Wharton ($$) vs. Sloan ($$) vs. Tuck ($$) for nonprofit/social impact

Question

Lucky to have three great offers that are comparable $$ wise. Nonprofit background, looking at consulting short-term (ideally MBB) and strategy roles with nonprofits/foundations long-term. Specific things I'm thinking about below...

Wharton ($45k): 
-Loved the TBD, W's research heft and diverse student body, Philly
-Loan forgiveness program is a plus if I don't wind up in consulting 
-Concerned about how competitive the culture is, particularly for MBB recruiting
-I get the feeling that Wharton has the best network of these three in the foundation world--true? false?

Sloan ($60k):
-Pros: innovation & operations strength, unparalleled program in sustainability, love Boston
-Heard mixed reviews about strength of core curriculum (i.e. some classes/profs aren't all that great)
-How do Sloan and Wharton compare when it comes to the international brand? Unsure which might carry more weight if I wind up working in an international role

Tuck ($60k):
-First choice going into this whole process (reapplicant after WL last year)
-Love the strength of the community & network, heard great things about the professors, great for MBB
-Curriculum structure is ideal, great coursework in what I'm looking to do
-Concerned about the lack of other grad programs to collaborate with, and worried about Tuck's brand internationally

Also--how much value does a Forte Fellowship carry in terms of prestige? I got it from one of my schools but not the others; trying to figure out whether it's something I might be able to be reconsidered for... hard to know what these different fellowship names mean, and whether that matters!

Rohit6 · Answer

I can comment on this specific point.
When you compare universities and the general awareness, MIT is in general a much stronger brand compared to UPenn primarily because of MIT's tech dominance. However, within the MBA crowd, Wharton sure is a better known brand compared to Sloan (when comparing business schools). Not to say Sloan is lesser known or you'll be at a significant disadvantage, it might just be a marginal difference and I think this shouldn't be a factor you should base your decision on.

I would also suggest to consider the kind of roles that you are looking for post-MBA. You want to do MBB consulting but consulting in what? If you're inclined towards innovation and operations, MIT will be a better choice while for finance, Wharton is a clear winner. May be ask yourself which stream excites you more...

If I were you I would also talk to people who went to both these schools and who had a similar profile like yours. Your career choices may change drastically once you're inside a school hence it'll be good to ask them how there experience was and what all careers/resources can you explore in each school.

Hope that helps.

jessepinkman · Answer

I'd go with Tuck here. Sounds like that's where your heart is and I wouldn't worry about the brand.

doggy1 · Answer

Yup. Sounds like you want tuck. Id have gone to tuck given tje choice.

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Mo2men · Answer

Congrats for admit.

Welcome to the dilemma. I totally agree with Rohti in his view about MIT and Wharton. It is about your fit. From your words above, it seems you love the vibe of Tuck. So do I

, although I'm not Tuckie. I admire and respect their loyalty. I was in contact with alumni 14 & 15, one of them is a consultant in A.T Kearney. He told me that his resume was sent to 20 Tuckies in different places. Tuckies shared his resume with superiors even with out job opening. He started then to receive feedback and replies. Another example from a grad who was in marketing field. She struggled in accounting. She described to me how her professor noticed the problem and gave her support. I agree that Tuck is less than MIT and Wharton but you can search for alumni in your country where you want to end up live and work. Then, you can compare and take a decision. One last comment about professors. You will find good and bad in every school. It is normal and also every students has his opinion. Good luck

VeritasPrepDozie · Answer

This is between Wharton and Sloan in my opinion. Wharton better biz brand and MIT better overall brand (vs. UPenn). I would lean Wharton here slightly. really tremendous MBA brand right up there with HBS, it's that good. Both schools will get you where you need to go honestly, but that loan forgiveness program looks really awesome

mba123098 · Answer

Hi fpinterrupted, I see you ended up choosing Wharton. I'm in a similar position now (Wharton v. MIT Sloan v. Yale), and am mainly between Wharton and MIT Sloan. Thinking about the intersection of tech and social impact/social entrepreneurship, which seems very strong at MIT Sloan, but would love to hear your thoughts on why you chose Wharton!

bb · Answer

You may want to try to PM  fpinterrupted  - he has not been active for about 2 years, so a while. 
Also, a Wharton 2Y student has posted something in another topic - perhaps  bigern1492  can comment a bit on Wharton vs. Sloan vs. Yale.

Regenerate · Answer

The admits and scholarships are impressive -- congratulations!

Can you shed some light on something?

While scholarships are great, what's the final cost (after scholarships) at each school? That will help me weigh in.

Also, in my signature block below, there are also links to two threads that may help you answer your question.

mba123098 · Answer

Thanks to you both! I ended up starting my own post/poll so that I could include more details (including money, though note it's not really a major factor for me). Would love to hear your thoughts on this tough decision!

https://gmatclub.com/forum/wharton-v-mi ... 43087.html

mykrasovski · Answer

fpinterrupted  if Tuck is truly your first choice, why do you even hesitate? Be honest to yourself and you will be surprised how easy the decision making process is.

Wharton ($$) vs. Sloan ($$) vs. Tuck ($$) for nonprofit/social impact

Short-term: MBB, long-term: Nonprofit/Foundation Management

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