Darden vs Cornell WL

Question

So, I have been admitted to Darden and WL at Cornell. 
I am not sure whether I shall pursue the waitlist at Cornell. My post MBA goal is mostly Consulting, but I do not want to close options in Financial services as yet.

You can never say, but I feel that there is a strong chance that Cornell converts. I don't want to be in a position where I would choose Darden at that point.

Not a very big factor, but I feel that starting now puts you in a good shape before school starts. Waiting till late June is another agony in itself.
Please suggest.

kingfalcon · Answer

I think your gut is right here. Darden is simply much stronger in consulting. Plus, I don't think going to Darden would close any doors for you in regards to finance recruiting. I'd take Darden if I were in your shoes

.

CobraKai · Answer

I was in the opposite situation as you. I got into Johnson, WL @ Darden. I removed my name from Darden's WL two days after the decision came out because I had these two schools rated very closely and liked both of them very much. I would have had a tough decision to make if I got admitted to both, but Darden's WL made it easier. I removed my name because there wasn't a 100% guarantee that I would accept an offer if admitted off the WL and ditch Johnson. My personal opinion is that you should only stay on a WL for a school you prefer over your current admits - staying on the WL just to weigh your options can really start to complicate things, especially since an offer hasn't materialized yet, and might not at all.

Congrats on the Darden admit! I've said this before, and I'll say it again - talking about specialities among the top 15 schools is splitting hairs...they're top schools for a reason, they place well across all industries. Also - your objectives may change while in school, so picking a school because you think it's stronger in an area that you may not end up pursuing is silly. At the end of the day, you need to find where you fit best and where you'll get the most out of your MBA experience. If you're absolutely in love with Johnson (which it doesn't sound like you are), then stay on the waitlist. Otherwise, I would be planning on finding a place in Charlottesville.

jxcho · Answer

Darden, without question. Unless you really love Johnson for a particular reason, I don't see any reason not to just take Darden's offer.

boothcornellrock · Answer

This one is a no-brainer. Accept the offer from Darden. Did you get any money from them?

dreamchase · Answer

Thank you for your thoughts.

So there's not one person who thinks I shall wait for Johnson. I wonder how would results differ if I take out the WL part.

@Cobrakai : I cannot emphatically comment on the "love" part as I have not been to either of the two. Both small, tight knit and remotely located - makes it all the more difficult to differentiate. Cornell's 'ivy' status and brand recognition (esp. in India) is one major glitch in letting it go. (Though I have heard mixed opinions on how many more doors does the tag open down the line !)

aerien · Answer

Sounds like you're only holding out for Johnson because of the Cornell name. Have you asked around in India about how both names are perceived, especially if you're looking to move back after school? Are the jobs you're looking for accessible with a Darden MBA?

Another thing to consider is that a WL is no guarantee. At this point if you want to go to bschool, put your deposit in at Darden. Johnson may or may not come through, and if it does, you'll be scrambling in July/August for housing and flights. By a certain time in the summer, waiting just isn't feasible anymore.

MacFauz · Answer

The "ivy league" badge really does carry some unfounded weightage over here... Infact most people (including myself a few months ago) think that ivy league is just a name used to define a top school... Stanford is ivy league and Yale SOM is ofcourse lightyears ahead of Kellogg...

highwyre237 · Answer

I'll throw my hat in, since I'm in a similar situation, in at Johnson, WL at Fuqua.

The reason I'm staying on Duke's WL is because I LOVE Duke. I'd say I'm in like like with Cornell, but I'm in love with fuqua. Now, in the words of Garfunkel and Oates(alright, weird reference, and if you are a fan of them, or scrubs you'll be like AWESOME REFERENCE!!!!, and if you arent... you'll think I'm weird)"like can lead to like like, and like like can lead to love!" so... I may fall in love with Johnson in the next few weeks... but my passion for team fuqua comes through in many of my posts here.

So... in summary... The only time you should really hang on to a similar schools WL is if it is your top choice.

GL!

CobraKai · Answer

Don't worry - you'd be surprised how many people in the US think "Ivy League" is used to describe an elite school. What makes it worse is when other schools try to piggy back off the Ivy League presitge and categorize their school as a "Near Ivy" or "Public Ivy". I think it's the latter terms that make people mistake the term "Ivy League" for good school as opposed to referencing the eight Eastern schools that are members  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivy_League .

If you were admitted to both, it would be on the basis on personal preference with regards to fit, location, etc since these two schools are widely viewed as peers in terms of prestige. The reality is Darden is a sure thing, Johnson is a "maybe". Like I said before, I didn't see the point in waiting for Darden to come around with an offer after already being admitted to Johnson and being WL'd at Tuck.

Darden vs Cornell WL

Darden vs Cornell

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