As deposit day approaches, I have been struggling with making a final decision and have been going back and forth on each business school dependent on the minute / day. I have been admitted to Yale with $$, Tuck with equal $$, and Kellogg with no $$.

I am a career switcher from an oil/gas supermajor looking to pivot to management consulting. Due to personal reasons (my partner is currently located in New Haven, but will relocate likely to Chicago after graduation) I am looking to be located in Chicago post MBA. That being said, we would like to avoid long distance during school if at all possible, so still considering Yale (we could live together) or Tuck (short drive to New Haven). I realize I have stated quite a few strong personal preferences that make evaluating this decision very difficult, but could sill use some opinions as I am really struggling with choosing an option.

Tuck:

-Pros:
1. Strong Consulting Recruiting (albeit in the NE vs Midwest)
2. Alums seem like they would chop off an appendage to make sure you get a job
3. Fun Culture (i'm down with drinking beer and hiking and being in the middle of nowhere for 2 years)
4. Close to partner
5. Get to know your professors well
6. Tripod Hockey (sounds super fun)
7. Revers Center for Energy

-Cons:
1. Seems like frat bro / sorority central (maybe reading into this too much, but it seems like if you aren't affluent or grew up skiing, the culture while tight knit, can be off putting)
2. Doesn't necessarily place well in midwest (likely self selection, I see roughly 10-15 alum at each mbb in chicago)
3. Dorms (Dorms are a plus in that they create a great environment for cohesion and bonding. I would however have to sell a lot of nice kitchen crap I don't want to sell or get rid of)
4. EVERYONE I have talked to at my work has no idea what Tuck is. I am in an industry that is somewhat indifferent to MBA's in general, but looking to get into management consulting which is very sensitive to MBA rankings / prestige. My parents have no idea what Tuck is. They have heard of Dartmouth due to Superbad. Not sure if that is good or bad?
5. Least amount of electives and classes. Relatively standard business education and not much else.
6. Rankings. While superficial, Tuck has momentum in the wrong direction. While not concerned now about the rankings as Tuck places well in consulting, I am concerned 10-20 years from now when Tuck is ranked 15-20 potentially?

Yale:

-Pros:
1. Live with partner. Besides the personal pros here, would also mean the cheapest program by a decent amount.
2. Yale Bomb is a thing most places outside of MBA specific jobs (my whole work team and both parents thinks I should attend Yale lol)
3. Focus on business and society (love that people who come from previous non profit / government are heavily represented)
4. Sustainability classes through cross registering at the Yale School of Environment
5. Greater diversity of types of candidates attracted to the school, lots of experiences
6. High percentage of consulting jobs post MBA, albeit at probably lower ranked firms
8. I think the integrated curriculum with perspectives such as State and Society, Investor, and Employee sounds really cool.
7. Momentum of the rankings is encouraging

-Cons:
1. Eclectic group of people leads me to rubbing my head and needing ibuprofen after some interactions. I have a love hate relationship with people who I have met at Yale. Everyone seems to be passionate about their beliefs, however some are completely intolerant of listening to other perspectives (like being overtly aggressive about the fact that I come from Oil and Gas)
2. Potentially lower tier recruiting outcomes. Don't really need to explain this. Yale will likely have the lowest floor of consulting recruiting outcomes (not that MBB is impossible, just potentially less likely).
3. People recruit to the NE usually
4. Least amount of living alum due to being a new program
5. Neither in a city, nor rural. Kind of takes the cons of tuck's and kellogg's locations and combines it into just a somewhat mediocre location to go to school. I like New Haven fine, (I've lived in much worse places) but it doesn't excite me either.
6. Attending the "worst" Yale school. SOM tries to paint the picture that attending opens access to all Yale Alums. I could see Yale Law and Yale College alumns sneering at the fact you went to SOM. Don't know if that actually happens, but I could see it.

Kellogg:
-Pros:
1. Highest Ranked
2. Chicago Consulting Recruiting
3. More people generally means more diverse. That being said it seems most people are ex bankers or ex consultants so I would say less diverse than Yale in certain perspectives, but more so than Tuck.
4. Being at a large school means a crap ton of electives and curriculum optionality. PE Lab sounds cool, would love to be in PE operations one day.
5. People at my work have at least heard of Kellogg. My parents however think it's a cereal still. I told them I would be going to Northwestern, they still have no idea what that is.
6. Nice safe apartments and lots of fun city stuff to do.

