Darden (Full-Ride) or reapply to HSW?

Question

Hi everyone,

Little background. I got into Darden with a full-ride recently and I'm still deciding on whether I should accept or reapply to HSW next year. I applied to HBS 2nd round and received an interview (which I bombed) and rejected afterwards. I plan on staying in the SE (Hopefully Florida or even go international to South America) and go into consulting (MBB if possible) after graduation with the hopes of eventually starting my own firm. What would you recommend?

Thanks!

Stats
750 GMAT
URM
Currently work in IM (Fund of funds)

AnthonyMason · Answer

If your goal is MBB/consulting, I would go to Darden.

bb · Answer

Congratulations - very impressive job with getting into Darden with a full scholarship. It is hard to do much better than that really. 
I understand your comment about HBS and probably a desire to go for the best of the best. However, I am guessing you applied to more than just HBS and Darden. Most apply to at least 5 schools because of how many Score reports they get.... anyway - if you have gotten admits from others (where you may have fared better on an interview - e.g. Booth or Wharton), then I would say, risking it and waiting a year is a possible option (not a good one per se but a possible one). However, if you have been less lucky at other schools, then i think the road to HBS will be a lot more than interview rehearsal (not impossible - nothing is but just harder and more uncertain as we are unsure what they did not like), and a very high risk move.

With all of that in consideration, I think Darden with a Full Scholarship is a winner in my book vs. a shot at HBS next year.

ThisSideofParadise · Answer

Darden can take you wherever you want to go and its free

Lee216 · Answer

Darden is a great and very well ranked program. What is it that you feel you have to gain from HSW? Do you think you'll have a better shot at MBB? A better network? Better academics?

Ask yourself those questions honestly and carefully. If you give up a full ride at Darden this year, I would imagine they're not going to admit you again. So, what would your back up plan be? Do you feel confident that you could get a lot of money at another top school? Personally, I wouldn't risk Darden unless you have really solid reason to believe you could do just as well next year.

FWIW, i know a lot of people who got into great schools with big scholarships, who interviewed at Harvard, felt it went really well, and were still rejected. It might be nice to think "oh if that had gone better..." but don't fool yourself into thinking Harvard's a shoe-in, even if you're a very good candidate.

bluesteelleft · Answer

Hi everyone thank you for your replies. As lee216 said, I want a better shot at mbb and a better network 5-10 years down the road, especially internationally.

Lee216 · Answer

Darden can easily get you in front of MBB, probably just as easily as HBS could. They can't take their whole class from HBS, and you'd be competing with other HBS students for spots if you were at HBS. It seems like a no brainer to me, but there are a few things to consider. Will your application have significantly improved by next year? Did you apply/interview at S/W this year? How did you do at other top 10-15 schools?

Network is tricky to measure; who knows where the exact person you need to meet might be. MBB will come with very strong networks of their own.

Based on what you've written, I don't have any reason to think you'd do better next year at HSW than you did this year. With Darden so popular at MBB, I can't see any reason that you'd take the chance.

Wilch · Answer

Like other posters mentioned, only consider re-applying if you think you can add significant elements to your applications and believe you're close to making big gains at work (i.e. promotion or hop over to a much more prestigious feeder company).

bb · Answer

5-10 years down the road the School Name won't count as much - you will be much tighter with your professional network. Though definitely you could ping someone 10 years later who graduated 15 years earlier, and probably lost track/has outdated contact info in alum db. I am not sure of the success rate. Or are you suggesting that HBS grads are much more likely to be out of the country than Darden?

P.S. I can see the draw of the Harvard's name - everyone knows it and I can see how it may be worth the risk. I would spend $200-500 on an admissions consultant and get a professional opinion (2 perhaps) if they feel your candidacy is amazing or perhaps you were lucky to get into Darden. Once they can do some soul searching with you, it should be clear.

VeritasPrepDozie · Answer

I would go to Darden unless you feel like you will regret it and be unhappy there. At schools like HSW there are no guarantee of admission and it is very difficult to secure admission. It can be sometimes harder for students to gain admission after applying in the previous year especially without a material change in the application.

Darden (Full-Ride) or reapply to HSW?

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