Haas or Fuqua

voted for duke cause you save a lot more money
outcomes will be largely the same, esp since you already went to berk for undergrad

I am literally in the same boat. Admitted to FUQUA with $$ and Haas w/o $$$.
I would add a couple more to your pro's and cons list.

HAAS PRO:
-overall competitive peer network.
-strong VC/PE presence in the bay area
-ability to do more things in-person and in-semester
-Columbia/School exchange program for Fall 2Y (expanding networks)
-In-semester internships
-Friday's off.

HAAS CONS: (And honestly these are the reasons for hesitating)
-Competing with Stanford MBA's and UG's on almost every opportunity.
-Competing with Berkeley Haas UG's on opportunities.
(combine the two- I wonder how frustrating it must be to pursue an opportunity and for managers or POC at Tech, Startup, Investment organizations open their email inbox and see 10+ haas.edu emails daily for similar opportunities. Might just be a law of #'s that end up working against the advantages of even going to Berkeley). - not to mention, most organizations would show bias towards Stanford profile over Berkeley.
-Long term Prestige - Although Berekely Haas carries well in California, is it as big of a global brand across industries as Duke?
-I dont quite get the feel of it being a solid exit into East Coast and South Regions.
-Might be average for MBB
-No $$
-PT/UG/Executive students all blend under the Haas name. Hard to differentiate whether you were a FT student graduate or went through another route. I think that affects perception.

FUQUA PROS:
-Seems very structured, organized and admissions and the staff seem very interested in your success and making sure you arrive on campus prepared and ahead of the curve in terms of recruiting and classes
-Team Fuqua seems very real so far.
-I actually believe the entrepreneurship is pretty competitive. It's not the bay area in terms of being localized to SV and investors, but the Duke name carries weight over any investment vehicle. The amount of centers/resources on campus are actually highly competitive and provide great structure
-Duke.edu email address for life. I feel this may carry more weight, influence, prestige over a berkeley.haas email. (my opinion)
-Exit into MBB is actually reputable, I hear this from several recruiters that Fuqua is a t10 for MBB, on par with M7.
-Fuqua is strictly a graduate program so if you went to Duke for B School it means something

FUQUA CONS:
-RDU area is absolutely isolated. SF Lifestyle will crush Durham
-No in semester opportunities
-Class on Friday followed by Friday get-together (limiting weekend getaways)
-Dominates the South-East/Texas regions, but that's about it.
-Tech progressive, but largely because of the Duke name. (Tim Cook is helping with Fuqua name!)
-The class seems extremely diverse, international and alot seem to be geared towards consulting.


I am truly in the middle. My conclusions so far is that Haas will be by far a better two years than Fuqua, but Fuqua/Duke might provide the better LT prestige/placement/opportunities than Haas. Haas is highly competitive but I hear 70% of alum are local or in Cali and that's a turn off. Tech and VC/PE are becoming largely global and no longer require a presence in SF to be competitive. I also don't see the same amount of resources and centers at Haas to pursue interests at Fuqua, however, Fuqua might also be limited in it's own way.

Let me know how you decide- would love to see your thoughts.

This is a tricky situation but if you’re looking at consulting, Fuqua provides a lot more opportunities. Especially with the MBB recruiting on campus. Not sure how things will work after the pandemic but MBB’s are constantly on campus at Fuqua four days a week. They have recruiters attending classes and do coffee chats and setup office hours.

About lifestyle and isolation of a business school, it goes in a few ways. Some schools such as Stern or Columbia for example or in Manhattan but people who attend the live all over the place and it’s not uncommon to be quite separated. It’s also not uncommon for many of the students to already have their own network of friends and activities and as the result they engage Les with their classmates. On the other side of the spectrum is a program like Tuck where everyone is stuck together in a small town and you’re forced to rebuild your network and you’re forced to get to know other people and even though you are secluded, do you actually feel closer to other people than in New York. It’s one of those things that works the opposite way around. I don’t think location with Fuqua is a big issue or a consideration for anything other than recruiting trips.

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I would not say Fuqua dominates the Texas area. You have to remember that a lot of Texas people go to McCombs, Jones, Cox or Mays. Those (4) schools run the Texas scene and the alumni networks for each in Texas is going to be much stronger than that of Fuqua. I say this is a Fuqua admit.

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If I could give BB two kudos for that answer, I would.

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Agree with that location aspect- I guess my view is adjusted slightly due to COVID limiting social interactions- mostly with hybrid models and full online recruiting for the Fall.

Overall it's a tough spot to pitch- I am still digging into researching both options- but agree Fuqua seems to offer a more stable exit into MBB, and Haas focuses more on dominating Tech/VC/PE/PM roles. I am curious to learn more about career services and alumni beyond california which I'm having trouble to find.

You are right- I meant to say Fuqua v Haas placement in Texas. McCombs absolutely is the leader in Texas, followed by the other schools mentioned.

