My Big Decision: Sloan vs Tuck

Last year I prepared a short list of schools I was interested in and went for a road trip to visit campuses and meet students.

Having visited both, I put Tuck as #1 on my list and decided not to apply to Sloan at all. So my vote here is obvious.

As for differences I noted - well, at Sloan I saw too many people attracted by MIT - tech guys, guys from tech companies, those willing to create startups and go by entrepreneurship route. Tuck was about a small community of passionate people, having a broad range of opportunities to consider and really enjoying being there.

It may be my first impression, and this is obviously a rather biased and distorted opinion, but as for me I trust myself, so I am fine with this.

Anyway, I'd suggest to visit both and make a decision. Too much on the stake to take some "forum guys" into account

If the part in bold means you're inclined to go to Sloan because it has a lower acceptance rate than Tuck, that line of thinking should stop now. That data point will be irrelevant to your B-school experience and your career prospects.

I think the Tuck program is unparalleled in many ways, one of them being the tight network. Or at least, so I have been told. It's naturally hard to quantify. I buy into this idea because I think the career services is really engaged at making sure everyone performs to the best of their ability in the job search process.
However, I do realize that the consulting recruitment process will be broadly similar at both schools. Sloan's location may be a minor plus to tap into the network of consulting alum working in Boston.
I think that in the years to come Tuck will face significant challenge to stay in the top 10: Competing with the likes of Columbia, Yale, NYU and Berkeley. I do not know if that would be relevant for me. The job search process is a personal one and may have nothing to do with a school's rankings. After a consulting stint, the MBA tag may not even mean a great deal ten years or so down the road. That may be valid for the US, but in terms of international recognition Tuck would be a real stretch in most places. (I want to work at a US-based consulting position, but I may consider moving out of the US in the years to come for personal reasons.)
I think that MIT is more competitive, in broader terms, not because of the lower acceptance rate but mainly because of the globally renowned brand name and partly because of the people I met there. I do think that it is more selective and ranked higher for its merits. I think that the international students are outstanding.
Tuck is an incredible institution and I feel that it offers solid help in the job search, beyond the money that’s on table. In any case I’ll be taking out a big loan.
Thank you for all the replies, I look forward to more of your insight.

I've been accepted at Sloan and I'm hoping to be accepted at Tuck on Friday (*fingers crossed*) with an ultimate goal of breaking into MBB, so I know exactly where you are coming from.

Are you planning to spend any significant time abroad in your career? While the Tuck network is incredible, I believe MIT has more brand cachet among the layman and abroad. How sure are you that you want to do consulting? From my own research, both schools should get you that first interview, at which point it's all up to you. On the other hand, if you aren't 100% sold on consulting, it may make sense to go to the school that's "better" on paper: MIT (although that's certainly debatable).

In terms of recruiting, I think you'll have pretty similar outcomes at both schools unless you change your mind and want to do tech or operations, in which case MIT would be the better option. Although it's close, I voted for Tuck because of your MBB aspirations.

This is a good point - If you want to work in Boston after graduation. However (and I'm not making a case for Tuck, since where you go to B-school really doesn't matter to me), Tuck knows they're in the boonies and there are some disadvantages with that - they're self-aware. An example of this is that when I visited for my interview in September, the tour guide pointed out a guy who was a recent Tuck alum sitting in an office on campus who was from the NYC McKinsey office. His job for the time being (not sure how long, but it was defintely measured in months, not days or weeks) was to be in Hanover M-F (he went back to the city on weekends) to recruit and basically establish McKinsey's presence on campus.

That's just one example how Tuck can give direct access to companies despite being in the woods.

I voted for Tuck. 40% is nothing to scoff at + MBB recruiting should be about the same at both schools. However, as others have suggested - visit! From my understanding, at a place like Tuck, you will either LOVE it or HATE it. That's probably the best way for you to decide.

Also, coming from Thailand, I can tell you that virtually everyone has heard of MIT (not necessarily Sloan), and a decent number of people have heard of Dartmouth (not Tuck - and only because it's an Ivy). MIT certain has more brand equity to the layman. That said, I'm sure recruiters know of Tuck.

This is a great problem to have. Good luck

TUCK!!!!! Last year when I visited I felt that I would be more well-rounded coming out. But the 40% off is an added bonus!!

If name recognition abroad is that important, then MIT has the advantage. On the other hand, people who know of MIT, but don't know of Tuck, do know of the Ivy League. Business leaders with MBAs will all know Tuck.

In terms of overall quality, both schools are about the same and if the market were perfectly rational you would have already chosen Tuck because of the scholarship money. I understand the importance of name recognition though. Try to think of the important people who will see your resume in the future. If the important people will know how good Tuck is, then you should choose Tuck, even if the average person in whichever country you move to has never heard of it.

