Kellogg MBAi (no $) vs Fuqua ($) vs Tepper ($) vs Ross WL

Question

Profile: CS background, currently SDE, 6 YOE in semiconductor.
Post-MBA goal: PM in big tech (Amazon, Apple, Adobe, Microsoft, etc) / semiconductor (NVIDIA).

I’m grateful to get a WL offer from Ross and offers from Fuqua and Tepper with $. I know Ross and Tepper are known for having strongly established pipeline for tech (I’m particularly interested in NVIDIA and Ross and Tepper have sent recent graduates to NVIDIA), but I don’t know how much it is the case for Fuqua...

I would appreciate if I can get some genuine advice on deciding the school!

bb · Answer

Congratulations on your admits and sorry about the waitlist at Ross.

Ross has been building in inroads at Tech for a number of years but it’s still not even the second biggest placement for Ross. Fuqua has been trying to catch up and Tepper has strong numbers in tech. I’m still working on aggregating the 2023 recruiting numbers but I think they looked bleak for almost everyone in tech.

https ://gmatclub.com/forum/best-mba-programs-for-consulting-finance-tech-and-more-421312.html

I’m going to have to do a bit more research about this specific case looking up employers over the last few years. Maybe you have done this already. I’m wondering about the trade-off between Dukes reputation and Tepper’s history of tech placements

Have you considered any of the West Coast schools? I’ve seen Tepper placing a lot of their class on the East Coast and the recommendation I heard for tech is that you want to be at the headquarters in the beginning of your career.

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bojunk · Answer

Thank you for your swift reply  bb , and thank you for sharing the list of best programs for tech, very informative!

You are exactly at the point. Tepper obviously has a higher % of tech placements because of the brand of its parent university, while Fuqua is more prestigious and balanced in all industries overall. If Tepper is worth to go, I guess I have a chance of asking more $ from them using my Fuqua offer. For tech in the short-term & long-term, how would you compare Fuqua's reputation with Tepper’s history of tech placements? Which one are you leaning to and why?

To answer your question for west-coast schools, I did apply to some of them but got all dinged unfortunately... Location wise I'm perfectly fine with doing tech and settle down in NYC.

bb · Answer

I would pick Fuqua without much hesitation. This is what I was looking for - Fuqua over the last 5 years has had some solid Tech gains. Of course they lost them in the last few years but surprisingly Tepper has not. At the same time there are other indicators than just the % of class placed including average salary and class size. A small program placing 20% into an area may be as much as another placing just 10% or 5%. Fuqua 2023 employment report.gif tepper-2023 employment report.gif I think there is focus and resilience at Tepper towards tech while Fuqua's applicants are more flexible and open to consulting taking the higher comp there in the last few years. Fuqua is quite good with MBB (finance too). And you will see that the compensation at Fuqua is higher, indicating the higher caliber of students and job profiles (if an employer can get a qualified person for cheaper, why not). Also keep in mind that Fuqua has almost 2x the class size - 340 vs. 185. So 17% at Fuqua is the same as 30% at Tepper. So on an apples to apples perspective, the number of people placed to Tech at Fuqua even at 17% percent that took a dive recently, is still equivalent. Mixing it with higher pay numbers indicating higher strength of the cohort is a good confirmation as well. I would not hesitate with Fuqua for Tech at Fuqua.

bojunk · Answer

Thank you a ton  bb , I really appreciate your informative insight, it's extremely helpful!!
I'm happy to share with you that I just get admitted to Kellogg MBAi (no $) today! Between Kellogg MBAi and Fuqua ($), considering my profile and goal, what do you recommend and why?

I lean towards Kellogg emotionally as it has been my dream school since day 1, and I can't wait to commit to it. However I do wish to also park my pulse for a second and get some practical comprehensive suggestion in case I overlook any unique strength of other schools that can also help me better to achieve my goals.

bb · Answer

you keep moving the goalpost and changing the equation. Next time I reply, you’ll get into Harvard 😂

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bb · Answer

The MBAi is an interesting animal. It’s really tech focused and I think that’s a big advantage of the program it attracts people coral single minded to speak and have the same common recruiting goal.

Kellogg is also great in terms of curriculum for product management and product marketing.

However you should chat with current students from Kellogg, any program there in case you have a hard time finding people in the MBAi - I am hearing that tech jobs have been hard to secure and many people are defaulting and falling back on their previous careers trying to leverage their background. Going to school does not mean you get to top job. You get the environment and the support group and resources but it is still up to you to put in the effort, to apply and to be chosen from among many applicants including your classmates. Just Kellogg on your résumé is a bare minimum. Being successful at finding a job will require your effort, something to help you stand out, and luck. Again, I recommend chatting with current tech recruiting people.

But yes I would pick Kellogg. There is strength in numbers.

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Harshii · Answer

Congratulations on securing admissions from such prestigious schools!
I totally agree with BB on everything. Between Tepper and Fuqua, you should definitely go for Fuqua. Tepper do place many students in tech but I have seen students struggling a lot this year and the past year. This will lead to a decline in Tepper's ranking in the coming years. It already went down from 15 to 18.
However, between Kellogg and Fuqua, my vote goes to Kellogg as well. The brand value will go with you everywhere. Moreover, Kellogg is known to have amazing coursework and case competitions. The class discussions that you'll be a part of at Kellogg will make you a well-rounded professional for the industry. I know the scholarship part sucks but this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. An MBA from Kellogg will help you more in the long run.
Lastly, yes you should talk to students at Kellogg and look at their alumni base. It will help you in making a firm decision and give you a clear picture of where you can end up in a later stage of life.
Good luck

bojunk · Answer

bb   Harshii  I'm so grateful for your jokes and insight!!! My heart is also with Kellogg, but I will definitely talk to more students in the program to make the decision. Thank you so much!

bojunk · Answer

bb  If you have time, I have a few other questions hoping to get your perspective...

I'm totally not surprised to not get $ from Kellogg given my GMAT/GRE is below its average (I'm truely grateful for the offer already...), however the total cost of the program is still a pain to swallow. Here are my questions:

- Is there any chance I can ask Kellogg for some $ based on my financial situation / identity?
- Is there any chance I can use my Fuqua offer + $ to ask Kellogg for some $?
- Is there a guidance / template on making such asks somewhere?

I really appreciate your time, so if you have answered similar questions before, feel free to direct me there. Thanks!

bb · Answer

Hi. You can always ask. They will not withdraw their offer if you try to negotiate.

We have a template and feedback about it here: https://gmatclub.com/forum/negotiating- ... 12949.html

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Kellogg MBAi (no $) vs Fuqua ($) vs Tepper ($) vs Ross WL

Kellogg MBAi (no $) vs Fuqua ($) vs Tepper ($) vs Ross WL

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