Tuck vs UCLA vs Goizueta ($$)

Question

Hi all!!

I'm an international candidate with 42 WE. I have experience in O&G operations and designing with exposure to the renewable industry.

Post MBA I want to go into strategy consulting, preferably MBB.

I have offers from

- Tuck (no $)
- UCLA (no $)
- Emory ($70k)

I'm quite confused as COA for Tuck and UCLA would be nearly $230K whereas it would be only around $70K for Goizueta. Please suggest.

Also, should I ask for scholarship from Tuck basis offer from Goizueta.

Thanks.

bb · Answer

Hi. Congrats on your admits!

The best chance at MBB will be Tuck. However, it is just a chance/shot/opportunity. You will still have to beat out and compete with all of your classmates... which are not as good of odds for international students since historically MBB's recruit fewer internationals. However, if you like those odds, then Tuck is the best school from your list. If you like more certainty, then Goizueta is a much more certain/safe bet.

Goizueta reports that 50% of its class goes into a consulting function (different from industry where likely 30% are management consulting) https://goizueta.emory.edu/documents/FT ... Report.pdf

Congrats!

JohnJohnJ · Answer

Tuck is a great school for MBB, do you have all the minimum requirements to be considered for an interview with the MBBs? If not, go for Emory.

I know someone who had a very promising career before his MBA in New York, he received full tuition from Tuck (so he took it) but had a low GMAT score to be considered by an MBB. So when he graduated he received an offer only from the consulting function of an agricultural products company.

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abhimahna · Answer

Hey RB1920 , Congratulations for the great admits.

First of all, I don't think Tuck will negotiate with Emory's offer. So, don't expect alot here. I think I would talk to following people(current or alums) from Tuck to finalize. 1. Those working in your desired companies but have GMAT Scores as yours 2. Those coming for similar industry background 3. Those with similar work experience or other factors of your profile. 4. Current and past employment stats If you feel that they have been successful in the past and even if it will require to put your extra efforts to achieve success, go for Tuck. Definitely, it is a big risk, it might pay you off! Finally, Tuck is not in any major city, so I am assuming it won't be as expensive as you estimated. Good luck and keep us posted!

bb · Answer

Thanks for posting and your feedback!

Interesting comment about the GMAT. Do you find it matters in recruiting? (I am very Curious about your comment actually. I keep going back-and-forth on the importance of the GMAT in recruiting and during business school)

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abhimahna · Answer

Oh yeah, for MBB recruitment, it does matter for sure. So, school brand name and GMAT score are two important factors. What I heard from some of the other recruiters lately is that like business schools, they also sometimes take GMAT score as one of the parameters for shortlisting candidates. But diversity is another factor that offsets the odds of GMAT score. Hence, I highly recommend considering all the parameters before accepting Tuck or any other school.

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bb · Answer

Thank you for a super fast reply! Do you feel there is a certain “safe” score for MBB or is it fluid and depends on the pool of candidates?

abhimahna · Answer

As far as I know, 700+ is definitely safe but again if you are from a very diverse group, it gets relatively easier for you and if you are from highly represented community, sometimes 740+ is also low.

One of my seniors is at BCG. His GMAT was 730 but his background was Indian Doctor (consider very diverse). Posted from my mobile device

RB1920 · Answer

Thank you all for valuable pointers. That gives me a lot to think about.

A little more about myself.
-Majored in Chemical engineering from one of the IITs (top engineering schools in India)
-I have a GMAT score of 740 (Q50V40).
-I work for India's largest Oil & Gas company (Reliance Industries) in the research division working on biofuels.

I will definitely talk to people as suggested by  abhimahna , but if you all could weigh in given the information above, I would really appreciate it.

Thanks.

ket310 · Answer

With GMAT score, I have slightly a different view. If you have something else that stands out, you can still get MBB interviews with 650~690 GMAT score (speaking from my friends' experience). On average, I think it would matter. However, I have friends who didn't get an interview with 730+ but who got interviews with 650~690s. It's not make or break, although I'm sure the firms consider GMAT score (otherwise, why would they tell you to report the score?)