-Cons:
1. Furthest from partner
2. Largest school means most diluted brand and cohesion
3. Most expensive
4. I don't look good in purple? (trying to think of some other cons, but to me Kellogg is just a really safe option minus the relationship and cost of attendance)

What I would do if I was single:
Go to Kellogg. I love the ridiculously high floor of Kellogg and to me the $ differential is worth it.

What I would do if I was guaranteed an MBB offer:
In a perfect world, I would probably choose Yale if I knew 100% that I would get MBB in a city of my choosing. That being said I really don't know how difficult it will be for me to get a consulting offer. I feel like I am a relatively strong candidate, but probably everyone thinks that before they go 0/7 on consulting interviews haha.

What I am currently thinking because I am in a relationship and MBB is anything but a guarantee:
Tuck, due to the drivable distance but also good consulting recruiting. Seems to be a blend of the pros and cons of Kellogg and Yale in that I am close to my partner but a higher consulting floor than Yale. That being said, I'm not 100% sold on Tuck.

Thanks and realize this one is really pretty dicey with personal preferences, so appreciate anyone's objective thoughts.

This was arguably the most enjoyable post I have read on the forum! Insanely unique outlook given for each program. Very well thought out!

Having said that, B-School is a life changing experience and when you factor in a significant other, spouse, kids, etc. you really have to do some personal reflection to make sure you can make B-School work without sacrificing this relationship. Although Kellogg is a consulting powerhouse, if you do not feel it would benefit your relationship then you should write Kellogg off. That would leave Yale SOM and Tuck. For consulting, I would certainly lean towards Tuck. Sometimes, you have to ignore rankings and go with what is the best FIT. In this situation, I would say Tuck.

Posted from my mobile device
_________________

Wow. You have done some research! But why would you want to go anywhere but Tuck where Kelzo is going?

One thing about partners or significant others - it is helpful to have them involved in the process if the relationship is serious enough and taking into consideration they will be nearyby that will likely push them to vote for you to be nearby (or not, which is perhaps good to know too). So, silly question but how long is your partner planning to be New Haven? As long as you will be at school? or will they be leaving sooner/later than your graduation?

[ This is not my official reply - I am just warming up - getting my ducks in a row ]
_________________

bb hahahaha Kelzo reminds me every day of why Tuck is the correct answer in this situation.

To answer your question, my significant other will be moving to her residency placement as I am moving for fulltime. We both would be graduating and moving at the same time. Due to the nature of the relationship (quite serious), and her professional interests, we identified Chicago as being the best landing place due the abundancy of residencies in the niche field she is interested in.

really appreciate your insight, and thank you for the response!!

Congratulations on your admits and I totally understand the challenge. I am actually going to suggest something what seems to me illogical out of the gate but maybe it’s not so crazy. Let’s see if it works 😬

First of all, it’s important to make the decision together with your significant other. Do you have to find the right time in the right moment to ask them sometimes to get an honest and frank answer. It’s important to educate them about the choices and options So that it’s not just a geographic choice and you’re not choosing to move away for nothing. At the same time you don’t want them to feel that they are less important than a ranking. Because ultimately, you will survive whichever school you go to...

Second, Chicago is a very competitive market for consulting. New York and Chicago are the strategy offices and everyone wants to be there. For somebody pivoting into consulting, it will be brutal brutal Battle with chances stacked against you. I’m not saying you won’t get it but it’ll just be very competitive. You are probably better suited to go to Kellogg if you’re looking to be in Chicago just because you were there. I would say Kellogg would have a decent advantage for plans a and Plan B recruiting options if that is where you want to end up in the long term. It also happens to be the highest rated school and bigger than the other programs.... size matters for recruiters. More recruiters come on campus for the bigger programs. I have no idea how it will work in a year or two with the whole Covid situation but that’s how things used to work and I feel they should be going back to those norms.

Third, the best thing about Tuck is a lot of things but I feel like the part that stands out is the community and the student body and ultimately the location. Because it’s so remote, you bond with your classmates. I am not sure if you will be able to take it vantage of that bond and that closeness while your significant other is nearby and you will potentially be going to see them on the weekends or the other way around. I feel tuck in your particular situation would not be compatible with your setup.

Yale may be a nice option that would allow you to be together and also save some money. It doesn’t jump out at me in any other way except it it may be the only choice when you’re not separated.

