First of all, I've read through
another thread on this topic that was focused on marketing.
I'm an American NESCAC grad with Econ/PSCI background and am fluent in Chinese. I've spent five years in China in accounting/controls for a major express company and operations management for a container logistics company. I'm planning on a career switch to consulting, but this could certainly change. I would like to get back to Asia at some point (HK would be perfect), but this isn't my only objective.
I was admitted to Fuqua 2nd round (paid deposit) and was ultimately admitted to Kellogg (1st rd. waitlist) just last week. As I have previously posted in the Fuqua forum, I was really impressed with the admitted students from China and also feel that the program is a good fit (my time at BDW seems to confirm my analysis). Because of the late admit, I was unable to attend DAK and have only visited Kellogg when classes were not in session.
Kellogg seems to have a similar culture, and is essentially equally good or better in most of the rankings that I have looked at. Obviously the 55 McKinsey hires reflects well on job prospects post-grad, though Fuqua has clearly placed many grads at the top firms over the last couple of years (and places more in the South/TX, which works well with my wife's work). I like the smaller size of Fuqua, am impressed by the facilities, and Durham is a good place to take my wife and infant son. Kellogg's facilities are a step down, but they seem to be absolutely top-notch when it comes to strategy and greater Chicago is an easy transition for me (with the sole exception of winter, which my wife hates). Unfortunately, I have not yet made the connections with Kellogg students and admits, so I can't directly compare experiences.
I'd appreciate any advice/things to consider from our forum members. I'm ecstatic to have the choice between these programs, but just want to ensure that I make an informed decision (I realize that there isn't a
wrong decision at this point).