Geography vs. Brand (MBA)
Canadian here. Having a hell of a time picking between UMich (Ross) and Duke (Fuqua). Currently in Asset Management and looking to move into management consulting, if that fails, corp strat or corp dev.
Post MBA I want to work in Chicago, if not, mid-atlantic, west coast, or London (I have citizenship) or back home up north.
A lot of things are pointing me to Ross, the closeness to Chicago, the consulting focus, etc. but I am having trouble letting go of the 'Duke' brand (more prestigious in both Canada and the UK).
Thoughts?
They are both elite, you honestly can't go wrong. They are probably equals in terms of consulting, I don't think school location matters much for job placement location as people think it does. That being said I would guess Ross has a bigger presence in Chicago than Duke.
Have you visited both schools? If so, I would go where you see yourself being happy for 2 years, and where you see yourself fitting in.
Disclosure: I'm going to Fuqua this fall.
Location doesn't matter for industries with OCR so you should go with brand. If your goal is boutique investment management in Chicago then location makes big differences.
dude, your title is so misleading...
I get that you say Ross is the one with geography and Duke has brand. but LOL they're both on the top 10-12 list of MBA programs. UMich and Duke are both top 50 schools internationally There aren't much difference in brand alright? Geographical differences will still exist inherently
The rest is for you to think.
I'm not an expert in US schools, but the Toronto and London perspectives, from what I can tell, are that Duke > Michigan by miles - spillover from the undergrad rep I'm guessing.
I'm going to leave with this Chinese saying: You can't have both fish and bear's paw.
you're very lucky already to end up with Ross and Duke offers. Many can't even get one. if you go any lower-tier, I'm sure you'd have a bigger headache than now. Man up, research more, decide what you want and sign that offer.
Really hard to believe (1) there's a noticeable difference in perception (2) it's "by miles" and (3) Fuqua is viewed better than Ross in Toronto. Do you have any way to substantiate these claims?
As for London, the FT rankings (which Europeans generally, and Brits particularly, tend to pay most attention to) has Fuqua at 21 and Ross at 24. Although I'd bet most Londoners don't come across many people from either program.
I have a small sample on both fronts, but work + Cambridge members (not sure how familiar you are with Toronto) suggested Duke ("unless you love football" - which I guess shows how close it is). The few folks I know at IBD in London weren't familiar with Ross or Fuqua but recognized Duke... the layman vibe of private>state is probably to blame for most of this though.
If you really want to be in Chicago, go with Ross. If not, it's still mostly a toss-up based on fit. The poster below who says geography doesn't matter if you have OCR is partially wrong. He's right in that you will get interviews at most locations for those firms that come for OCR, but where he's wrong is your odds of going to a certain office. You'll have a much bigger network of Ross people at offices in the Midwest which will help your chances of landing there.
Did you go to both admitted student weekends? I know Ross' was 2 weeks ago... not sure when Duke's was. The actual experience plus the conversations with other candidates who applied/visited other schools, plus talking to current students should be illuminating.
I do know that during the Ross ASW Harbaugh was supposed to speak but bailed. Something about the weather? And yeah, think about it: Harbaugh vs. Coach K: who do you prefer?
Interesting re: Harbaugh bailing. Honestly not too much of a sports guy (a sin at either school eh?).
I only went to Duke's as I'd visited Ross twice already and the weekends overlapped. I liked the people and campus/ fuqua building, but wasn't a fan of Durham and the feeling of having to own a car to get around. Funnily enough I met 3-4 people in my exact situation, so I sense this is a popular debate.
I'm quite decided on Michigan after a day of reflection. The geography factor and MAP, with the brand power being somewhat of a wash inside the US, makes me lean. I'll pull the trigger on Monday if I'm still on that wave length.
Cheers for the opinions all.
Congratulations! Go Blue!
I do think Ann Arbor has it over Durham. Many folks I talk to worry about the weather, but being Canadian, thinking that's not as big a deal as it might be for some people who aren't as hardy as you.
I was in your situation and chose UMich over UVA and Duke:
>2015 >making a college football team part of your decision to go get a particular MBA ISHYGDDT
This. THIS. I was at Fuqua's admitted students weekend (Blue Devil Weekend, obviously) early this month, and I lost count of how many times they mentioned winning the national championship in basketball. Granted, it was earlier that week, and it's a useful conversation starter for alumni... but after the first dozen mentions, I started to think, "who the hell cares?"
Full disclosure: I'm going to Fuqua in the fall. But I'm going because it's going to help me get a job I want and I liked the people, not because I like college basketball (I do) or because Durham has a lot of golf courses (it does).
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