreadsheets, speak with so many alumni and students, and do so much online research on the schools. Along with considering all those things, campus visits, fit, and my gut feeling also played into my choosing Darden over the other two. I used to think fit wasn't a big deal but I have come to realize that it is a major issue. Personally, when I'm in an environment that I enjoy, with people I like being around, I work harder, I'm more passionate about what I do, I do it better, and I take advantage of the extracurriculars and networking opportunities more frequently. That will all lead to better career options. I think it all comes down to fit. In terms of marketplace opportunities, you really can't pick a dud with these 3 programs.