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which school to go?

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dogycat
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Tuck vs. Darden ($) 04 Aug 2015, 09:37
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hey guys,

I've been struggling about which school to attend for months....

When I began application, my heart was set on Tuck. Then Tuck put me on waitlist, and Darden admitted me, so I visited both schools in March, and fell in love with Charlottesville. Hanover is very cold to me. Btw, in my country, Darden has twice as many alumni as Tuck.

Tuck
pro:
better brand
many outdoor activities (I'm a big fan of skiing)
I somehow like its alumni better
con:
too cold and dry for me

Darden
pro:
save $50k
love to live there
For post MBA, I would work for fortune 500. So guys, which one to attend? I really appreciate your insightful input and kind help :)
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Rk2B2
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Location: United States (TX)
Concentration: Strategy, General Management
Schools: Yale '18 (D) Duke '18 (A) Darden '18 (D) Booth '18 (WL) Kellogg '18 (D)
GMAT 1: 760 Q49 V44
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Schools: Yale '18 (D) Duke '18 (A) Darden '18 (D) Booth '18 (WL) Kellogg '18 (D)
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Tuck vs. Darden ($) 04 Aug 2015, 16:17
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I think this decision really depends on what your long term goals are. Do you plan to return to your home country immediately after an MBA?

While Darden may have a larger presence in your home country, Tuck is widely known as one of (if not the) most close-knit MBA communities, with over 70% of alumni participating in Tuck Annual Giving (there'a HUGE separation between Tuck and other top MBA programs in this respect). Personally, the alumni living in Europe I spoke with were amazingly active and really helped me learn about the Tuck experience. Also, $50K over the course of your career isn't that much.

Either way, you can't go wrong here! If Darden had offered you a bit more money, I'd say move to Charlottesville. But the Tuck network and the Ivy League brand are hard to overcome.


dogycat
hey guys,

I've been struggling about which school to attend for months....

When I began application, my heart was set on Tuck. Then Tuck put me on waitlist, and Darden admitted me, so I visited both schools in March, and fell in love with Charlottesville. Hanover is very cold to me. Btw, in my country, Darden has twice as many alumni as Tuck.

Tuck
pro:
better brand
many outdoor activities (I'm a big fan of skiing)
I somehow like its alumni better
con:
too cold and dry for me

Darden
pro:
save $50k
love to live there
For post MBA, I would work for fortune 500. So guys, which one to attend? I really appreciate your insightful input and kind help :)
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mbaapplicant123
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Tuck vs. Darden ($) 04 Aug 2015, 21:31
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Tuck is worth the extra $50K over Darden.
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dogycat
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Tuck vs. Darden ($) 05 Aug 2015, 10:22
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mbaapplicant123
Tuck is worth the extra $50K over Darden.
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Hi, thanks for your comment. Would you elaborate a bit more? :P To me, the only major difference is that Tuck is more prestigious...
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jz4analytics
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Tuck vs. Darden ($) 05 Aug 2015, 15:28
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Charlottesville also has a lower cost of living than Hanover, and Darden's sticker price is $20K lower than Tuck's to begin with; actual savings choosing Darden will be closer to $80K (enough to seriously consider). You're essentially choosing between one of the most expensive Top 10 MBAs and the most affordable one.

I went to school at UVA and I love Charlottesville. It's one of the best college towns in the country. Never been to Hanover, but it's obviously much colder, weather-wise.

In the most recent rankings, Tuck comes it at #9 and Darden at #10. Tuck has a longer history in the MBA world so it has a bit of an edge in prestige... but not by much. They place equally well at Fortune 500 companies, and since they both have alumni in your area, both would be equally good in terms of job prospects.

Note another difference: Darden is completely case-based whereas Tuck is a combination of case and lectures. If you have a strong preference of one over the other that could sway your decision. Both are known to have great teachers, so that's another similarity.


I didn't vote because the decision is very close, both are great options, and it comes down to taste.
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drivechipputt
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Tuck vs. Darden ($) 07 Aug 2015, 08:24
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Go where you feel most comfortable with the people in your program. If it were me choosing between those programs, I'd be more inclined to choose Tuck. Darden has the reputation of being very academic, and that's not something I wanted at the forefront of my b-school experience. I met plenty of both during the past year, and I personally got along better with the Tuck students. I'd highly suggest that you figure out where you fit in best, and consider that the physical environment is a huge part of the consideration. Don't get caught up in all the reputation bs; they're both terrific programs that can place you in no less than 99% of Fortune 500 companies...
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dogycat
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Tuck vs. Darden ($) 08 Aug 2015, 01:30
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drivechipputt
Go where you feel most comfortable with the people in your program. If it were me choosing between those programs, I'd be more inclined to choose Tuck. Darden has the reputation of being very academic, and that's not something I wanted at the forefront of my b-school experience. I met plenty of both during the past year, and I personally got along better with the Tuck students. I'd highly suggest that you figure out where you fit in best, and consider that the physical environment is a huge part of the consideration. Don't get caught up in all the reputation bs; they're both terrific programs that can place you in no less than 99% of Fortune 500 companies...
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Thanks drivechipputt !!! :-D

Some international students told me that these two programs have somewhat equal workload...I do think Tuck is more prestige, but also think that factor alone cannot beat a nice living environment.