Darden ($) vs. Kellogg

Question

Hi all,

Although I made my deposit at Darden, I received the offer from Kellogg which I didn't expect. I received half-tuition scholarship from Darden and unfortunately 0 from Kellogg though I tried to negotiate. The CoA in Kellogg is a little bit higher than Darden so in total, the different cost would be $80K between the 2 schools. I'm an international student who want to break into management/operations management consulting in tier 2 advisory firms. I believe that the career opportunity at the 2 schools are somewhat similar. I didn't have the chance to visit both schools but as through the admission process, I personally prefer the spirit at Darden more, maybe it's because the class size is small and the rural setting at Charlottesville forms that culture. However, Kellogg has an edge in its strong alumni network, which I can utilize for my future business. Given those pros and cons, can you please share your thoughts? I'd much appreciate your ideas, many thanks!

FinanceMan · Answer

I believe breaking into consulting is more difficult for international students but if that is your goal, then I do not really see how you could choose Darden over Kellogg even with the scholarship money. Kellogg is a consulting powerhouse and they would give you a far better chance of landing a consulting gig.

However, if you feel more comfortable at Darden then go with it. You want to be happy and comfortable where you are at. Darden is a very good T15 program. It is just hard to even compare the career opportunities of Darden to Kellogg in my opinion.

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Regenerate · Answer

Call the career services folks at both schools.

Tell each one you're admitted for this fall and you're trying to decide.

Tell them your goals and ask them if they've got any students graduating this spring who have a background and goals most similar to your background and goals ... and ... ask if they can help put you in touch with them.

Also, some schools may provide details about job search successes for international students into various industries. Ask if they have any of this granular data.

I think you may be pleasantly surprised at Darden's ability to place huge percentages of their students in consulting roles.

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DivineJustice · Answer

Hi CJHu,

Kellogg student here. Scholarship money is of course something you should always consider heavily. Although I never applied to Darden, I was accepted into a peer school with scholarship money as well ($40K), but I ultimately chose Kellogg (no scholarship) because of the opportunities that Kellogg could afford me for my goals both short-term and long-term. As mentioned before, Kellogg sends many its students into consulting and has a well-oiled interview preparation process. I'm sure bonds can be stronger at schools in a less urban location than Chicago/NYC (Tuck, Darden, Fuqua), but the community here is fantastic as well. Not only that, but there are so many opportunities to develop your leadership, analytical, and communication abilities through clubs, workshops, and speaker sessions. The alumni network at Kellogg is extremely strong, and the alumni are more than willing to help you out. I am confident you'll be able to reach your career goals with the right amount of effort here.

That isn't to say Darden won't get you there - I'm sure it will as well with the right amount of effort. Ultimately, it'll come down to alumni presence in the field you want to be in, where you want to be geographically (Kellogg has global presence, but obviously it is one of the strongest names in the Midwest), community, and what you're looking to get out of the academic experience (I believe Darden places heavier emphasis on the case method). I would recommend you speak with a few students/alumni of each program to get better insight. Feel free to PM me with any further questions.

Finally, congratulations! These are 2 incredible programs to get into, and you'll be able to reach your goals with either of them. Good luck!

Regenerate · Answer

Per #'s I scraped from the web from various sources:

Median 1st Year Total Compensation (ex. stock options):
Kellogg = $179,800
Darden = $168,600

% w/ Offers At or Before Graduation:
Kellogg = 88.5%
Darden = 94.0%

% w/ Offers At or Before 3mo After Graduation:
Kellogg = 97.5%
Darden = 97.0%

% Going into Consulting (I didn't take note of any differences between internal v. external ... or ... strategic v. operational v. other consulting):
Kellogg = 30.4%
Darden = 35.0%

% Placing Students Internationally Immediately After MBA (I reference this in case you'd like their help relocating back to your home country at some point after you've worked in the US for a while):
Kellogg = 12.1%
Darden = 6.0%

