Fuqua vs Cornell Tech ($) vs Kenan Flagler for Tech-Entrepreneurship

I think companies only look for internships if you are a career switcher (which it sounds like you aren't) or if you don't have a lot of pre-MBA work experience.

Both programs have their merits, but they're very different. The Cornell program will get you back out into the workforce sooner and it sounds like it'll be much cheaper. It'll also be a lot smaller compared to Fuqua.

However, Fuqua does offer the full experience with the opportunity to participate in more clubs and interact with a larger class. It'll also give you the opportunity to do an internship to gain additional skills if you feel you need them or test out a career if you're not sure.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that it depends on what you're ultimately looking for. I voted for Cornell (full disclosure though I may be a bit biased) because it sounds like a better option (leaves you with much less debt) for what you're hoping to do.

I wouldn't worry too much if you're just worried about finding a job with the new program. Cornell Tech is currently operating out of a Google building in Chelsea and I don't think they would've accepted you if they didn't think they could help you find employment immediately after graduation. Yes they don't have employment statistics yet, but knowing Cornell I don't think they would've rolled out this program if they didn't think they could produce successful graduates. It's still a part of Johnson and so you'd have the benefit of the branding, existing industry connections that the school has, and greater Cornell network.

Just my $0.02
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Thank you for answering.
Most of the things you are saying are correct but still, as an international with friends who finished their MBA, a summer internship is a must in their eyes.
Usually, a one year program is for people who just need it for the resume and return to their previous jobs for a better title/increased salary. There are only two good one year programs -> kellog and cornell.
In regards to alumni, the cornell tech MBA class has only 35 people in it so the networking is very limited. As for the alumni network, I believe its the same in most schools. Cornell is less techy than duke and most mba's prefer consulting, IB and marketing.
I have fate in cornell tech's mba but Duke is a well established and respected mba program. They are ranked #1 by businessweek for 2014 and this should not be taken for granted.

Put money out of the way, at the end, we all need the best program that we will benefit from. I am not sure that a one year accelerated mba is the best choice. The only thing that I am not sure about in duke is their entrepreneurship concentration. I ultimately want to open my own startup and not sure how duke address such visions from students.

Thanks again!

Well it sounds like you've set your mind on duke... But then I guess I'm not sure what you're asking

I don't know why an internship is a must for internationals... I thought you were starting a company? Is there a particular tech company/position you're targeting?

I guess I'm just confused on what you're looking for.

The networking at Cornell Tech won't be limited because the overall university network is extremely strong (especially in NYC) and students in the program have access to that network. That being said, Duke also has a very strong alumni network.

Duke was ranked #1 in BW and I believe that was because of it's high alumni and recruiter rankings. Which is a great thing especially if you're planning on looking for a job post-MBA. But if you want to start a company I don't think that would matter as much...

If it's the program or curriculum specifically you're questioning, you can call up either school and ask them, but from what I've seen from a quick scan on the internet, they're very similar as well except that the Tech MBA gives you an opportunity to work for a tech company as part of the curriculum whereas the 2 year program has the internship.

If you're worried about how it'll be viewed on a resume years later, I believe both will just say MBA...

Anyways I'm not trying to convince you one way or the other. IMHO, both Fuqua and Johnson programs will likely give you the opportunities you need to successfully do a start-up. The only difference is one will cost more both in time and money (a year and ~$80k+scholarship).
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In general, I want to start my own thing but I always think about whats gonna happen if things will not come my way. Starting my own thing will be hard but manageable. I am targeting PM roles in the big tech companies -> Google, FB, Apple, eBay etc...
That being said, I have not made up my mind yet. Yes, duke is safer for me but cornell's new program really caught my eye.
I am not sure how strong the cornell network is in the west coast, where most tech companies are.
The Cornell curriculum for the tech MBA program is very specific, which is a good thing, but there are no clubs and other opportunities, just as you mentioned.

Tough choice indeed.

We tend to agree with the other poster: internships are typically good if you are switching functions or industries. It sounds like you have tech experience. Were you a PM or in a product-related role like analytics, UX, user research, or engineering? If so, you probably don't need the internship.

