Undecided - 02-06-2019 | Clear Admit DecisionWire

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February 5, 2019 2:23pm ET

Enrolled: Undecided

Admitted: Cornell / Johnson $ , Duke / Fuqua $

Applied: Cornell / Johnson, Duke / Fuqua, Harvard Business School, Stanford GSB, Yale SOM

Entering Year: 2019

Post MBA Career: Investment Banking, Asset Management, inc. Hedge Funds

GPA: 3.53

Location: Africa

Notes:

Awaiting decisions from Yale SOM and Stanford. But in the meantime I have to make a deposit. As an international student, brand outside U.S, especially in Africa, is important too.

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Show Comments (14) Last: March 9, 2019

anon97226 Likes Earned: 1 I can’t speak to Africa specifically, but both Cornell and Duke have strong brands internationally. They should both be solid for IB too, and your scholarships between the two are pretty similar. I would base your choice for deposit on fit/culture. Cornell’s class size is about 2/3rds the size of Duke’s and Ithaca is a more rural town. Duke is more heavily team-based and in a more metropolitan area (though still not a huge city). I know it seems trivial, but I’d consider weather as well. If you’ve never been through a winter in upstate NY before, it can be brutal. (0)

alexbr4 Verified User. Likes Earned: 1693 I think that's a good and balanced view of the two schools. Explore their alumni groups, any clubs and activities with an Africa focus. (0)

anon93897 Likes Earned: 14 Guys, which one has bigger brand in the U.S too? (0)

anon97226 Likes Earned: 1 They are both pretty similar in the U.S. Fuqua is typically ranked slightly higher than Johnson and might be a bit more top of mind for fields outside of IB/finance. In terms of parent university, Duke is historically a top 10 U.S. school while Cornell is normally top 15-20. Again, splitting hairs a bit here. To the average person (not in business and not very aware of elite universities - probably not most of the stakeholders for you post-MBA), Cornell might be more well-known just because it’s in the Ivy League and Duke is not. (0)

anon93897 Likes Earned: 14 @anon97226 good analysis. I'm currently leaning more towards Fuqua. I've been a great admirer of Cornell but unfortunately, I am not getting good 'vibe' from students and alum. Fuqua students and alum seem to be extremely excited about their school. (0)

anon97226 Likes Earned: 1 Yeah, the school brands are similar enough, so I would pursue Fuqua as well if that’s where you’re getting the better vibe from students and alums. These people will be your lifelong MBA network, so it’s important to be with people you get along with most. (0)

anon37554 Likes Earned: 1 The "brand outside of U.S." argument seems specious. Anyone hiring MBAs knows about MBA school rankings and where to find them. (0)

anon57197 Likes Earned: 1 Cornell and NYU, though fall outside of Top10 but within Top 15, are the best for IB. (0)

anon93897 Likes Earned: 14 @anon57197 is your assertion based on the percentage of students who end up in IB from Cornell? (0)

anon57197 Likes Earned: 1 @anon93897 Yes - historically Cornell is a strong IB school, though in general duke is a slightly better school overall with greater emphasis on fit. https://www.clearadmit.com/mba-rankings/finance/ - this post shows the 5 best school for IB (CBS,Wharton,Booth,NYU,Johnson) (0)

anon31791 Likes Earned: 0 Congrats on two great acceptances, and more to come! Comments above covered many great points. Both schools have great brands and you certainly can't go wrong with either decision. But since b-school's going to be the most expensive rolodex you'll invest in your life, I would also look into alum networks, post-grad salary as well as curriculum. Compare the two thoroughly before coming to your final decision. Cornell has a strong track record of placing highly in IB with top-notch post graduate salaries, not to mention strong alum base and immersion options. Tip: most IB students by now have their internship offers for summer 2019. Now that you're in control, feel free to reach back out to current students from both schools and learn about their journey! (0)

anon12901 Likes Earned: 5 Congrats! You can't make a bad choice here. Fuqua has a pretty balanced approach (in terms of industries and concentrations), and despite not being thought of as a finance school, sent 13% to IB this summer, and places in a wider range of cities and firms. As you alluded to, the student body is friendly and and excited about their school, something I noticed as a difference when looking at the two programs. While Cornell places a slightly higher % of students into IB, Duke meets or exceeds in terms of total number. Alternatively, if you decide to pursue something else (consulting for example), Fuqua typically wins this match-up. In short, Fuqua>Johnson in the US traditionally,, and Duke = Cornell globally. Both place quite well into IB so focus on where you'll be happy. Good luck! (0)

anon93897 Likes Earned: 14 OP: Thanks guys, finally decided on Fuqua. The school has great network in Africa. #TeamFuqua (0)

anon12901 Likes Earned: 5 Great choice! Congrats. (0)