Tuck ($$$) vs Booth (no $) [Solved: Tuck $$$]

Admissionado

Thanks for the feedback! I'm with you on all your arguments. Tuck seems a good option. I was unfortunately not able to get extra scholarships at Booth

One of the concerns I have (aside from the extra financial burden Booth would represent) is the fact that Tuck has been declining in the rankings, while Booth is rock solid on that aspect. The decision is going to be heartbreaking ahah

Something to consider is if you are going to be moving with your partner/SO and kids. Integrating them into a local community/group would be great. Obviously it would be more options for transition for school choices in Chicago. I know many students have moved to Downtown Chicago and enjoyed the life there with parks, day cares, etc, etc. I don't know much about Tuck's community options (does not mean they are not there, just that you will need to find out about them). I would definitely research that side. It may be something researching ahead of time.

bb

Thanks for the feedback. I had a lot of discussions with the partners club at Tuck, and although Hanover isn't is big city, the community seems fantastic.

What would be your own decision if you were in my shoes?

Jerdel87:

The rankings aren't everything. The school's historic reputation and alumni network matter a lot more.

Not going down a rabbit hole here but the that HBS and Stanford aren't in the Top 3 of the US News ranking (but are clearly in the Top 3 of most people's estimation) says everything you need about the reliability of rankings. If you are concerned about Tuck's "decline" the question you ask is why are they declining? Which metrics are pulling the school down? If they are significant and will impact your experience, then it's worth taking into account. If it's something kind of ancillary to you but important to their methodology, then why let it factor into your decision?

You're going to have a blast no matter which you choose. You're in quite the enviable position!

Anyone who would choose Booth and why?

It's also fun to notice that, based on the Financial Aid model from Gmat Club (financial aid consideration curve 2021 post), Booth would be picked over Tuck even with a full scholarship at Tuck

I’m not sure if my choice and what I would’ve picked would help you and perhaps may be a little bit dangerous because who knows why I’m choosing one of the other. For example, when I ask my children about which vacation they like better, specifically Mexico or Caribbean they overwhelmingly said they liked Caribbean better which brought a smile to my wife’s face because she like the Caribbean. I press down and ask them why and they immediately answered, they got a lot more screen time during their vacation in the Caribbean 😂 a sad funny story.

Anyway, I would say that if you lack well-known brands on your résumé, you want to get us high and as strong of a business school as you can. This way if you recruit, and you came from a medium-size company that nobody has heard of in the US or potentially a large international company but still that hasn’t been well-known in the US, having Booth there provides a strong validation of your work experience. That’s one very crude way of looking at it.

Second, during my early years, I didn’t care about the cost and I wanted to get us high and as good as I could and so both would be my immediate and only choice. I bet that if you got dinged at tack and got no money and booth, you would still be happy to attend. Tell me if I’m wrong here 😇

I do think that Tuck has a great thing going with the community and the support they’re able to provide to their students due to their isolation. If you were looking for consulting, I would say go to Tuck, it is a no brainer. Finance on the other hand is the bread and butter and booth. You can get connected through professors, through on campus events, and the extensive booth community in Chicago in New York that is finance focused. I would say that if you are looking for investment banking or asset management or things like that, very strong reason to go to booth. That is not however what you’re looking for so you are potentially not leveraging all the value and benefits…

Are you good at networking and interviewing? If so, they can be useful and you can save some money. At the same time, if you need help, having those on campus opportunities will be crucial and having Booth name behind you, helpful. It is good to be the 500 pound gorilla, especially when booth is rated number one and pathetic Harvard is number five 😂. Who wants to go to Harvard anyway 😂

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Jerdel87:

There are a multitude of reasons why someone might choose Booth. For example:

(1) They do not consider cost to be a major issue, so a full-ride elsewhere is not a high consideration.
(2) They want to be in the Midwest, specifically a major US city.
(3) They have a strong predilection for Booth's famous Flexible Curriculum.
(4) They want to recruit heavily for finance (specifically investment banking), which is easier at Booth.
(5) They want a large class size than the more intimate feel of a school like Tuck.
(6) etc. etc.

You get the point. With all of these choices, ranking and scholarship money are not always the primary driver in the ultimate decision.

Personally, I would choose Booth > Tuck. Hanover is a cute little town, but it gets pretty boring after a while. If I was bringing my family, I would probably pick a larger city as there would be more opportunity for them there. Additionally, Booth is a global name that provides a lot more value when you go abroad. Just my 2 cents, but I see it as a no-doubter since the money won't mean that much in the long run.

Thank y'all for the insights! I'm still trying to get scholarship money at Booth (you never know). I'm leaning heavily towards Tuck, but will let you know the decision once deposit deadlines have passed 👍

FYI, I decided to go with Tuck 👍. Thank you all for your kind help and insights!!

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