Just got off the waitlist!

assuming no $ at either school, I'd go with Tuck. Better placement and reputation and everyone seems to love it there. Fuqua is a great option as well but if you don't have a major preference for either culture/location, Tuck seems like the better bet. Congrats!

Hey guys, thank you all for your input. Is there any reason one would pick Fuqua over Tuck? There is a small portion of me curious to know what it would be like to live in a warm climate, relatively speaking (I live in Minnesota). Can you guys comment on Fuqua alumni community? I know Tuck alumni are great! Just trying to understand what my future support system might look like.

@rk66.......thanks for your candid feedback. I was essentially asked to walk them through what I have been upto since I was waitlisted. Honestly, I haven't done much since I was waitlisted at 3 schools and figured that I would be taken off the waitlist for sure some where. If you want to know more, please PM me.

Congrats! Both are fantastic schools. However, Tuck is probably the way to go. I am VERY biased because I am going there There are a few reasons why Tuck has the edge. 1. Tuck's policy of only offering a full-time MBA. No part-time, no executive, and no online MBA's. Which means not only is the faculty, career services, administration etc. completely focused on the full time program but also the quality and reputation of a Tuck MBA is not compromised. 2. Tuck's closely knit and highly responsive alumni. The alumni annual giving rate of over 70% testifies that they are very satisfied with the Tuck experience. 3. Tuck's terrific experiential learning opportunities such as Global Onsite Consultancy in over 50 countries till date. A great opportunity to take the learning from classroom and apply it in real-word global businesses. 4. Tuck's solid leadership program. I hope this helps!

I chose Fuqua over Tuck. For me it was about culture and family. I love college sports...no naturally that gave Duke an edge. Also, I have a wife and 2 kids, and I think we will have a lot more fun in Durham than in Hanover.
As far as job placement goes, it doesn't matter where you go. If you are looking to go to Goldman for example, both schools will get you there. It's not like after a bad interview at Tuck the recruiters are gonna say "Well we didn't really like him/her, but they're a Tuckie, so we'll take them" Or a good interview at Fuqua and they say "Man, this guy is great, but he's from Fuqua so we'll pass". It took me while to understand this, but after talking with LOTS of current students, it is true. All the major players recruit at both schools, the boutiques may vary slightly, but a quick look at employment statistics will show just how small that difference is.
The job you get will be based on you, not your school (when comparing between two top b-schools). Go where you will have the most fun. Or as everyone says, where you "fit" the best.

@DLEmba...........thanks for your input. I find the Tuck and Duke culture to be very similar (student driven, collaborative, small knit community) and therein lies the challenge of picking one over the other.

Have you had a chance to talk to Duke alumni by any chance? One aspect of the two schools I am evaluating is alumni support and how easily accessible are they. I believe that everyone would agree that getting into IB from both schools is fair game. However, I am thinking about my 2nd, 3rd, and 4th job and which network will come in handy then. Any insight on this will be much appreciated.

Generally, I agree with DLEmba that you should make the decision based upon what fits better for you.

In this and other threads, I see a good portion of posts stating subjective opinions about how one school is generally 'better' than another school when both programs are clearly in the same tier with respect to reputation and career opportunities.

With respect to reputation, an easy litmus test here is to pretend you are interviewing two candidates that come from the programs you are considering. Would you pick one over the other based upon 'reputation'? I interview MBA candidates for a strategic planning internship we hire for annually and to me the difference between these schools is negligible. The rest of your resume and your interview performance will determine the hiring decision -- not the school. Assuming both the schools will get you the interview, it's up to you to get the job. Different people will have different biases regarding Duke versus Tuck, and the way you dress/carry yourself will probably matter more unless they are a Tuck alum or Duke sports fan (or got rejected by either school and are resentful about it).

While I hold the reputation of these two schools equally, I would bet IB guys on average would prefer Tuck because bankers drop their panties for ivys and industry/F500 execs would prefer Duke because of sports / you would be considered more down-to-earth (the ivy connotation can be negative in some industry gigs).

While both will offer you comparable career opportunities, the on-campus recruiting options and alumni network in different companies won't be the same mix. You could generalize and say that Tuck is slightly better for IB and Duke better for the breadth of industry/F500 options for on-campus recruiting, and I wouldn't disagree with you. However, I suggest going deeper. What company do you REALLY want to work for? Is it on the recruiting list of firms that interview on-campus or regularly make offers? Go to LinkedIn and see how many alumni of Fuqua/Duke versus Tuck/Dartmouth are listed. For example, if you want to work for Apple, clearly Duke is better. Goldman Sachs? It seems like Tuck from the placement numbers. Do your homework specific to your interests. Some companies like Amazon/J&J will hire at both. Look to other companies that have a strong edge in either Tuck or Duke and determine which mix is a better fit for you.

You originally said that location didn't matter, but you also mentioned your family might prefer warmer weather. I recommend thinking beyond the 2-years location and instead look at the geographic alumni network footprint vis-a-vis where you want to settle down with your family. Do you want to move to NYC (Tuck) or would you prefer a lower-cost, better weather location in the Southeast (Duke)? Look at LinkedIn and compare cities you are interested in with where the alumni are.

Regarding Fuqua alumni, I work with one and he is awesome. However, a sample size of one is obviously too small I recommend reaching out to some existing Fuqua and Tuck alumni, tell them you were admitted and are deciding between Tuck and Fuqua. See how many of them get back to you and how engaging they are. Ask them about the culture, for tips, what they liked most, etc. I expect these conversations will highlight some differentiating themes about the school cultures that will help you decide which program is a better fit for you and your family. I haven't talked to many other Fuqua alumni myself, but from what I understand from phone calls with Tuckies, the culture generally conforms to northeastern social norms. Does Duke have a southern hospitality vibe going? (I have no idea). Some people like that -- others don't.

SweetPea,
Hopefully you have had the chance to reach out to Tuck and Fuqua alumni/students since you were accepted. As far as my experience goes, I have had an absolutely positive experience with both sets of alumni. Everyone I have reached out to has gotten back to me quickly and been more than willing to share any insights they have.

Have you chosen a school yet?

Having gone to Fuqua and work with several Tuckies, I would say the alumni support is comparable at both schools.

Having said that, it is very prudent that you are looking into the post-MBA support, since most people switch jobs 1-2 years out. If you are 90% set on the industry/function you want to go into, alumni support plays a minor role. Your reputation and industry/function performance will be bigger factors in your future roles. If you are not set on the post-MBA industry/function (or you are thinking Consulting), I would recommend looking into the diversity of alumni placement, and alumni size. Those connections will help get your foot in the door after you 1st post-MBA job (along with you experiences).

hey guys, thanks so much for all your input and advise! I am very appreciative of all your comments and help in making a key decision.

As a follow up to the questions posed by you guys:

1) I have reached out to two alumni from both schools and they have been kind to reply to all my questions. Tuck has this legendary aura of super duper supportive alumni, so I am very keen on making sure i end up at a school where alumni would go to bat for their alma matter students.

2) I am 99% sure that I want to get into Financial Services with strong preference for investment banking. I have not had a financial role in the past, so I am currently studying for CFA to give myself some financial background. I have touched base with career management offices from both schools and they have been helpful.

3) Based on my career choice, I will most likely end up in new york. It seems the alumni network in NYC is fairly strong for both schools

4) I have not picked a school as of now. I feel that I will fly to Durham and then to Hanover in a week or so and check both of them out once again.

Congrats! I am glad to see that you got off the wait list at Tuck. From the time I saw your righteous and selfless advice in this post, I was hoping that you will make it into Tuck! See u in Hanover this fall