.

The way I see it, you chose to apply to schools that you found attractive and then they decided if you were a good fit. Tuck thinks you are not. If I were you, I would concentrate fully on the fantastic opportunity that Kellogg is giving you and move on.

First of all, love the "1st world problem" heading.

I'm actually in the same position - Tuck was my No.1 choice and being waitlisted there stung more than getting dinged by Kellogg. I was fortunate enough to get picked up by Johnson, and I plan on heading there in the fall if Tuck doesn't admit me from their waitlist.

It's really not a bad spot to be in. Best part? NO ROUND TWO ESSAYS!!!!

I really can't be objective about this, in fact, the main reason I want to go to Tuck is the student life. You're going to get a great education and have the flexibility to recruit anywhere at the top schools. I'm drawn to the small town feel of Hanover, playing tripod hockey, being so close to snowboarding, the winter carnival, etc. etc. It's the extracurricular stuff that's unique to Tuck that I dig so much. I want to enjoy my MBA experience, I'm not just looking to punch my ticket and move on.

Not trying to give you a sermon, bit not sure what you are aiming to get from this conversation. If someone said "tuck is way better than Kellogg, I'd never go there" would you then turn down Kellogg and apply to tuck next year? Is that an option for you? The experiences at each school will be different but at the end of the day they are both great, top schools and will both bring you great career opportunities. If you don't feel you can be happy at Kellogg why did you apply there? You need to examine this because in all likelihood attending tuck this year will not be an option for you. If you are dead set on being a tuckie you should request feedback and try again next year. Otherwise realize many would love to be in your shoes at Kellogg and you should enjoy your experience in Evanston.

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Seems like you love Tuck! I can understand your dilemma. I think people put too much emphasis on rankings and not on culture, placement, and fit. If you want to end up in Boston it seems like tuck is the clear winner of the 3. I definitely agree with your cons regarding Kellogg, especially regarding the facilities. Additionally, I don't want to be bumping up against the 2 million part timers looking for jobs as well, and I don't want to end up in the Midwest.

Kellogg's facilities aren't the greatest, but I believe their new building will be open in time for the Class of 2015. As for bumping up against Part-timers during recruiting the OP might want to check on that. PTers may not be eligible for internship recruiting (they aren't at Booth). Full-time might be a different story, but it's not as though the majority of PT students are recruitng for jobs so it may not be a huge issue. I don't go to Kellogg, but if this is an issue for anyone considering Kellogg it would probably be a good idea to talk to current full-time students to get the ground level report.

To the OP: Obviously Tuck will give you more access to Boston. However, Kellogg is hardly a regional school. You can get to Boston from there. Maybe you should talk to some current students who are recruiting for East Coast offices. Also Evanston is a pretty small town. While students aren't all in the same building, there are several buildings where a lot of students reside and they are all in close proximity to one another. Maybe check out admit weekend and see how it goes.

I wouldn't say your chances of getting of the Tuck WL are slim. I had a couple of friends last year who were admitted from the WL so I wouldn't count yourself out yet. Best of luck and I am sure you will end up at the right school for you.

I would say plan on going to Kellogg and do everything you can to find your way off that Tuck Waitlist if it's your #1. You always have an amazing fallback (and if you get it, it's one more seat that could be mine at Kellogg!)...

Regarding Kellogg though, not sure if you've seen this yet... https://poetsandquants.com/2012/12/05/co ... logg-mbas/

If you're a rockstar at Kellogg and crush interview, i'm sure you wouldn't just be one of these, guys, but one of the guys who is picking their #1 office choice

Congrats - I'd love to be in your shoes!

Sounds like people are having a hard time playing a hypothetical with you when you've already decided what you want to do. There's nothing wrong with staying on the waitlist and keeping up the hope! It's possible to get off the waitlist but no one here would bank on it. So the advice is that you don't either, unless you are willing to wait until next year to try for Tuck again.

It seems like everyone is missing the point of his question. Off course he'll have to wait to see if he gets off the waitlist at Tuck before he decides (what other choice does he have?), but I think he's asking for a comparison of the 2 schools based on interest in MC.

I'm in a somewhat similar position (admitted to Kellogg R1, applied to Tuck in November Round-- will hear back in Feb) and also was curious to people's opinion of the 2 schools for MC. For me, I have no geographic preference. Thoughts?

Assuming you get into both, I think both Kellogg and Tuck will get you where you want to go (I would hope so since I am targeting MC and applied to both, too!). From the exhaustive research I have done, all the top recruiters recruit at (and hire from) both schools. I do think Kellogg probably offers a slight advantage in MC recruiting as demonstrated by the percentage of the class that goes to MBB, but I'm not sure if the difference is enough to outweigh what sounds like a better fit for you (Tuck).

If you do end up getting into Tuck, I would advise visiting both schools and reaching out to current students and recent alumni. It sounds like you really want to be talked into going to Tuck, so speak to some Tuckies, who I am sure will tell you that they had all the opportunities in the world to transition into consulting.

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I always hesitate to chime in on a comparison thread because I can't compare the experiences, but only help to put down any misconceptions. To address your cons list, I would say that

1. Most recruitment activities for MC is not just for the Chicago offices. Although Kellogg's presence is certainly large in Chicago, you will have an opportunity to recruit for any office you are interested in. I've seen Boston represented at every company presentation I've been to this year.

2. Kellogg is certainly a big school, but doesn't feel like it. Kellogg is high energy most of the time and a tight knit community. It will feel small very quickly.

3. The facilities aren't the greatest, hence why they are building a new school, but it doesn't hinder the learning experience at all. This is probably the last thing I would be worried about.

4. Living situation: Most people are actually minutes (walking distance) from the school. It takes me about 7 minutes to walk to the Kellogg school and I live in the same general area as all kellogg students.

Someone above mentioned part time students as it relates to recruiting. The part time program is for people who intend on getting an mba while pursuing their current career, so for the most part full time recruiting is separate. I'm sure there are some exceptions, but not noticeable at all.

In general, Kellogg is one of the best schools for MC. Where you go to school only matters in the first round of interviews with respect to getting an opportunity. You will get that at Kellogg no matter the office. Once you get to the second round, you are competing with MBA students from several schools. At that point, where you went to school really doesn't matter.

With that said, you should go to the school where you feel you will be most happy and that you are most interested in attending.