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THREADJACK ALERT
Have you decided between SOM and Kellogg?

I am actually really surprised that only 1 person voted for SOM - in my mind it's a phenomenal school.

That's what scares me - a question to current Tuckies - Do a lot of people come to Tuck with "baggage"?

I"m still leaning toward Yale, but I am also considering making a trip to the admit weekends to feel things out again. Even though I'm pretty certain what my final decision will be, saying no to Kellogg is just so hard to swallow. It feels wrong to eliminate an option that would be a great choice in the end. I'm quite sympathetic to Risky's situation since he's choosing between way more options, which is probably exponentially more difficult. I am going to be reaching out to the schools to get in touch with people who are pursuing careers in youth education post-MBA. And I also plan on attending the regional social events to get another feel.



And I wasn't even the one who voted for it! Since I haven't officially made my decision, I feel ill-equipped to make recommendations for someone else. Though, it's always easier to give others recommendations...

Hello all,

first of all, thank you for all of your support through the last two years - it has been so important to know that there are other people going through the same struggles.

After an unfortunate failure last year - HBS/ Wharton/ Columbia/ NYU and Chicago dings - I decided to retake the GMAT and cast my net wider. I scored in the low 700s, got a new banking job and rewrote my essays from scratch. I am a white 30 year old male, 3.6 GPA from a top US school and lots of international experience.

Having failed miserably once I reapplied to 12 schools in R1 this time, here is the outcome:

- Dings: Wharton, Columbia (w/ interview)
- Waitlist: Chicago
- Admitted: Kellogg, Tuck, Yale, Darden and Tepper (50% scholarship)
- Interviews conducted no result so far: MIT, Johnson (late interview for R2), Duke
- Waiting on Stern

It took me 18 months of really hard work to get where I am at now; combined with working 80+ hours a week as a banking analyst I am exhausted but happy that it worked out. At the same time, I am absolutely not sure which school to choose, I was just hoping to get an admit, just one, given how miserably I failed last year. My professional goal is to switch from IBD to PE/VC/Hedge fund/ buy side in general, hopefully in NYC or an equally diverse city - Chicago/ Boston/ SF/ LA come to mind. I am single, so I'd love to be around other single people, go out and date; my personal life is very important to me as IBD left me virtually no time for extracurricular activities and a buy side firm will probably be IBDx2 all over again. The schools are all amazing for different reasons:

- Kellogg: great student culture, close to a big city, tight network, great recruiting (albeit not finance centered which could be an advantage - more for me), fun single classmates (from what I have heard), so an opportunity to really network and get to know a lot of people
- Tuck: amazing program that offers a full immersion, close to Boston, so buy side opportunities, legendary network (tested myself - they reply within minutes), an opportunity to really get to know your classmates, ivy league swagger and great skiing
- Yale: a lot of buzz around the program, I personally felt it, integrated curriculum sounds innovative and exciting, close to NYC (proximity matters for buy side jobs), helpful and down to earth students, amazing facilities just in time for 2013.
- Darden: a really rigorous program, case method makes it so much more engaging, fun classmates, close knit community
- Tepper: great admission package (50%), really rigorous quant program, tightly knit student body, a really inexpensive city that feels bigger than it is
- Chicago: Chicago, Chicago I thought this time will be the time, but you failed me once again - really rigorous quant program, finance focus and a ton of finance classes, flexible curriculum, in a great large city. Have made strong progress professionally, so could make a difference during a WL process.

I'd like to make a decision some time soon and keep making arrangements, look for a pre-MBA summer internship, apply for scholarships and allow other students to be taken off WL and get accepted in R2 and R3 as any of these schools would be a solid choice for anyone.

Please comment on what you think would work best for my career and personal goals. If you have questions on a "rebranding" strategy after a failure to get admitted - feel free to send me a personal message.

Or it could be a huge mistake. I do want to end up in NYC - I love, love, love New York but I grew up in a small town (albeit not as small as Hanover) and the thought of a very limited social interaction terrifies me - I am super social - but then getting "tuck-ed" away with 300 of your best friends doesn't sound as bad at all.

That's what scares me - a question to current Tuckies - Do a lot of people come to Tuck with "baggage"? I remember my interview at Tuck and I met some pretty cool applicants that could totally understand where I was coming from and kept teasing me about Hanover. Until I came across this dude who claimed that his dream is to get a hut somewhere in the woods and stay there through his MBA. Creepy.

You will be just as busy but it's a different kind of busy. I'd say 90% of what's on your calendar is stuff you actually want to do. Yes, it does feel hectic, but it also feel energizing as well.

As for dating in b-school, trust me when I say that people make time for whole lots of it. At Booth people were coupled up before Thanksgiving. What you have to remember is that MBA programs are the perfect petri dishes for mating. You have smart, attractive, driven people spending exorbitant amounts of time together drowning in copious amounts of alcohol. Many a night of poor life choices often lead to decent dating relationships.

I am a prospective and not a current Tuckie, but in response to your question: it seems so! I visited Tuck in early November and met/socialized with several students over the course of 2 days. The majority of the people I met were either married or found a way to mention they were in a serious relationship, so your concerns are valid. Honestly, I'd hate to spend two cold years alone in Hanover lol. Considering the school has a small population to begin with, once you factor in the number of students who come in with "baggage" I can't help but think single Tuckies would be in the minority of the student body. With that being said, I certainly didn't meet every single student at Tuck and my experience could have been atypical - just an observation.

Anywho, I am applying in the January round and Tuck is still my first choice. I'll worry about the dating scene (or lack thereof) once I have an admit. Good luck with your decision!

Pardon my bias, but Tuckies aren't crazy Of course you get a few weird ones in every batch, but I think that's to be expected.
Full disclosure: my final decision was between Booth and Tuck, and I'm enjoying the woods.

Tuck is extremely social, and that's because of the location. We don't have Chicago or Boston or NYC, but that also means that Tuckies are fairly "all in" because we can't maintain our BOS/CHI/NYC social circles each weekend because it's too far away.

Per the dating scenario, us ladies have found that in our class, TONS of the men are partnered, and almost none of the women are. Less awesome for me than for you.

All these pro-tuck thoughts aside, reading this thread it doesn't seem like you're that into Tuck (thats ok, its not for everyone). Very few people settle for Tuck, its almost never a rational count up the pro's and con's kind of decision, but rather an emotional one that brings people to Hanover.
Happy to answer any other questions.