Choosing among Kelley ($$$)/Tuck/Darden/Foster ($$)

Question

Hi! 
I'm an international candidate with 50 WE. Been in sales/marketing in hospitality/education and am looking to explore roles in product marketing - sector agnostic at the moment although tech would be my first preference.

Update: Tuck offered a 40K scholarship. Darden is yet to get back post reconsideration.

- Kelley offered a Forte Fellowship a full scholarship 
- Tuck and Darden have offered no scholarships 
- Foster has offered a Forte, in-state tuition fee and around 50K as scholarship

I'm quite confused and am not very particular on which location I'd be interested in post MBA. Please suggest

bb · Answer

Congratulations Congratulations on your admits!

The better the school is ranked, the more on campus recruiting opportunities you have and a better shot at a job. It’s not a guarantee however. The lower the rank, the more off campus recruiting you will have to do.

The more bullish you are, the more rank matters but if you wanna play it safe in case Reza doesn’t work out and you have to go back to your home country, taking an offer with a full or almost full scholarship definitely reduces the stress. However it’s also potential he makes you complacent and more comfortable which results in two missing opportunities and not pursuing every single lead which one tends to do when they’re desperate.

I can see taking the foster offer and recruiting an Amazon for tech p.m. roles. They’re pretty competitive but if you network and work hard, you’ll have the advantage of being local in Seattle. If tech is not your cup of tea then I think it is Tuck vs Kelley.

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teleste · Answer

Given that this is your goal, I would follow the money to Kelley/Foster/Goizueta. If you were absolutely certain that you wanted IB or MBB, maybe Tuck/Darden would have the upper hand, but given what you stated, I think the former three options make more sense. My $0.02 for you, as a stranger on the internet, is that you shouldn't pay ~$150k more for *exactly* the same degree when you can achieve your goals tuition-free (or at a steep discount) at any one of three very well-regarded MBA programs. The other point I'd call out is about location. Getting an MBA in Atlanta or Seattle would be a very different experience from pursuing a degree in Hanover or Charlottesville. Some people like the small college towns, but for those pursuing professional degrees, and especially international students who want to be in cosmopolitan areas close to lots of recruiting options, there is something to be said for being in a big city. Think about which would make you happier during those two years as well, big city amenities, or quieter living quarters with ACC football.

FWIW, I voted Kelley bc of the full-ride, but I would lean for any of UW/IU/Emory over Dartmouth/UVA for the reasons described in this post.

bb · Answer

Good to see you  teleste !

anansak123 , Kelley is also a program that seems to prioritize marketing concentration. Marketing however, can be any industry. CPG, Tech, Consulting anything really. I would perhaps focus a bit more in the industry you are looking for a marketing role in and do as much homework and research as you can before bachool. Not just to make a choice and see where each school recruits and what companies hire on campus but also for your future recruiting strategy. What many people say they regret not doing before they start their NBA is doing all the research that then they are stuck doing during the recruiting and changing their course during that sensitive time...

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anansak123 · Answer

Thank you,  teleste  for that very well-articulated response. I'm inching towards the more generous schools for the time being. Taking that hefty loan just doesn't seem to put me at ease.

anansak123 · Answer

Thank you, bb. This forum has played no small role in helping me reach these admits.

Precisely why I'd applied to Foster. However, their COA is turning out to be on the higher side compared to Kelley and Emory. Have written to them for a reconsideration.

bhaumik93 · Answer

I am also in a similar situation, deciding between Darden and Tepper ( ~ 60% scholarship ).

I do understand  bb  and  teleste  point of view on achieveing the S.T. goals, but how do other factors like School's brand name, alumni network factor into one's decision.

souvik101990 · Answer

This is a great position to be in! I was in a similar situation two years back (full ride at Foster, 80% at McCombs and almost zero at Tuck and Ross).

My plan A was product management (slightly different from marketing but quite similar in recruiting strategy for tech) and plan B was consulting. I ended up picking Ross and have no regrets.

Others are right here - it all depends on your risk appetite.

If you are dead set on product marketing, Foster is probably a great pick with lower risk (almost full ride - and you should negotiate to actually get a 100% scholarship to be honest!). Microsoft and Amazon hires in large numbers from Foster and they will not slow down as far as I can see.

That said, getting into Tuck and Darden might be beneficial in the long term considering the network that you will build over time. What if you realize that product marketing is really not something that you want to do and want to explore consulting? Tuck and Darden are GREAT for consulting and you might miss out a bit if you choose to pick Foster/Kelley/Emory.

All that said, if I were you, I would probably ask Tuck and Darden for more money but go there regardless.

teleste · Answer

Definitely do this. Be smart about it, and be polite, but don't be afraid to aggressively negotiate. Considering you have a full-ride at a comparable if not better ranked program in Kelley, I would certainly try to use that as leverage to see if Foster will up their offer. Negotiating doesn't always work out, but I think MBA candidates owe it to themselves to at least ask/try.

And as souvik101990 said, see if Tuck or Darden are willing to work with you, too.

anansak123 · Answer

Wow, those are some great admits, Souvik. It must have been a tough choice making that decision right? I've written to them outlining my situation and requesting a higher aid.

As for Tuck, did writing to them help? Thank you so much btw, always helps reading fellow experiences.

souvik101990 · Answer

It did not help, unfortunately, but they were offering me the same somewhat-insignificant scholarship that Ross was

JohnJohnJ · Answer

I would go to Kelley, it’s a solid program. I worked for an MBB consulting firm and we recruited at Kelley, I know IBs go there and it’s solid at tech.

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anansak123 · Answer

Update:
My choices are now down to Tuck (40K), Kelley (full-ride), Darden (no scholarship yet but under negotiations).

bb · Answer

Kelley Students, where did you go?

studenthopeful , skhage , tgwading , jftanasinn , alexberman5 , danschmidt , KyleBender , caithick , JuliaVela , Leex5031 , MTez , reynolbt21 , thefanch

RB1920 · Answer

Hi! I am also in a similar situation. Have offers from Tuck, UCLA (no $) and Goizueta (70K) and waiting on Darden and Tepper (R3). I am looking for a strategy consulting position post-MBA. Can anyone help me with the decision? Also anansak123 can you help me with negotiating for a scholarship from Tuck. I have no idea how to do that. Who did you mail to and should I mention that I have other offers.

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks.

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks.

Choosing among Kelley ($$$)/Tuck/Darden/Foster ($$)

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