Need help! Fuqua vs. Darden vs. UNC (1/3 Scholarship)

Question

I was fortunate enough to be admitted into some great schools. My decision on Fuqua v. Darden is due soon (mid Feb.), and I was already torn between those two when UNC came with a 1/3 scholarship. Now I'm more torn.

My post-career goals are finance (specifically PE, but also open to IB). I also have interest in general management (specifically management/leadership rotation programs). What are your thoughts on comparisons of the 3 schools for IB & general mgt/leadership rotation? I know PE outlook is basically same at those schools, as most PE firms focus on HBS/Wharton/Booth. Also, any chance I would have luck trying to leverage my UNC scholarship to get a small amount of $ from Fuqua or Darden? If so, how would I go about this? I greatly appreciate any and all advice.

asimov · Answer

Fuqua and Darden are on par on the opportunities you are looking for. The decision is really down to school fit for you. Fuqua focuses on team based learning, whereas Darden focuses on case based. Another thing to consider is that Fuqua is stronger (slightly) in the South, and Darden is stronger (slightly) in the Mid-Atlantic. So if you have a slight post-MBA location preference, it may come into play here.

I wouldn’t count UNC out. UNC with 1/3 scholarship is a good option. Aside for the IB, I think your chances for PE and general management are similar at all 3 schools.

You can always talked to the school, saying that you got 1/3 scholarship from UNC, and you are on the fence, and see if the other two schools are willing to provide you with any financial assistance.

NickPapagiorgio · Answer

Where are you trying to live post-MBA? In terms of finance recruiting, I would say it's a wash between Darden and Fuqua. This decision comes down to classroom environment and desired post-MBA location. Darden teaches primarily through cases, so i'm not sure how that positively or negatively impacts the learning environment; Fuqua is more balanced. In terms of recruiting, Darden seems to place more into the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, while Fuqua is more concentrated in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast. You could try and ask Fuqua and Darden for money, but i'm not sure if they'll consider Kenan-Flagler a peer school. If I were you, I would go with Fuqua. It's a great program and seems to really be on the incline (i.e., despite controversial BW ranking), while Darden and Kenan-Flagler seem to be settling into the 15-20 range. Additionally, what are your stats?

DLEmba · Answer

I think this boils down to men's basketball. Which team do you want to pull for? I'd go with Duke!

stevenfuqua · Answer

Great situation. It comes to the specific companies you're interested to work for after graduating. The others have alluded to this, but I'd definitely do some reflection on the exact companies you want to work for (in IB/GM). You can have a spreadsheet with three columns for the schools, and find the info from each school's career stats page. If neither of the three schools offer any specific benefit, then go with the one that loves you the most.

You may also want to consider if the complete case based method at Darden is a good fit for your learning style.

This will take 2-3 hours at most and you'll have a rational way to make a decision. Each of the schools will allow you to succeed in any of the career paths you mentioned, but their relationship with firms will differ.

Need help! Fuqua vs. Darden vs. UNC (1/3 Scholarship)

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