Kellogg (JD/MBA) vs Fuqua vs McCombs (with scholarship)

Question

Hi All,

I'm having a tough time deciding where to go. I was admitted to the JD/MBA program at Kellogg, and to the full-time MBA programs at Fuqua and McCombs. My pre-MBA experience has been in R&D / engineering across the pharmaceutical, semiconductor, and clean energy industries and I've also been involved with a couple of start-ups, one of which I co-founded. Post-MBA, I'd like to break into VC. A few considerations weighing on my decision:

- Ultimately want to be in VC, but could see consulting as a good option if VC doesn't work out
- I applied as a JD/MBA candidate, but did not do well on the LSAT, so Kellogg is likely the only JD/MBA program I will be admitted to
- I'm not 100% sure that a JD/MBA is necessary for my career path--the JD might end up being a "nice to have"
- I live in Austin, TX and co-founded a company here. My partner is grounded in TX, but I could take my part of the work load with me anywhere (I plan to continue contributing to the company while in school)
- I was offered $30k from McCombs and nothing from Kellogg / Fuqua, though I plan to ask them to reconsider

Your thoughts are very much appreciated!

luckyseventy7 · Answer

Congrats on the admits. VC is tough coming out of any school so might as well put yourself in the best possible position with Kellogg since it's the best brand and will have marginally more people in PE/VC. If consulting is the backup Kellogg also places the best out of those schools. No idea how helpful the JD part would be though. Good luck

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wmay · Answer

Kellogg for sure given that its VC and consulting placements edge those at Fuqua and McCombs. This assumes that cost-wise you are ok and the 30k at McCombs doesnt justify choosing it over Kellogg, or Fuqua for that matter. As a lawyer who's going to b-school this fall, I would say a JD gives you more career options in the future anyway.

Shakandbake · Answer

I might be biased since I got accepted at Fuqua, so take what I say with a grain of salt. I absolutely love Fuqua! I believe Fuqua's energy finance and energy & environment concentrations provide a unique edge for any MBA student with interest in energy. No school in top 15 have concentrations geared towards energy (except McCombs perhaps). If your goal is to enter VC and focus on energy, then no doubt Fuqua is the place.

I intend on pursuing a dual degree when I am at Fuqua (MBA + MEM). I was told that once you are at Fuqua, admissions will give preference to their own. For instance, if you are at Fuqua and apply to Duke's JD program, you are bound to have a leg up (even little bit) in the admissions process. Not sure if you are aware, JD and MBA buildings at Duke are 30 sec walk from each other. When you compare that to Kellogg MBA and JD buildings, they are fairly apart (I believe their JD building is in downtown, which is far from the MBA building). If you want to go for a sure thing, since you have already been admitted to Kellogg, that might not be a safe bet.

Here is my quick thought processs:

Energy (education wise): Fuqua > McCombs > Kellogg
Energy (location wise): McCombs > Fuqua > Kellogg
Brand: Kellogg > Fuqua > McCombs
Location: McCombs > Fuqua > Kellogg (I am assuming that Evanstan winter is not fun to be in!)

EuroEng · Answer

What doors would the JD open that wouldn't open otherwise? Outside of law firms and a few investment shops specializing in highly regulated fields (think health or energy), I don't see the value of getting a JD in addition to an MBA. If it's just a mean to get a law education, why not take a few courses at the law school but not complete the full curriculum (and thereby saving yourself $$$)? Otherwise, the cost of adding those 2 letters to your resume far outweigh the benefits, very minimal in my view.

Question: can you take the JD/MBA admission offer and drop out of the JD?

Question: can you take the JD/MBA admission offer and drop out of the JD?

Kellogg (JD/MBA) vs Fuqua vs McCombs (with scholarship)

Which school should I attend?

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