My question really is- Which school provides the better LT flexibility to move across geography and industry? In my eyes, a global brand like Duke allows it, but if you are focused on getting into tech after MBB- than Haas might be the move. My goal is to get to New York at some point, and I've heard NYC likes Duke.

battle of coasts tbh.

If MBB is your goal and then transitioning to tech, I would go Fuqua. Let’s not forget Tim Cook is a Fuqua alum.

I went through this exact decision back in December (Duke gave me $20k more).

I think it really depends on where you want to land post-MBA. Both schools are regional powerhouses and have strong placement stats at MBB (Duke in the Southeast (and Northeast to an extend) and Berkeley in California). The six people in MBB that I talked to at Fuqua were all in either the Atlanta or Texas offices. That's not to say it is not doable to get to other offices, but the lion share of people are going to Southeast firms. Likewise, at Haas, every single person I met going into MBB was going to one of the Bay Area offices. The difference at Haas is that not as many people want to go into MBB as people that want to go the tech route tend to self-select Haas.

In technology, they are also on a solid footing within big tech. People don't realize it, but Fuqua is actually one of the larger tech feeder programs after Haas, Sloan, and Stanford GSB. They send a ton of alumni to FAAMG each year.

With that being said, the primary difference that is going to come into play is within entrepreneurship and start-up tech recruiting. If either of those is interesting, I would not recommend Fuqua as they just don't have the resources there to help you and that was articulated to me across chats with current students. They are trying to redo their resources to be better and were in the process of doing it earlier this year during my due diligence while deciding, but it just isn't there yet. This compares to Haas, where both of those are really strong core areas of the program.

In terms of culture, they seem pretty similar. They are both tight-knit cultures with a strong sense of community and I universally liked everyone I met at both (compared to some of the M7 where people came across a bit colder and more arrogant). Haas's welcome weekend did feel a bit more widespread domestically as it seemed everyone I met at Fuqua's was from DC / Texas / NC vs. Haas where they were all over the US, but that may have just been a coincidence.

With all of this being said, I would choose the program that fits your goals and regional preferences. If you geographically want to place on the East coast, Fuqua is probably the better bet. Conversely, if you want to stay West Coast post-MBA, I would go Haas. I wanted West-coast start-up tech, so over the course of conversations with current students, it became evident that Haas was the better fit (to the point where several Fuqua students straight up told me to go to Haas after hearing my goals).

completely fair analysis and seems like we may or may not be seeing each other soon! Let me play Devils Advocate

If Haas can prove to me that it's network and brand name extends beyond california, this would become a no-brainer for me. Although California is the spot to be for Tech/VC, I feel you still have a solid advantage if you went to a East Coast Program, did MBB and leveraged not only your resume but network to add diversity to the bay. I can only imagine how many Haas kids (grad/undergrad/PT/Exec + Stanford) must congest the pool of talent to the point Employers close their eyes and pluck a candidate. Perhaps a East Coast Program brings diversity of network, brand name that would be more attractive down the road?

I agree that Haas is known for Tech so majority of the draw is to work at FAANG or a start-up. I would counter that Entrepreneurship at duke is competitive. I've been in contact with several Centers and the access to exclusive events, employers, events, and contacts is actually a huge advantage.

culture seems identical in my opinion, and I actually prefer Friday's off. Fuqua Friday is great, but in a COVID world, might just become more of an inconvenience.

I wish I had the opportunity to check out Welcome Weekends before this pandemic, would've helped alot.

Ideally, I know California is always an option to work/live, but I don't think a California school gives a distinct advantage, in the short or long term. Globally, I feel Duke is widely held in more regard than UC Berkeley (in addition to being a private v public school, which has a huge impact on the donors/administration side in the future - I've struggled with this being on the board of my UG).

By no means am I preferring fuqua, I am more honestly trying to dis-spell the allure of Haas being ranked 7 without a probably advantage outside of it's locality.

Curious if Haas sends MBB (non sponsored) to East coast offices.

I know it’s hard to know what you’re missing, but welcome weekends are not really all that representative of your experience over the 18 months that you will spend in business school. Working weekends are highly choreographed events with hand-picked first/second-year students and a bunch of people who are considering enrolling. you don’t really know who will end up and rolling and mini end up making their decision based on snippets of information. You also leaving a walk to a chance such as being in a different section/room/etc from someone who would be a terrific friend or partner for the next two years. While I think welcome weekends are a fantastic experience, I don’t feel they are a predictor of your future experience.

Anyway, just a long way of saying welcome weekend would not have helped as much as you think it would have. ?