JohnJohnJ · Answer

To me it sounds like there are many with your kind of background applying and getting accepted at Tuck and that may be the reason for you not getting any $. 
While a 740 does sound like a solid GMAT, but it also sounds like there is not a lot of diversity in the participant pool at Tuck

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ssmba2020 · Answer

A GMAT score of 740 is not a good enough reason, by far, to not select Tuck out of your choices. You have a strong pedigree (IIT, Reliance) and sounds like you have rich experience. If you are hellbent on Strategy Consulting (MBB, LEK, ATK etc), then Tuck makes more sense. Goizueta doesnt have a great pipeline to these firms. Every year, 1-2 candidates each go these firms and you usually end up competing with other schools in the South (UNC, Duke, Darden etc) for the limited spots in Atlanta offices. In fact, Mckinsey's events including the company presentation are invite-only so you dont get a lot of opportunity to network. Tuck for sure would have a better alumni network, structured recruiting, and hence better odds. And if you were to settle for non-consulting roles, then you would have better quality and quantity of firms at Tuck. Just that you need to figure how comfortable you are with debt. In my opinion, Tuck is a clear winner here.

TrustDice · Answer

This is a tough question, depends on what your aims are.

pd2pmm · Answer

If career prospects are the issue, then Tuck is the top choice if you want to shoot for MBB (they recruit out of Emory, just not in the same numbers). Also, I think Tuck will be stronger for MBB and non-MBB consulting companies across the board and across office throughout USA, whereas Emory may have a slant towards offices in the Southeast and maybe East Coast. Can't go wrong with Emory, but Tuck strengthens your chances and 70k seems like a lot now, but It wouldn't be enough for me to not attend Tuck on the basis of career prospects, alumni network, and prestige of name.

souvik101990 · Answer

I would go for Tuck on this one too. Known to be a consulting school, your goals are a lot more aligned with Tuck. You may get consulting opportunities in the west coast at UCLA too, but Tuck sends more folks to MBB than UCLA does.

As for the scholarship, it is a lot of money so if you had a Duke admit with $$ I would consider it for sure. But Tuck would give you a decisive edge over Emory for MBB/Strategy consulting.

bigge2win · Answer

Surprised by the votes for Emory here. MBB only takes 1-2 candidates from Emory at each firm. Probably already handpicked full-scholarship candidates who have relationships before matriculation, someone from Forte Fellows, military, or previous entrepreneur with 760+ GMAT.

Also, at non-target schools, the 700 GMAT rule is more strict than the target schools. I know BCG and Bain don’t look at GMAT for Ross and Fuqua. However, McKinsey is rumored to want 720+ from those 2 schools. Rest assured, the GMAT rule would be enforced on Emory for all 3 firms.

Anderson is easily better than Emory for MBB and consulting in general, even if Emory gives $70K. There’s a reason why there’s such a wide discrepancy in scholarship money. They need an incredibly convincing offer to poach you. But it still shouldn’t be enough, since your career prospects won’t be nearly as good.

I’d say Tuck and it’s not even close.

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bb · Answer

I personally don’t trust the votes because you never know who’s voting

we also never know if people are jealous or they want your best so those are votes and as we know from the story of Boatie McBoatface, Public opinion does not always mean the best decision

I mostly read the comments... Tuck is best and will have ‘MBB reps on campus 4 days out of the week every week. I doubt that Emory or Anderson would have that. At the same time, more and more current students realize the importance of having back up plans. It’s no longer sufficient to expend all your energy in One Direction for your dream goal when that dream is taken away by some outlandish virus or economic crash.

Regenerate · Answer

Just because I wanted to play major league baseball doesn't mean I had the skillet to do it. I had to figure something else out.

A $160k (pre interest) difference ... in after tax money is an enormous amount to bet on a long shot.

If you do place the bet, embrace the risk and battle like crazy for what you want.

PS - As a kid with a 3.1 from a school in the Big 12, I made the final round of interviews for analyst and associate jobs (some competing with Ivy League MBAs (and others in the Top 10) for Wall Street jobs coming out of undergraduate (Goldman, Credit Suisse, Solomon, etc). It can happen if you hustle. As an aside, it was hilarious when some managing director would look at my resume, look up at me, look back at my resume, look back at me and ask, "How in the hell did you get HERE?"

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bigge2win · Answer

There's something about his figures that don't look right. Emory's site says that tuition in 2 years is $130K, not total COA. So even with his $70K scholarship, the total COA will still need to include housing, health insurance, traveling, and other costs. Tuck and Anderson actually include all of that in their COA totals. The tuition for them is $140-$150K total. So he's definitely not making out $160K better. He's only making out $70K better on tuition because of his scholarship, maybe $10-$20K more on the savings from a school with lower total tuition, and then the minor savings from lower cost of living if any (Hanover vs. Los Angeles, vs. Atlanta)

ANALysis · Answer

STEM?

assuming all have no STEM, pick Tuck (which is what I voted for)

Tuck vs UCLA vs Goizueta ($$)

Tuck vs UCLA vs Goizueta ($$)

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