Other Industries (besides consulting) into which at least 5% of the class entered:
Kellogg = Finance (18.6%), Technology (24.5%), CPG / Retail / E-Commerce (10.8%), Healthcare (6.9%)
Darden = Finance (24.0%), Technology (15.0%), CPG / Retail / E-Commerce (9.8%)

Aggregate Placements Into Quant / Tech (i.e., "consulting + financial services + technology") - think "is there a good Plan B if I decide to pivot away from consulting but still need / want to make a really nice living":
Kellogg = 73.5%
Darden = 74.0%

ANALysis · Answer

Voted for Kellogg

darden is in the middle of **** nowhere

Regenerate · Answer

Is that a euphemism for "the campus is exquisite and you can go somewhere beautiful and really think, but are still just 2 hrs and 15 minutes away from the center of the free world"?

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ANALysis · Answer

you got me

bb · Answer

Can be easily isolated and quarantined. I would say seclusion is not a bad thing these days ?

Tuck ?

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bb · Answer

Congrats on your admits!!!

Darden has historically set itself apart by being a case method program and placing surprisingly well into IB. They do well with finance and consulting as well.

I don’t know if there will be large recruiting events on campus in the fall. If they have those, Kellogg will win but if they don’t, and things continue over zoom and virtual, I can see Darden improving its position since not a lot of employers want to drag their butts to Charlottesville. As a number of you have so accurately pointed out.

MBB is very hard being international but tier 2 companies are doable but you also need to be realistic with yourself and be able to perform to the standards they put out. Do you have clearly performed well in your Kellogg interview but I’m hearing more and more from people who getting interviewed for business schools, being asked about what is your Plan B, in case you strike out with your prime goal.

PS. Honestly, being international I don’t see why you think you will enjoy a rural Virginia setting. I think he would feel a lot more comfortable and sitting in the metropolitan setting with a very diverse population.

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CJHu · Answer

Thank you for all of your input!

bb   FinanceMan   DivineJustice 
Yes, as an international student, I understand that getting to consulting is super tough, my back up plan is to join some Leadership development programs which I consider the strength of both schools, with Kellogg takes a slighter advantage here again. So in terms of short term career, and by looking at the stats summed up by  Regenerate  (very detailed!), I see the equal opportunities in the 2 schools. What I really concern is the network and the brand name, Kellogg is the clear winner here. Kellogg network & brand name is much stronger, more global recognized vs. Darden, it would make sense with my long-term goal of running a business globally (though I’m not sure if I still pursue this goal in the next 10 years).

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CJHu · Answer

And I read through the old post asking the same question with full-ride from Darden and 0 from Kellogg, the interesting fact is much more people voted for Darden, whilst a significant portion voted for Kellogg in my case. So I guess the for a T15 and M7 school, the decision point here should be around 70% difference in scholarship.

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bb · Answer

You have to be a registered member to vote so the votes are from real users and not bots but I don’t know who votes for these things because two out of three times the votes did not align with my perspective. Not that I’m always right but I don’t feel I’m wrong two out of three times either?

Bottom line is that votes are anonymous and you don’t know if it’s a guy from Kellogg who is voting or a new member from Finland who has never heard about Darden.

Regenerate · Answer

I think this article is highly relevant. While I'm not entirely sure there is any immediate information in the ordering of the contents in the last paragraph under the McKinsey section, I believe the contents are instructive.

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FuturePM91 · Answer

Sorry for my late response here! I think this truly is a tough choice. I think it comes down to which school gives more support to international students in recruiting for consulting roles. Improving the recruitment experience for international students is a key priority at Kellogg at the moment. They just introduced a work requirement and a STEM major in order to help international students be more attractive to employers and make it easier for them to get work visas. I am not sure if Darden has similar options. If they do then it might make sense to take the money but if not, I think the Kellogg name brand and its efforts to improve the international student experience will make up the difference in scholarship $ that you would get from Darden.

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