beckettma wrote:
Thanks for the replies. Darden is my top choice. I loved the campus and the case method in particular. I am a legacy at HBS and Stanford GSB, but I do not want to attend either of those schools. What other schools would you recommend for marketing? I'm not sure if there would be much economic benefit to waiting a year, though I am open to the idea if necessary.
If I do choose to wait a year, what suggestions do you have to strengthen my candidacy? It seems that my inexperience (I am only 24) is holding me back at this point.
I think your list sounded about right given your profile, goals & preferences, so if you went through next year I wouldn't necessarily change that list, unless you perhaps added Haas. If you were outright dinged at Darden I'd have a hard time believing you would stand out much in the early round, but I may be mistaken about that. You're probably on to something in thinking about your age & relative WE, so if you're going to go through it again, find a job or an experience that speaks to your commitment & aspirations, and you may have to get another 1-2 years of professional experience.
Also, as much as prospective students fall in love with a particular school, when the process is as selective as it is, you should really be thinking 2-3 great equivalents you would also be happy with. I think you more or less did that, but don't necessarily get hung up on Darden as a must-have. I run into this problem frequently in my line of work.