With an admit from Duke, my application season has come to an end. I'm 2 for 2 with an admit from Ross as well. I should be happy at my success rate despite my age, gender, nationality and professional background supposedly working against me. However, I've got this nagging feeling deep down that I could have put in a few more apps to say Kellogg and Sloan. But then, what am I missing out on by not attending Kellogg/Sloan (assuming I could get in) ?
When I researched B-schools in fall, Ross and Fuqua jumped out at me as being best suited for my post-MBA goals with Ross having an edge. Try as I might, I had a tough time tying my goals to what Kellogg and Sloan had to offer. So despite their perception as better schools, they were not better than Ross/Fuqua for me.
So far, I'm holding on to the view that Ross/Fuqua are brand names that will at least get me in front of recruiters in my target industry. The specialized academic offerings that Ross has to offer should actually give me a leg up over applicants to similar jobs from schools with more associated prestige.
But what if I'm wrong and as unlikely as it sounds, overall brand trumps school strength in a specific area ?
