Undecided - 01-27-2019 | Clear Admit DecisionWire

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January 27, 2019 8:47am ET

Enrolled: Undecided

Admitted: Duke / Fuqua $ , Michigan / Ross $ , UVA / Darden $

Applied: U. Chicago Booth, Duke / Fuqua, Michigan / Ross, Northwestern / Kellogg, UVA / Darden, Yale SOM

Entering Year: 2019

Post MBA Career: Consulting, Technology Companies: Accenture, AT Kearney, Bain, BCG, Deloitte, KPMG, McKinsey, PWC, Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google, Microsoft

GMAT: 770

GPA: 3.6

Location: Midwest

Notes:

Classic tough choices - would love to hear everyone’s opinion. My choice is between Darden and Fuqua. Love both and would think that I will be happy at both. Just curious whether the Duke brand as parent university would matter much?

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Show Comments (5) Last: March 19, 2019

anon97226 Likes Earned: 1 I agree it should come down to Fuqua and Darden. Full ride at Darden is hard to pass up, but Fuqua is still a large scholarship. They both are strong for consulting, so I would base your decision on culture/fit. Duke has the better parent brand internationally, but among anyone familiar with MBA programs, Fuqua and Darden are peer schools. Darden’s case method is very rigorous and can be a great experience, but it’s also a big commitment and could detract from your involvement in clubs or other activities. Fuqua is very team-based and offers some more elective options, but it’s more up to you if you want to prioritize academics highly or not. Charlottesville is more of the college town vibe, Durham is more of a city. Ultimately, I think it’ll be a personal decision, and I recommend attending the admit weekends if you can, as well as chatting with alums and students from both schools. (0)

alexbr4 Verified User. Likes Earned: 1693 Three very good, comparable options. I'd go with fit, but whichever choice you make, will be good. (0)

anon12901 Likes Earned: 5 Congrats on your admits and scholarship offers! I made a similar decision regarding Darden and Fuqua coming from the midwest. As mentioned, the two are definitely peer schools for the MBA program, however, the Duke name has unlocked doors on its own, especially outside of the east coast which was something I considered as well. To that end, during my visits it appeared that Fuqua students were more a part of the overall "Duke" atmosphere which was appealing to me. Duke historically places well into consulting and the firms you mentioned. This is always a difficult comparison due to the program's similarities, but the "pros" for Fuqua are typically: ever so slightly better reputation/ranking, parent institution name recognition, more flexible academic/social life, and team fuqua. Good luck! (0)

anon22099 Likes Earned: 1 I am also from the Midwest and am going to Darden. All three schools are going to get you similar results. You will probably have the easiest time getting a consulting gig in the Midwest by going to Ross, so keep that in mind. I don't see any reason to pick Duke over Darden for less scholarship money unless 1. You really thought Duke's culture meshed better with your personality or 2. You have international aims where, yeah, the Duke brand might carry more weight than UVA. Darden has great ties with all of the companies you listed. Personally, I made my decision because of the incredibly close-knit community at Darden, the strength in consulting/general management, and the quality of faculty/case method. Hopefully I see you in the fall! (0)

anon12901 Likes Earned: 5 Would love to hear if you made a decision. Hopefully you were able to attend an admitted students weekend! (0)