Hey GrandeDecision,

I'm having to choose between Sloan and Tuck, too. I'm not interested in consulting but possibly in general management. In terms of academics in that area, I think Tuck may have a better reputation than Sloan, but in terms of recruiting opportunities and expected salary base, I don't think there will be much of a difference.

I don't have any scholarship thrown in the game so all things are equal to me between the two schools, money-wise. I love Tuck, have had my eyes on the school for many years, but am actually leaning towards Sloan at the moment. Aside from my strong preference for Sloan's city location, I'm thinking about the kinds of people and academic tendencies I'll surround myself with. To me, Tuck feels so much like home--small, elite, tight-knit, well-rounded people. It feels like a custom-made suit for me. However, I've already had similar academic experiences, and in a way Tuck seems like "more of the same." With Sloan, I expect to be surrounded by more tech-oriented people, analytical discipline, and learning more based on action, all of which are new to me. The MBA is a big investment and while I want it to help me change my career, I also want it to transform and challenge me as a person--stretch my vision and imagination, so to speak.

I'm actually surprised that I find myself preferring Sloan, because I would not normally see myself as an "MIT type." But the more I think about it, the more it makes sense for me--as a "poet" with liberal arts background, I am curious to see how people different from me think about things (although, I do hear that more Sloanies than one might expect have liberal arts background anyway). In short, to me personally, Sloan represents more of a "brave new world."

I am not casting a vote here--the decision is 100% yours.

Feel free to PM me if you want to bounce ideas back and forth with someone in the same boat. Good luck with the decision! And if you go to the Sloan admitted students wknd, maybe I'll see you there.

You should not make this choice based on money but I disagree that Sloan has the stronger brand name. I guess it depends what you want to do and where you want to live. But where I stand (still aspiring) Tuck sounds pretty great. 40% off - DONE. Congratulations to you and perhaps you can tell us how it is done.

You can't go wrong either way. Honestly while the schools are certainly different, they are so close in terms of career prospects in the US that it would be hard for me to pass up on essentially a free year of tuition.

Thank you guys for all the replies. I feel fortunate to have the opportunity to decide (and also to have your candid feedback). Keep it coming:)

I wouldn't count too much to name recognition to Sloan. I've heard (probably you too) many times smth similar "Oh, MIT has an MBA program? Never heard about it.". MIT isn't Harvard or Stanford which are known to almost everyone, so why worry 20% or 30% people heard about its program? MIT is known for engineering not for MBA. I voted for Tuck, for me MIT and Tuck aren't much different, Tuck gives you $ and tight community.

MIT is MIT though which I think has more of a brand all over the world than Dartmouth, even though its not an Ivy.

I would talk to the club presidents and more specifically, the consumer goods club presidents at each school and learn about what sort of course offerings, treks, speakers, and classes or faculty experts they offer.

I basically want the exact same career path as you, MBB to Luxury Consumer Goods and finally to family enterprise (in consumer goods)...so I have looked heavily at both school's clubs. Sloan's is fantastic - I would talk to their president - you can PM me if you want the name. Tuck is there but not as deep..honestly, you can't really expect it based in Hanover, but they do what they can and that common theme of "if you want it, you can make things happen" applies...so if you want to learn about consumer goods at Tuck you can lead the club and do great things.

And of course, get a feel for all the people. Tuck wins here in my opinion, but Sloan is really amazing still with its people and collaborative culture/community feel. It might be what you want anyway, very tight knit, but not your new 300 person family.

my source - personal experience applying, visiting both, and interacting with club presidents.

My overall vote goes to Sloan for its location, community, reputation, and its Retail CPG Luxury Club...and of course its big time with the big consultancies

Sloan no doubt, end of the day its got a bigger brand name due to its various other facets, and lets admit it, brand name is key. Its international name is also MUCH better known than Tuck I feel. Also, consulting firms like McKinsey (where I work) hire from both, but in far greater numbers from Sloan. You're also in a better geographic location, 3 blocks away from our Boston office btw). I mean 40% tuition exemeption is awesome, but you'll regain that amount in a year tops, not worth it to compromise on a life-time worth of a better brand name.

One other thing, as a current Sloan student told me a few months ago (before I crossed Sloan out as out of my league), Sloan alumni have a much broader network to bank upon after graduating. A lot of their extremely bright finance and engineering majors are in the corporate world without having done the MBA (or even if they did their MBA from other schools still consider you a fellow alumnus if you graduate from Sloan etc.), thus giving you a much larger alumni base to connect with during job hunts throughout your life.

Sloan. Period. Lifetime issue here.

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