Bottom line: I would pick between Yale and Kellogg. It is hard to quantify the differences. I am pretty sure that your employment options would be better at Kellogg but it doesn’t mean that you’re chances will result into a conversion. Just like Bill Gates said, about his undergrad experience, after moving to an all-girls dorm - better chances are not a guarantee of success...

Nobody knows how your path will work out in the long run. No one can go back and relive their life. At the same time, chances are both of you will be changed people after two years apart it will be hard to maintain that relationship and you will undergo tremendous stress that well strain you personally and also strain your relationships. If your significant other is the one, I would be looking to stay in New Haven. Sorry if it’s not the answer you were looking for.

Posted from my mobile device
_________________

bb I like where you're coming from at this, and I think I agree with it. In these kinds of decisions, I'm not a big fan of middle grounds because they leave you hanging both ways.

texas101 With the middle-ground here which is Tuck, you may not get the Chicago recruitment opportunities of Kellogg and you would also technically be in some-sort-of-a-distance relationship compared to if you were attending Yale. Picking Tuck here would be optimizing for the worse on both axes.

I think it's between Kellogg and Yale, and it is not my place to pick one, but if it were, I would pick Kellogg. It is not only the best-ranked, largest, and most prestigious program of the three but also provides the best personal and community fit. My rationale would be that being at Kellogg will only probably put me and my partner through two years of long-distance while increasing my probability of landing a job in Chicago. On the other hand, we might have to endure long-distance for longer just because I decided to go to Yale (or Tuck) and couldn't land a job in Chicago eventually. Not to mention that the added efforts and pressure to recruit for Chicago roles in MBB from far away will not make for a pleasant experience. And if for any one of the hundred potential reasons, the relationship didn't work out, I'd still have attended the school that I would if I were single, to begin with.

Hope you and your partner can have an honest conversation about what's best for you (and you both)!
_________________

Interesting points....
_________________

bb really interesting points, and I had not thought about the fact that all of the Tuck advantages (close knit, remote location, etc) I would likely be unable to take advantage of. An immersive program is great, if you have the bandwidth to be all in, which I likely would not.
variantguy Really appreciate the perspective, and I agree, perhaps the decision should really be between Yale and Kellogg. Like you said, I feel as if this is a very personal decision that really only my significant other and I can weigh properly. We have done long distance before, and it really isn't a deal breaker for us, so perhaps Kellogg is the best choice.

Really appreciate the responses. Have a few more days to think this through, and will post back here once I have made a decision either way.

My man - I just committed to Tuck over Yale and Sloan, so I am a fan of Tuck. But in your case, seems like it really comes down to Kellogg vs Yale.

When you get the actual numbers, consulting outcomes between Kellogg, Tuck, and Yale really aren't all that different. I understand Yale had a rough year last year, but it is a very strong program. I honestly believe the real downside to Yale isn't consulting outcomes, but rather your backup options. Tuck and Kellogg absolutely crush Yale in things like general management, corp strategy, etc if you fail to go into consulting.

Personally I would go to Yale if that's where my girlfriend was, but not sure what your calculus is. If you do go to Kellogg, make sure to go to Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind in Andersonville. That's where my girlfriend and I went on our first date and it was a blast.

Looks like I will be at Yale next year!! Wanted to circle back and close the loop

voted for Yale

can be close to your partner, and still have a good shot at MBB. not as good as kellogg of course, but good enough

WOW! Congrats on your choice!
Was Yale where your heart was sort of set from the get go?
_________________

bb I can't say Yale was ever a top choice for me. I did however think long and hard about my life and decided that my significant other was more important than prestige or career outcomes for long term happiness!!

Wise choice. I think it’s a great choice too. I think it’s very kind and thoughtful of you to take your partner to consideration and wanting to be with them. It was specially be helpful during this crazy pandemic time. At the same time, you have made this decision. It was you who had the power to make it and you were the one who made it. You can never hold it against your partner or ever mentioned to them that you did it for them or anything like that. For better or for worse in sickness and in happiness in New Haven or in Evanston, you’ve made your choice 😎

I’m saying it now because times will be tough and it will be convenient to think you had no choice. You did. You can’t think that 😬

PS. In case recruiting is really tough, you can always count on your partner to be the breadwinner and you can be a stay at home dad.... since she probably will make more money 😂

Posted from my mobile device
_________________