Fuqua ($$$) vs YSOM ($$$) vs McCombs ($$$) vs Anderson ($$)

Question

Programs
Anderson ($80k) w/Consortium
McCombs (Full Ride) w/Consortium
YSOM (Full Ride) w/Consortium
Fuqua (Full Ride)
Waiting on Sloan...

What I am Looking to Do Post-MBA
I'm interested in pursuing Tech PM/PMM with my Tech background (Engineering Undergrad, work at large Tech company i.e. IBM/Intel/Samsung in Data analytics/project management), but I am pursuing an MBA to get out of my super technical role so I'd also like to take advantage of the structured consulting recruiting window in the Fall. The current plan is to shoot for MBB/non-Big 4 consulting for the early recruiting cycle, shifting focus to Tech PM/PMM (hopefully leveraging some of the MBB casing for PM cases) if I strike out. If I dislike my consulting internship should I land one then I'd recruit Tech (perhaps look into Tech Strategy roles w/Consulting experience?) full time my 2nd year.

I'm targeting Austin, TX as my #1 city after graduation, tho I'm open to Dallas/NYC/LA with no preference. As much as SF is THE place for Tech I really don't want to go there if I can help it. I grew up in the PNW and don't want Seattle.

What I'm thinking So Far
I'm trying to get unbiased recommendations so I won't talk too much about my feelings towards each school. I'm not sure where I want to end up long term so I don't want to get married to a region if I can help it (does regionality of school really matter 5 years down the road?). The Consortium multi-school network and its Summer recruiting conference seem valuable. I went to a big public Uni for Undergrad so the opportunity to rebrand definitely has value.

I'm still waiting on Sloan but not expecting too much. If I were to get in, how much $ would I need to abandon my full-rides? I still have Undergrad loans (~$35k) and about $40k in non-liquid savings, so not in a super hot place financially.

ChipSkylark · Answer

Pick Yale. See you at OP.

Posted from my mobile device

Wilch · Answer

Do you have any target tech companies and startups? Austin is growing quickly, but most large corporate business functions are at HQ, so mostly somewhere in CA or in the PNW. The only two firms off the top of my head within the vicinity are Dell and Indeed.

Other than that, it seems like Yale SOM fit your needs pretty well. You have NYC as one of your preferred destinations, which is easy to get to if you're at SOM. You will likely get interviews from MBB at both SOM and Fuqua. Not sure about the non-big 4 consulting firms, but we do get firms like Innosight, LEK, and IDEO; though only a small handful of students go to these firms.

With respect to tech recruiting, I think if you're targeting corporate roles, you needn't worry too much about having to be local. I think it's with startups and smaller publicly listed firms in which pounding the pavement becomes much more effective.

NTSpike · Answer

I don't have any target tech companies outside of being open to roles at Dell/Indeed and perhaps Apple (I met a person at Fuqua who was interning out there, plus their new campus being built may open up more opportunities). Austin is strictly for lifestyle so working backwards to find a suitable career. I'd be perfectly fine if the perfect role drew me to another Tier1/Tier2 city.

YSOM is interesting to me in that it has changed the most recently and in previous years' discussions there was the negative that its rise in ranking may be temporary or that their outcomes haven't caught up to rank; it seems with each year that it has kept its place these concerns are becoming more and more invalid (especially in consulting, I hear its practically Tuck now), so I'm curious if YSOM stands out now as the clear best choice outcome-wise or if Fuqua and YSOM really are equals (I'm not including Anderson/McCombs here as they're more regional and definitely have more strength in their respective regions).

Wilch · Answer

On Apple: TPM/PMM at Apple will be tough to crack. Apple hires mostly for supply chain & ops roles. A couple of my classmates did get into strategy / corporate development roles at Apple. I've heard of marketing roles at Apple, but they probably hire only a very small handful.

I will say a lot of companies are permitting remote work away from HQ, so if you do end up with a company with that kind of work policy, you'll be fine.

On rankings: There's the hard, cold rankings and then there's people's opinions. I've heard of the negativity around Yale SOM's rise in rankings, but mostly on the internet from people hiding behind anonymity.

I think if Yale truly wanted to game the rankings, they could simply choose to admit fewer people who are set on going into low paying NPO/social enterprise jobs, cut down the number of dual degree admits from the school of public health (healthcare providers aren't high paying), environmental science (NPOs/CSRs aren't high paying), and medicine (residents get paid $50K-70K a year tops), and overload on law school dual degree admits (a number of my YLS friends start at $180K). In fact, the loan forgiveness program at Yale SOM actually encourages those who are interested to get into low paying, but meaningful occupations that create positive externalities for the society.

I hate to benchmark school based on "outcomes", especially when the rankings are close and will provide virtually the same level of access to corporate opportunities. I've known people who were wildly successful in recruiting at top 20 schools like a Tepper and also some who struggled mightly in schools like Wharton and Sloan for both tech and MBB. At the end of the day, a higher ranked school may give you a better shot at landing the first interview, everything after that is up to the individual.