Do you have a firm preference for taking a PM role in the Bay Area? The New York tech scene is definitely growing. Many companies now have product teams in NY (e.g., Google, Twitter, Amazon); however, these are definitely satellite offices. That being said, more and more NY-based companies are hitting scale, with Etsy filing for an IPO and numerous later stage companies (BuzzFeed, AppNexus, SailThru, DataMinr, GILT, etc.) raising C and post-C funding rounds.

Regardless of which school you choose, outside of on-campus recruiting (typically Consulting, Banking, General Management, and few positions at the largest tech companies), you typically have to hustle you way in. It's likely you will have greater access for coffee chats, attending meetups, etc., if you are in NYC compared to NC. However, if you are set on West Coast, then this proximity may have limited usefulness unless these contacts can intro you to folks in HQ.

To get a balanced opinion, we believe it would be helpful to speak with someone who has studied tech/ entrepreneurship at Fuqua. You could take the following steps based on your network:

1. Speak with current friends that attend Fuqua (or Cornell Tech)
2. If unable to find people via 1, search LinkedIn for 2nd degree connections at Fuqua that interned/ now work at companies you'd want to work for
3. If 2 is unsuccessful, try to contact the Presidents of the Tech or Entrepreneurship clubs at Fuqua
4. If 3 is unsuccessful, use a service (like HeyIvy) to set up virtual coffee chats with current students or young alumni at Fuqua who are studying/ working in tech

Best of luck!

Thank you for the detailed answer. I have enough experience in a tech related startup where I act as a CTO.
Regarding hustling my way in, I am well aware that I need to work hard either way (even harder because im considered foreign), I just wonder how strong Cornell is in the Tech field. To my understanding, the school's main strengths are marketing, consulting and IB. I was also wondering if any Ivy league school such as cornell is considered stronger although Duke's MBA program is ranked higher.
I ultimately want to pursue a PM role in the big tech companies - google, fb, intel, ebay, amazon etc...
I have spoken with numerous Fuqua alums and current students, although biased, they stressed out how important was it to understand the whole recruiting process, contact alums from the specific companies you want to work for and have several interviews (like 6-10 on avg) in order to succeed.
A few of them are familiar with Kellog's and Cornell's one year program and thought it is too fast and mostly for people who just need another line in their resume.
I was trying to get more info from cornell students but could not get a conclusive answer. I know they had interviews with eBay and Amazon but that's it.

First off, congrats and all that jazz.

Let's assume UNC-KF is out and it's a question of Duke versus Cornell (Tech). Brand-wise, I assume Duke and Cornell are at the same tier just below the M7 and the better school for you is a matter of fit with what you are looking for. For tech, I would rank Cornell Tech over the Cornell 2-year program unless you are a career switcher.

Location: Cornell Tech
While it's not Palo Alto, I think it's very clear that NYC is much better to network with alumni in the tech space than Durham, NC. Besides being a better place to live while attending school, this is why NYU and Haas are so selective despite being ranked substantially lower than other schools that are far away from employers and alumni. That being said, few will attend Columbia if they get into Wharton.

Alumni: Toss-up
I agree with heyivy to use LinkedIn. I would reach out NOW to alumni in both Fuqua as well as Johnson to see who is more responsive. This can be huge, but this will depend upon your preferences: where you want to live and what you want to do? Alumni will impact your recruiting opportunities right away and in 5-10 years the make-up of your class may enable you to transition into better opportunities or perform better in a senior role (e.g. bring more business to your firm through your contacts). The former is based primarily upon the success of alumni that graduated decades ago. For example, it's known that Apple recruits from Fuqua because Tim Cook went there. In the 13/14 report, they gave internships to 9 and hired 6 full-time. Apple isn't mentioned in Cornell's employment report. Further down your career path, the connections you make with your peers may open up a lot more than a simple interview opportunity, so Cornell Tech may have something to offer as well. Let's look at each school.
Cornell:
(+) smaller class size will mean stronger connections with your classmates.
(+) a tech-focused MBA means nearly all of Cornell Tech's graduating class will enter into your industry each year.
(+) you will build a network with cs masters students. tech firms are actually more interested in hiring engineers than mba's, so this could be big down the road.
(+) VERY strong network in NYC. last employment report for 2-year program has 33% entering NYC metro area + 14% in northeast outside NYC versus 35% total in northeast from Duke
(-) no prominent alumni in tech easily found
(-) strong network in banking won't be valuable to you
(-) Cornell Tech is new. Cornell alumni may not identify the same way with you versus students in the Ithaca 2-year program
(-) weak alumni on west coast but graduating class moving to west coast is similar to duke
(-) long-term the school may flop like how ASU acquired thunderbird