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Certainly all fair points! Keep in mind this is based off a very small sample of experience that I've experienced:

Responding to your points:

If Haas can prove to me that it's network and brand name extends beyond california, this would become a no-brainer for me. Although California is the spot to be for Tech/VC, I feel you still have a solid advantage if you went to a East Coast Program, did MBB and leveraged not only your resume but network to add diversity to the bay. I can only imagine how many Haas kids (grad/undergrad/PT/Exec + Stanford) must congest the pool of talent to the point Employers close their eyes and pluck a candidate. Perhaps a East Coast Program brings diversity of network, brand name that would be more attractive down the road?

I can't really respond much to East Coast vs. West Coast as my goals are to stay on the West Coast post-graduation for a multitude of reasons, and the network of Haas (undergrad + PT MBA + FT MBA) on the West Coast is going to stronger due to the Berkeley brand as a whole. Regarding the employer point, it is certainly fair, but keep in mind people are naturally going to have biases towards their alumni school. Think about where you went to undergrad: are you naturally going to connect with someone that went there or to a comparable school? That network is going to be stronger from a school located 30 minutes away vs. one across the country. With that being said, I also think people understate Fuqua's network on the WC. They send quite a few to SF each year, but obviously not as many as Haas. In addition, keep in mind you are not going to be competing with Haas undergrad students who will be recruiting for other / less senior roles. You will be competing with people from other MBA programs. I think Haas definitely has a local advantage here in ordinary years, but this isn't going to be an ordinary year as recruiting with be fully remote, eliminating much of that advantage.


I agree that Haas is known for Tech so majority of the draw is to work at FAANG or a start-up. I would counter that Entrepreneurship at duke is competitive. I've been in contact with several Centers and the access to exclusive events, employers, events, and contacts is actually a huge advantage.

Fair point - I was actually quite impressed with Fuqua entrepreneurship until I talked with several students that went down that path at which point it became evident it wasn't Fuqua's strength at the time. With that being said, they reworked the entire framework last year and hired a new Entrepreneurship lead to improve in that front. They also have incredible healthcare resources, so if you were thinking of starting a healthcare venture, I think Fuqua would be well-suited for that goal. For a tech venture on the other hand, Haas is going to be stronger due to the engineering / computer science resources you can tap into. You also have a massive ecosystem of VCs that you can talk to or visit whenever in SF. RTP has some VCs, but nowhere near the amount as SF.

culture seems identical in my opinion, and I actually prefer Friday's off. Fuqua Friday is great, but in a COVID world, might just become more of an inconvenience.

Yup - very similar cultures IMO (which is a great thing).

I wish I had the opportunity to check out Welcome Weekends before this pandemic, would've helped alot.

Ideally, I know California is always an option to work/live, but I don't think a California school gives a distinct advantage, in the short or long term. Globally, I feel Duke is widely held in more regard than UC Berkeley (in addition to being a private v public school, which has a huge impact on the donors/administration side in the future - I've struggled with this being on the board of my UG).

I would somewhat beg to differ on this point. I think Duke has the better reputation on the East Coast and maybe in Europe, but Berkeley has the better brand name on the West Coast and in Asia (I lived abroad in East Asia for two year and no one knew Duke). Regarding public school, certainly a fair point although a little known fact about Berkeley is that 87% of funding comes from private donors vs. state funding. With that being said, the MBA program in general is definitely not as well funded for clubs, treks, etc. and was the one complaint that I heard about across the board from current students.

By no means am I preferring fuqua, I am more honestly trying to dis-spell the allure of Haas being ranked 7 without a probably advantage outside of it's locality.

Agreed on ranking - that should never be a deciding factor (unless it's H/S).

Curious if Haas sends MBB (non sponsored) to East coast offices.

No clue, but my research was that it sends to mostly West Coast offices and Fuqua mostly sent to southeast offices. Honestly, I think a key reason for this is that if someone wanted to go to an East Coast office, they probably wouldn't be considering Haas as their best option. If someone wanted MBB SF on the other hand, there is a distinct advantage of being at Haas (once again, due to people wanting to hire from their alumni school and there being people from Haas in SF MBB. Plus it's much easier to do coffee chats with someone when you are 30 minutes away from them).

Good clarity. I would add clarity to my statements:



yeah just going through current recruiting right now, the MBB recruiters automatically reach out based on region. It also strategically makes sense to end up at an "less competitive office" because I assume more HSW and sponsored candidates aim for NYC, SF, LA vs Charlotte, Dallas, Miami, etc.. I believe COVID threw a wrench on the local advantage. I believe really I'm concerned about the #'s game in pursuing opportunities + long term carry of the brand.

I'd go with Haas, it's a tier above Fuqua (T9 v T15) and the scholarship amount is not enough to bridge that gap imo

The rankings are negligible in this case. Haas and Fuqua are often considered peer schools. Both are regional powerhouses.

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I suggested I'd pick Fuqua earlier in the thread.

I'm even more convinced now!

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Interesting! What are the top choices you would pick and what convinced you to favor Fuqua even more so?