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UNC ($$$) vs Cornell Johnson ($)

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retailer1993
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UNC ($$$) vs Cornell Johson ($) 06 Aug 2020, 09:40
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Profile : Chartered Accountant with 4 years experience - Deal Advisory, M&A and Financial Planning & Analysis in Retail
Post MBA Goal: Consulting / Strategy Roles

Admitted to
UNC Kenan- Flagler: Forte Fellowship for Full Tuition and Fees
Cornell Johnson: Forte Fellowship for 14k per year (approx 25% of the tuition), admitted via waitlist

I am concerned because US embassies are still not open in my country and there is a high probability that I will have to take the Fall Semester online. UNC is allowing deferrals but with no guarantee of scholarship and Johnson is not offering deferrals to waitlisted canditates.
I've currently enrolled at UNC (Admitted in Early Action Round), just received my Cornell offer and have 3 days to make a decision.

Any guidance would be highly appreciated.

Thanks!
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UNC ($$$) vs Cornell Johson ($) 06 Aug 2020, 11:00
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Free is good. UNC (and it's not close).

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icanhazmba
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UNC ($$$) vs Cornell Johson ($) 06 Aug 2020, 11:42
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Johnson does place significantly more of its class in Consulting than UNC, but a full ride is very hard to ignore when both universities are in the T20. I would take the money and run.

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UNC ($$$) vs Cornell Johson ($) 06 Aug 2020, 12:20
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Congrats on your admission to both Universities! They are great schools, so you really can't go wrong. See here for a similar discussion: https://gmatclub.com/forum/cornell-vs-u ... fl=similar

Weight it out in your mind:

Cornell: Upstate New York (literally middle of nowhere), cold winters, and less money; but an Ivy league with a good reputation.

UNC: Sports Town and sports college, warm weather, full ride, and good reputation.

Looking at that, I seem biased towards UNC, but I am really not haha. Understand the industry you want to go into and choose the best school for it.
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UNC ($$$) vs Cornell Johson ($) 06 Aug 2020, 13:19
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Normally I would say Cornell Johnson bc of stronger brand (Ivy) and probably better access to MBB Consulting. However, UNC does have its own great connections with Deloitte and McKinsey specifically. UNC full-ride this year but with option to defer given your situation is the absolute safest bet.

If you choose not to defer but go with UNC, you will still get into Consulting and if they decide to go online fully at any point during the semester you will be able to have the free price tag and not feel bad about paying a lot of money for a partially online program. I also really like nightblades breakdown of the geographics. For what its worth I am from Ithaca area and am headed to UNC- hard to beat their weather, sports and good reputation.
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UNC ($$$) vs Cornell Johson ($) 06 Aug 2020, 17:16
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UNC still gets on-campus recruitment from MBB, Deloitte, ATK, and all the other top firms. If you case well and network you can achieve the same consulting opportunities than Cornell. UNC has lower overall consulting placement because if you look at their career report, they have a wide range of interests across industries among the student body. Finance, Consulting, Healthcare and Real Estate are all in double digits.

With a full tuition and Chapel Hill being way more fun than Ithaca, I would take UNC and run. The difference is not stark. Goodluck!
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UNC ($$$) vs Cornell Johson ($) 06 Aug 2020, 23:46
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I think UNC will make a great choice for you. While the Ivy League designation may seem really enticing, the full-ride and potential to defer is tangible and very real for your situation with visa. Consulting will be accessible at either school. As you move to US, North Carolina will also be more enjoyable and the students really love the school.
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UNC ($$$) vs Cornell Johson ($) 07 Aug 2020, 05:00
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obviously UNC