Hi Everyone, I'm fortunate enough to have been offered admission and scholarship money at several of my top choice schools, but now I'm having a hard time figuring out where I should go! As of right now, it looks like I'd have to pay full tuition at Duke, but I've been offered a half-tuition scholarship at NYU, and a full-tuition scholarship at UNC - Chapel Hill. There's a chance that I might be able to convince Duke to give me some tuition assistance, but I don't think I can count on that. My area of interest is Marketing, and I'd say that the list of recruiting companies is most impressive at Duke, followed by NYU, then UNC. However, I'm fairly confident that I could get a good job at any of these schools, since quite a few of my "target companies" recruit at each of them. In terms of culture/fit, I've visited all three schools, and I liked most of the students I met, and feel that I'd fit in fine at any of the three schools. Also, I've lived in the suburbs in New England my whole life, so I'm equally enticed by the prospect of moving to exciting NYC, and the prospect of spending 2 years in a southern town that has much better weather and BBQ. With no money from anywhere, I think that I'd pick Duke, due to the higher-ranked marketing program, and a cost of living that's much cheaper than NYC. However, the money from NYU essentially cancels-out those cost savings, and the possibility of graduating with almost no debt makes UNC sound like a pretty good option. Overall, I'm completely stumped, and I'm having a really difficult time deciding on this one. Does anyone have any thoughts/suggestions, or can you think of any big positives or negatives that I'm overlooking here?

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Duke vs. NYU ($$) vs. UNC - Chapel Hill ($$$) for Marketing

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Duke vs. NYU ($$) vs. UNC - Chapel Hill ($$$) for Marketing

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nosferatudracon

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02 Mar 2011, 14:54

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Futuremba1

Thanks for all of the input everyone. Now if I could only find a three-sided coin to flip...

Or you could roll a dice and assign two values to each school?

BTW... any chance you want to fill us in a bit on your stats that lead to the predicatment you're in. I know I'd be interested in finding out some more info.

Futuremba1

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02 Mar 2011, 15:31

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Area of interest in MBA: Marketing
GMAT: 750 6 AWA
GPA: 3.7 History Major (Liberal Arts College)
Work experience: 5 yrs in marketing
Nationality: US
Gender: M
Extra-curriculars/community: Great as an Undergrad, just okay now.

nosferatudracon

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02 Mar 2011, 18:31

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Danke sehr!

tsmkb

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03 Mar 2011, 02:37

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Duke MBA seems like an overrated program to me- I don't know why. it just feels like it.

they seem so arrogant- llok at you receiving money from both of those top20 schools but not from fuqua? ı mean why!!??

brunelbobo

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03 Mar 2011, 04:37

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tsmkb

I hae just found this forum while googling a similar dilemma I have been having- great topic herew. I'm between NYU and UNC and both schools have offered me some amount of $. I'm an internatioanl so money is more important for me but nevertheless I will go for NYU (I'm in non-profit though) just wanted to share my situ- and I've voted for Stern.

good luck

Bob

dalillama

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03 Mar 2011, 05:31

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tsmkb

I don't think it's about arrogance. A lot of scholarship distribution is about building a class with different profiles. And let's not forget that it's also highly dependent on the program's ability to fund them (and foregoing tuition) through its endowment.

I got $$ offers from Booth and Kellogg, but I don't think MIT is being arrogant for not offering me $$--maybe they just have a bunch of people like me at Sloan whereas B and K need more.

BTW, my vote's for Duke, even though I'd also be happy going to NYU for marketing.

goreds977

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03 Mar 2011, 08:16

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well- MIT > Booth/Kellogg (Maybe not > Booth) BUT Duke is not > NYU - not so clear at least.

All good offers, but ı'd go with the money here- you will make it up to good jobs at either of those schools DUke or NYU or UNC will not get you a job that will pay you +25k a year- I mean that will depend on you. so really, go for the money. and this time maybe the money with the most opt.offer which is NYU

hamsandwich

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03 Mar 2011, 10:23

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goreds977

well- MIT > Booth/Kellogg (Maybe not > Booth) BUT Duke is not > NYU - not so clear at least.

Where are you getting this info?

3underscore

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03 Mar 2011, 10:38

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This is a rather odd discussion developing, simply because it is trying to assess schools on an information set available to us but not available to them.

dalillama makes a strong and correct viewpoint. Schools decide their scholarship pool their way - different scholarships are donated by alumni and groups that place different descriptions on them. Different schools have different applicants. So to read that one school thinks less of a candidate because they did not offer a scholarship is extremely spurious and highly indefensible logic.

I am not 100% sure on how UNC recruits - I know I met some in some top firms in the major industries, but I am not so certain how they fare. There is little difference between NYU and Duke - BUT - all the scholarship may do is cover the difference in rent and beer costs over two years.

Ultimately, the decision comes down to what you want to do and where. NYU may offer some advantages in that, Duke may offer some advantages. Completely depends on where you want to be headed.

riverripper

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03 Mar 2011, 22:07

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As underscore noted, different programs approach scholarship in very different ways. If you go to MIT's LOG program its like getting a substantial scholarship. Kellogg is one of the more generous schools with small to medium amounts (lots alumni specify gifts for scholarships). You also have to factor in a schools endowment, there was a post with endowment totals at some point on gmatclub. I know the top 3 were HBS, Stanford, and surprisingly Kellogg came in at 3rd...though not sure how that has changed with the markets crazy over the last few years (this was after Booth's naming rights too I believe).

Just because schools give money doesn't mean people wont go there...they want to attract the top talent. So UNC is using money to try and sway some people who they realize probably got into Duke to attend. Some schools may give small amounts to sway people over peers and large amounts to snipe talent from higher ranked schools based on the individual.

Opinions on rankings for this thread are funny...how did a bunch of schools not involved in the decision come up. MIT vs Kellogg vs Booth in a discussion about kid deciding between Duke, NYU, UNC for Marketing??? really does that belong? If he got in then yes but since its not on the list focus on the topic.

Of those schools, Duke has the best rep in terms of Marketing...depending on the money it will be a wash living in NYC vs Durham is going to cost you a lot more. I know plenty of people spent their scholarship money anyways and had the same debt they otherwise would have had. If you want the northeast post graduation NYU probably will have plenty of marketing gigs available or at least willing to let your network your way into. NYC is a hub of marketing. I would skip UNC and focus on Duke vs NYU...if you havent visited I suggest you do. You will notice two very different cultures both at school and outside of school. You are going to spend two years there and both will offer you great opportunities afterwards, so look at where you belong not just the post graduation. If you get a job out of Duke, I bet you would be able to get the same or equivalent job coming out of NYU...its not like they will force you to become a banker if you got to NYU.

widerangeinput

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04 Mar 2011, 02:07

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All those > and < with the rankings are ridiculous as riverripper has put it very well above.

riverripper

If you get a job out of Duke, I bet you would be able to get the same or equivalent job coming out of NYU...its not like they will force you to become a banker if you got to NYU.

Amazing wrap-up! So why not take the money from NYU and go for it... Anyways, I'm going to stop here- best of luck to you with your decision- this has been a rather interesting thread...

Let us know of your pick!

ceeturkey3

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07 Mar 2011, 11:54

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NYU...

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