Wake Forest MA in Management vs Duke Fuqua MMS

Duke if you can afford it

I looked at both programs, because I was interested in both to see which had better potential. It appeared to me that the Duke MMS, has a majority of its students employed by the end of the program and even has a program to help get internships before. Also, Duke and Fuqua have a name. However, if you can't afford, Wake Forest is still a wonderful program.

Thanks for the comments guys.

I wish I could say that I can afford it but it isn't likely. Considering the tougher competition at Duke, even a 15K scholarship would be impressive - this would still require borrowing somewhere in the realm of 40K. Most people will say that 40K is a trivial amount of money in the long-run (I've definitely been guilty of saying that to friends who have been in similar situations), but it's a lot harder to buy that argument when you're trying to sell it to yourself.

I guess I'm mostly just concerned that both programs will net the same results and then I'll be kicking myself for borrowing a truckload of unnecessary cash.

Interesting debate. I'm looking into the Masters in Management/early business Masters programs, too.

I would wager that you'd be better off at Duke, insofar as quality of peers, but that the quality of the education itself would not be too different. That being said, I'm told more and more that B-school, whether undergraduate or graduate-level, is primarily about your peers. Duke's MMS folks boast a nearly 650 average GMAT, versus the slightly under 600 for Wake, which I see as a pretty substantial difference. Also, higher average GPA at Duke, and more women at Duke. BUT, not knowing the social scene at either school (except basing it on undergraduates, where Duke strikes me as the loser, oddly), I can't make a call on that side of it.

Looks like neither program offers much curricular flexibility, which I see as a problem, but, then again, it's intended to, say, fit undergraduate business school into a year of graduate work.

Best of luck!

With your goal of wanting to work in NC, I think you can accomplish that with Wake Forest. Duke would be optimal since you can do more outside the NC area with the Duke brand, but with your specific focus and desire to not get in debt, Wake Forest probably looks like the best solution.

Either way you still can get an MBA later on if you feel like you need another fresh shot.

duke

If you want to work at one of top MM boutiques in Charlotte (McColl, Edgeview, Black Arch), I suggest Duke's program over Wake Forest.

It is certainly true that Duke has a national reputation that is substantially better and stronger than that of Wake. However, I can't speak to Wake's rep on a local scale. It may very well be that Wake has a good regional reputation. If so, considering that you'll probably do an MBA at some point, you have a second opportunity to give yourself the imprimatur of a Duke-caliber institution.

I don't want it to sound like prestige is all that matters, because it certainly does not. I just feel that without relevant experience, prestige will help you more.

Just clearing this out of the way, but a prestigious undergraduate institution will make no difference in this case?

I did Wake undergrad, if you have any questions about the school itself. Can't really comment on the management program though.

From undergrad- I have several friends that ended up at Wells and B of A in Charlotte. Citi, Goldman and a few MM places in NYC. There are a few boutiques that recruit heavily from Wake.

I know for a fact that Edgeview and BlackArch interviewed a handful of Wake MAs and undergrads during the Spring of 2010.

A prestigiuous undergraduate insitution will be very, very helpful in either of these programs since the one year master's business degree is still a new concept. In fact, several of the Ivy League kids in both these programs found jobs through their undergraduate network.

August, that was essentially my line of thinking. While I did not go to an Ivy, my school still has a substantial network of alumni all over the place that I could leverage to land something. I am doing the MA or MMS program not necessarily for OCR (it's a plus, however), but to get the finance knowledge and finance extracurricular activities. If my resume wasn't lacking in those departments, I would already be reaching out to a bunch of alumni from undergrad and probably wouldn't be in my current situation. As it stands, it's hard to cold call someone and say "I want to best position myself for your firm" when my resume is all tech/software.

That sounds like a good plan, PM me if you want any more specific info.

Wake MA Management is questionably top 50 program? undergrad there is much better there then their business or law schools. is this even a real question? duke duke duke.

Thanks again for all of your input guys.

I received a call from Duke yesterday and have been selected for a reasonably nice merit-based scholarship. This is certainly good news, and while Duke is still far more expensive, I'm thinking of biting the bullet and committing to go there.

Now, I understand that the MMS program at Duke also offer need-based aid, which I certainly qualify for (household income for parents is sub-$50K, I don't have any money to my name really, etc.). However, they don't release need-based awards until April, a point far beyond when I have to commit (this is somewhat odd).

If ANYONE out there has insight into the need-based aid for this program, I would be forever indebted to you if you could PM me to discuss it. This information would be instrumental in my decision, and being that I really want to go to Duke, would go a long way toward helping me make a decision that I am passionate about.

Thanks!

jsut a question, what can you do with an MMS really? Are there any good f500 companies recruiting for corp.dev/strategy there?

Looks a lot like another shot at UG recruiting, perhaps at a school with a better OCR or more prestige?

that's it? I thought there would be more access to associate level corp dev ops.

Looks like at most 10% or so corp dev roles (https://www.fuquaworld.duke.edu/cmcfiles/DukeMMSFinalEmploymentStats201…).

pretty good statistics. it's nice that they posted the percentage of applicants receiving sponsorship too. being an international students, this sponsorship sh1t has been holding me back too much.

not many big names tho, and the starting pays are so undergrad like lol. definitely not associate level.

Hey I am in the same situation, I got scholarship from WF, and just found out I got into MMS, with no money. Even though for me money isn't the issue, but it would be nice saving money now as I eventually do what to get an MBA at Harvard or a top school. I really enjoyed visiting Wake Forest, and I didn't get to see those career resources at Duke, even though they don't have to. I am kind of shocked I got into MMS to be honest, but initiative and great essay helped me. What should I do? I want to do strategy or management consulting.