In retrospect, one of the key factors that really make or break your two years at business school is the quality of your classmates. I've had the pleasure of working with and learning from some amazing people I would have never met otherwise. Of course, this is impossible to assess without enrollment, so while I think going to welcome weekends is just one data point, it's an important opportunity you can use to do your due diligence on the people you may be spending the next two years with. If you attend the welcome weekend and spoke to 20-30 people and 80% of them made you roll your eyes... Then you may consider going a different direction. This is actually where ranking is more important - because the higher ranked schools have the option of being more selective and thus are (in general) able to assemble student bodies of higher quality in terms of academic and career achievements.

sorrowhill9 · Answer

Hello NTSpike, i recognize your name from MBA subreddit. I think you posted a similar question on MBA subreddit, and most people suggested either Yale or Duke. Given your interest in MBB, i think those two are your best bet. However you also mentioned interest in tech, this is where things get tricky. McCombs and Anderson are both strong in tech, especially in their regions.

At the end of the day, i think it comes down to Yale or Duke, given their prestige over McCombs and Anderson. So...toss a coin, hopefully you would make the decision before it lands.

At the end of the day, i think it comes down to Yale or Duke, given their prestige over McCombs and Anderson. So...toss a coin, hopefully you would make the decision before it lands.

mradamsmith · Answer

Congrats on your amazing offers. You can't go wrong with Duke or Yale. I am headed to Duke so putting my bias out front.

I think Fuqua has the strongest network nationally given the variety of locations its grads end up in. This factored into my choice, as I didn't want to be married to a region. Yale will be concentrated in the northeast (but that's not necessarily a negative, as NY was on your shortlist). As you alluded to, its rise in the rankings recently might not be matched just yet with its alumni strength, as there will be an obvious lag between recent classes and when those grads are in positions of power later in their careers. I think Yale is now recognized as at least even (if not slightly ahead or maybe harder to get into) than Duke, but they remain 'generally' peers.

All that said, there is no wrong answer here, and I would focus on outcomes (be sure to reach out to alums) and fit. Feel free to PM me if you want to hear more about my thought process when making the same decision.

bb · Answer

Agree - can't go wrong with Fuqua or Yale. 
Yale has a much stronger brand worldwide and better known. Otherwise, I feel Fuqua gives Yale a good run for its money.

Congrats!!!

NTSpike · Answer

Thank you bb. What is your opinion of Yale at this point in time? I've seen you chime in on Yale vs discussions over the years but a few years ago Yale's recruiting outcomes obviously lagged behind peer schools. This no longer seems to be the case. Do you think it's the case now that Duke's historic strength versus SOM is less of a defining factor in the face of SOM's recent strength? I feel like 1-4 years ago you'd have clearly leaned Fuqua but the way you phrased "Fuqua gives Yale a run for it's money" makes it seem like your sentiment has shifted. Am I reading into this too much?

I'm reaching out to the schools' Tech clubs for more specific placements but Yale seems to be leading Google product roles from the people I've spoken too at SOM. I'm trying to determine if SOM may place better immediately post-graduation for the roles I'm targeting with the trade-off of less alumni in positions of power at most companies to turn to for mentorship and support. Posted from my mobile device

football123 · Answer

Hi,

Yale seems like the strongest brand of the lot. Having spoken with alumni, the MBB recruitment is very strong there (I can’t speak for the other schools). It also seems pretty charged with potential - new school with a global brand name, new facilities, new dean (could be a pro and a con), close to NYC from a recruitment perspective. I would speak to alumni (look on LinkedIn and contact a couple) to get a flavour for each school.

Posted from my mobile device

NTSpike · Answer

Hey everyone, just wanted to give an update. I talked to a ton of people from both Fuqua and SOM and after a phone call with a close friend, made the call and decided to choose SOM!

I flipped back and forth several times and honestly was leaning HEAVILY towards Fuqua at the end. My friend just recently entered med school and reminded me of how indecisive he was making his decision last year and how he wasted so much time. Either way, he told me I'd be happy and regretful no matter which school I chose.

Ultimately, the branding of Yale, the Consortium network, and the potential for better long-term value won out. I'm sad that I won't be a part of TeamFuqua, but I feel good in my decision. Thanks everyone!

Posted from my mobile device

Wilch · Answer

Congratulations! Enjoy your time in New Haven. Highly recommend attending the Welcome Weekend if you haven't planned on going. A number of my classmates from '18 formed a small group with folks they met at the weekend and traveled around before school kicked off. If time and finances permit, it's a great way to bond and get to know people before everyone gets bogged down by class and recruiting

Fuqua ($$$) vs YSOM ($$$) vs McCombs ($$$) vs Anderson ($$)

Which should I choose?

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