Duke:
(+) prominent alumni: Tim Cook (Apple), Dylan Smith (Box), Chad Dickerson (Etsy), Amy Hood & Scott Guthrie (Microsoft), Aaron Patzer (Mint, now Intuit)
(+) data point from BW shows a slightly higher % of students entering tech versus cornell (19% vs 14%)
(+) alumni are VERY supportive of their school and this is evident in the BW results in which biased alumni recruiters & reviewers pushed Fuqua up to #1. part of this is duke listing duke alumni as the respondents for the employer survey, but cornell would be stupid if they didn’t do the same (they fell in at #13 on bw FWIW).
(-) larger class means it will be harder to make as many close connections
(-) more peers will go into different industries
(-) weak alumni on west coast but graduating class moving to west coast is similar to cornell.

Internship Opportunity: Duke
A 2-year program like Duke enables you to pursue the internship you want, but it's up for you to nail it. This is probably a bigger advantage for someone entering banking or consulting in which jobs are primarily offered to summer interns. I'm not sure how common MBA internships are at tech companies you want to work for. I recommend investigating this. While Cornell Tech has a company project in the fall and a start-up project in the spring, you may not get the one you want. I wouldn't consider the start-up project an internship but it may align with your goals if you are interested in that. For weak applicants who may not land top internship roles in tech, I would actually suggest Cornell over Duke because I assume they will shoe you into a company project/internship without you needing to make the cut in an interview like a traditional internship. The company project with Cornell Tech will probably give you more opportunity to connect with senior executives than a generic internship. I interview MBA students from HBS, Tuck, CBS, Kellogg, etc. who want an internships we offer in our corporate strategy & development group each year. I've seen and worked with a few and their exposure to people within the company is quite limited. Compare this to a co-worker who told me the other day he was very impressed with a Booth company project that presented to a business unit and senior management after a semester of work. Still, there is no guarantee you will have any interest at landing the company project you want. For example, does Mastercard R&D count as tech in your book? It would be a great opportunity for some but others may have no interest in a fintech project at an established financial services firm.

Career: Toss-up
Duke is better for consultants and Cornell is better for investment banking. Tech is another story. With a goal of entering tech, I would pick Duke over the 2-year program at Cornell. Cornell Tech throws a wrench into any analysis because it is essentially a brand new school despite having the Cornell brand and it's targeting the exact market you want.
Cornell:
(+) Better networking opportunities in NYC
(+) David Tisch (TechStars, BoxGroup), Greg Pass (Twitter), Marina Dadashev (Amazon)
(+) As the second graduating MBA class of Cornell Tech they will be investing heavily into your success. I'm assuming the only reason they started the programs before the campus was finished was to begin building a track record.
(+) You can spend savings on events like SxSW & techcrunch disrupt
(-) You will have access to the Ithaca based recruiting process but all the events are 4 hours away in Ithaca
(-) Only one-year to "hustle it" and find work visa

Duke:
(+) Better on-campus recruiting opportunities since you are part of the main program
(+) Better chance of finding sponsorship with traditional on-campus recruiting than "hustling" it
(+) Two-years to "hustle it"
(+) More tech hires than Cornell's main 2-year program
(+) AAPL
(-) I will repeat location because it's such a big deal. "Hustling it" from Durham, NC will be MUCH harder than from NYC even if you have two years to do it.

