Choosing between multiple acceptances

Today I responded to a post on BW's Forum and it has relevance to anyone dealing with multiple acceptances.  Here is the exchange:

Thank you for an excellent thread.

You're most welcome.

I have admissions at Tuck and at Stern. I have not yet made up my mind completely on a future career in management consulting or finance after an MBA.

Could you please provide your valuable insights into the two schools and any other considerations that could help me make my decision? I understand that Tuck is considered strong in consulting while Stern in finance.

Thank you again for your response !

First of all, understand that both schools have excellent programs, but they have different approaches and yes different strengths. Here are some suggestions:

1) Look at professional opportunity at each school if you decide not to pursue the school's strengths.  In other words, how many Tuck grads go into finance, IB, etc. How many NYU grads go into consulting, which firms, etc.  You already know you'll do fine if you pursue either school's strength, but what if you decide to go the other way. This way you will know which school will best support either path.

2) Secondly the schools have different educational approaches. Tuck, probably as much if not more than any non-case-method school teaches the integration of business functions. Its faculty coordinates extensively. NYU has more of a specialist program and relies more on the students to connect the dots between different business specialties. As a result, integration is stressed less, but you can go into greater depth in a specific area. Which approach appeals to you more?

3) Where would you rather live and study? NYU is blocks from Wall St. in the heart of Manhattan. It is a building.Tuck is part of Dartmouth's gorgeous campus in a beautiful rural area. Hanover is a small college town two hours from Boston.  Which appeals to you more? Tuck gets lots and lots of snow, far more than NYC. (I visited Tuck at the end of October and there was already a little snow on the ground, but it was absolutely beautiful.) What are you personal preferences.

Good luck!

Anyone dealing with multiple acceptances has to research three primary areas at the accepting schools:

1. Opportunity Fit: Especially important for graduate and professional schools, how well does the program support your specific goals? How strong is it in your likely area of interest?
2. Educational Fit: How do you like the programs' approach? Curriculum? Extra-curricular opportunities?
3. Personal Fit: Geographic, climactic, small/large, urban/ rural?

Hopefully you, like the person I responded to above, will be choosing between two or more  excellent options.

Comments

[Abhishek]

hi,

Just read the comparison between tuck and NYU.
was very informative and detailed...

Can somebody outline the differences between Olin,Washington University at St. Louis and Owen,Vanderbilt University.

I have got an admit from both and am confused about the choice.

I am a software Engineer in India and have 3 years work-ex in the IT industry.

Want to pursue a career in IT consultancy post MBA...

Any insights or comparisons of the 2 schools will be very helpful as i am really confused at this stage.

You can right to me at abhishek_lakhani@yahoo.co.in

Regards,
Abhishek