McCombs VS Duke....what to choose?

Question

I know that for some this isn't a hard decision, however i'm struggling to decide.

For the record I haven't got admitted to Duke yet, just had an interview there, but for the sake of the post let's pretend that in a perfect world I got accepted to both programs.

If i'm looking a strong program, with low cost of living, strong entrepreneurship options and a fun location as well, what would you choose?

phyandrew · Answer

Did you already make your decision?

Both schools are good, for me it would come down to what you care most about. I.e. location/specialty/cost/jobs at graduation etc. . If you haven't made the decision yet maybe by adding some preferences will allow people to comment some more on your post.

Admissionado · Answer

I'd lean towards Duke. Much stronger name.

mbain2012a · Answer

I think it's a harder decision than most people think, but only if you want to live in Texas. McCombs has a very, very strong alumni base in Texas and strong connections throughout the state. Austin also has a thriving entrepreneurial scene which seems to be aligned with your interests.

Again, if you plan on living outside of Texas, it seems like a no-brainer to me that you should go with Duke. It has a stronger brand name and more national recognition. However, if you have in-state tuition or scholarship opportunities at McCombs and plan on staying in Texas that might be the best option for you. In my opinion, they are much closer regarding caliber of program than the rankings suggest.

By the way, were you able to push back your deposit date for McCombs until you received feedback from Fuqua? I am in a similar situation but have not yet contacted admissions at McCombs.

sanjuro9 · Answer

I lived in Austin for a year and now live near Duke. Austin is one of the best cities to live in (among anywhere in DC, PA, MD, NC, SC, North FL, TN and Texas).

Having said that Duke has strong recruiting in consulting (Deloitte, MBB), banking (Bank of America, Wells Fargo, BB&T) and decent international reputation as well.

Austin had some entrepreneurial spirit in the past, I don't know how it is now after the recession.

Quality of life choices boil down to choices between NC 'cue (pork, western and eastern Carolina) vs beef brisket, bluegrass/country vs alt rock/pop. College football and basketball offerings are equally strong.

But, then again, you are not settling down at either of these two places. Your focus is education and career. Duke may have slightly better edge in that regard.

snowbolster · Answer

I still haven't contacted McCombs admissions regarding the deposit date. On their website they state that you have to put your final decision until the 27th, and then pay the deposit. I think that i'll try to input that i'm accepting their offer and try to stretch the payment of the deposit thing until feb 1st.

About what you wrote, I'm an international applicant and I have no idea whether I would like to stay in the Texas limits after the graduation or not. I know only the things that I read and saw on the web about Duke and McCombs. I know that Austin is a more fun place to live than Durham, and I know that Duke's academics are probably better than McCombs, the cost of living is pretty much the same. This is why my decision is that much harder. If I were interested mainly in consulting, Duke would be an easy pick, but because for now I lean more towards entrepreneurship I think that both schools are pretty much in the same quality on this matter.

"Good headache" is not always good, sometimes it's just another headache:)

method · Answer

In my research, I've found that few students start companies right out of a MBA program. Many go corporate first in their target industry to pay down debt, find partners, and build relevant experience that investors will seek.

If you follow this corporate route, Duke is probably the winner for anything but energy and tech.

If you go entrepreneurship straight out of the gate, or if your ideas leverage tech and you're 95%+ serious about entrepreneurship  someday , Texas wins by a landslide. With the labs and incubators, corporate tech density, and South by Southwest, you have to throw general prestige out the window and take McCombs for the best shot at your future.

shorttheworld · Answer

i know mccombs wont extend your deadline if youve been offered scholarship/instate waiver as I was last year

if you want to do energy or tech id give it to UT, but consulting or staying in NYC duke will win out.

dzodzo85 · Answer

I would go for Duke

snowbolster · Answer

I think that my general route is tech, however I don't have enough information on consulting that I can say for sure that I won't be blinded by it's offers upon graduation.

McCombs VS Duke....what to choose?

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