Curriculum: Cornell
Does anybody go to b school to actually learn? From what I understand, the Cornell Tech curriculum is essentially a degree in Product Management but they call it an MBA because it’s more marketable. You get a summer of basics that covers what most programs teach in their first year “core” and 9mos. of curriculum designed for product management – precisely for what you want to do. That being said, there is probably next to no flexibility such as wanting to study abroad or taking classes in other departments. A 2-year MBA program is not a full 24mos., but actually 18mos. of classes + a <3mos. internship. So, Duke gives you an extra 6mos. of classes, but the intensity in the second year for most people is quite light unless you really want to skip the networking/party scene. I imagine you would learn a comparable amount of material from either program.

Fun: Duke
Two years out of school having fun > 1 year out of school having fun. ‘nuff said. NYC is fun but people in the south really know how to party and the weather is much better.

Cost: Cornell
Let's say you got a 50% scholarship for a total tuition cost of ~$50k cornell Tech versus tuition at ~$115k for two years duke. You will need to pay living expenses in both NYC and Durham and if you didn't go to school, but it's well known that NYC is much more expensive so let's add another $15k to Cornell. Also, let's say you make $75k/year after taxes and ignore interest given today's low interest-rate environment.

Marginal cost to attend Cornell: 50+15+75=$140k POST-TAX
Marginal cost to attend Duke: 115+75*2=$265k POST-TAX

Summary
Location: Cornell
Alumni: Toss-up
Internship Opportunity: Duke
Career: Toss-up
Curriculum: Cornell
Fun: Duke
Cost: Cornell

From your post, it seems you are risk averse and looking for a job at a tech firm that offers a visa sponsorship. For this, a traditional 2-year degree with an internship opportunity probably offers a slight edge over Cornell Tech’s 1-year program. If you already have the background to land a job after Cornell Tech, I don’t think this is huge for you. The Cornell Tech program itself is clearly a perfect fit for what you want. Duke will give you more time off from the real world, but it will cost an extra $115k in post-tax dollars. Take your pick. Either will be awesome.

edits: typo

So which one did you end up choosing and how did it turn out for you?

roygush What did you choose and how is your experience ?

I see it as a Cornell versus Duke question.

As an international student, you will want to have the advantage of a longer duration and internship in Duke's program. Further, it is always good to join a school's flagship program. Further, as someone with technology background myself, I would be inckined on going for general management degree. Hence, it's Duke for me for you

I realized I replied on a 3 years old thread somehow it showed up in recent posts.

I would be very interested in knowing what you chose and how, where you are placed now.

Congratulations on completion of your degree

Can someone share what is up with all the UNC hating on this site (full disclosure I am a first year student my decision last year was UNC vs. UT vs. CMU vs. GTOWN no aide at any). Our mean GMAT was a 705 for the class of 2020 (last time I checked) we have a great current class. 92% of students have a full time offer at graduation, this is admittedly dragged down due to the fact it does appear to be harder to land a top internship/job as an international from UNC. The faculty is 100% top notch. Also no one seems to mention the fact we are raising money for a new business school, it is pretty abundantly obvious as it is a line Item on the Universities balance sheet literally called "New Business School Building". "Meanwhile, a line item deep in the budget bill set aside $1 million for a “new business school building” at UNC-Chapel Hill. The proposal hadn’t figured in any earlier draft of the budget, but UNC-CH officials quickly confirmed that the item wasn’t a misprint." From an objective standpoint there are three things we need to improve. One, Job placement for internationals. Two, the name "Kenan Flagler" has very small name recognition. Three, something weird went on in the career office last year and into this summer. We hired the former head of Darden's career center and he is a great guy and doing a great job, but something was not right there before and he is left with having to clean it up... which I have no doubt he will, one career coach left mysteriously at the beginning of the year (prob was fired or did not like new regime). Regardless the career center is certainly going through a transition, but I really do think the new head is great and will make a huge improvement. It just kinda baffles me when people say CMU and UT are clearly better, I got into both, liked UNC way more, higher GMAT, as a % of people who want to get into finance related jobs we do great... prob not as many interested but most are successful. Real Estate is a powerhouse, consulting seems tough. They do great with Healthcare as well. Just my 2 cents.

Also I do agree duke and cornell are bigger names... although I find cornell super over rated.