{"id":15157,"date":"2025-10-29T10:00:20","date_gmt":"2025-10-29T14:00:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/?p=15157"},"modified":"2026-04-01T11:31:36","modified_gmt":"2026-04-01T15:31:36","slug":"doppelganger-mba-programs-if-you-like-x-you-may-like-y","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/doppelganger-mba-programs-if-you-like-x-you-may-like-y\/","title":{"rendered":"Doppelg\u00e4nger MBA Programs: If You Like X, You May Like Y"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Doppelg\u00e4nger\"<\/p>\n

How do you \u201cfit\u201d into an MBA program? Whether the issue is you liking a school or a school liking you (to the point that it accepts you), the question of fit is one that should always be top of mind for any applicant. Do you like a program\u2019s teaching style? The focus of the curriculum? The environment? Are the students and other community members \u201cyour people\u201d? To learn more about finding your perfect-fit program, see\u00a0\u201cHow to Find the Best Business Schools for You<\/b><\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Creating a list of \u201creach\u201d or \u201cstretch\u201d schools that meet your fit criteria is easy. What is frequently more difficult is generating a list of \u201ctarget\u201d and \u201clikely\u201d schools that give you that same warm, fuzzy feeling when you engage with their students or\u2014when the situation allows\u2014visit campus.<\/p>\n

To help you identify these schools, here are some examples of \u201cdoppelg\u00e4nger\u201d MBA programs\u2014two programs that are alike in many ways, except that one is typically easier to get into than the other.<\/p>\n

Harvard Business School<\/b><\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/b>UVA Darden<\/b><\/a><\/h2>\n

If you believe that the case method style of learning is right for you, then consider UVA Darden, which is the only US school other than Harvard Business School that uses the case method exclusively. Also, it works if your uniform of choice is khakis and oxfords.<\/p>\n

Fun Facts<\/h3>\n

At Darden, first-year students are put into learning teams with classmates who are in different sections. For each case, you prepare on your own, discuss the case with your learning team, and\u00a0THEN go to class to discuss it with another 90 or so students. For unfamiliar topics, Darden provides \u201ctechnical notes\u201d that allow you and your learning team to master new material that is essential to understanding a case.\u00a0Some professors offer a 10- to 15-minute introduction for technical material to allow students to begin the discussion on a level playing field.<\/p>\n

Stanford GSB<\/b><\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/b>UW Foster<\/b><\/a><\/h2>\n

Looking for a West Coast school with great ties to the tech industry and a long history of entrepreneurship? Although Stanford GSB is the obvious choice, UW Foster in Seattle is a natural alternative. With ties to Amazon, Microsoft, and dozens of tech startups, UW Foster has the same Silicon Valley buzz but with less traffic and a lower cost of living.<\/p>\n

Fun Facts<\/h3>\n

Foster puts a lot of focus on career prep, strategy, and global experience, as indicated by the required two practical experience activities, MBA core case competition, and two international perspective activities. Nearly 47% of the UW Foster Class of 2024 went into tech, with an average starting salary of $144,328. Foster\u2019s core value of mentoring is supported by its portfolio of mentor programs. There are typically around 60 mentors for the traditional program, with classes comprising roughly 100 students. Foster also offers Mentoring Circles for MBAs of Color, to connect students with leaders of color in the broader community.<\/p>\n

Wharton<\/b><\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/b>Cornell Johnson<\/b><\/a><\/h2>\n

These are two great Ivy League schools with strong finance and marketing programs. At both schools, future portfolio managers can help run a student investment fund, racking up real returns and industry connections. The big choice between these two schools is, do you want gritty Philadelphia or bucolic Ithaca?<\/p>\n

Fun Facts<\/h3>\n

Johnson offers two unique\u00a0immersion offerings<\/b><\/a>\u00a0in finance: Investment Banking and Corporate Finance. Candidates interested in marketing can pursue the Strategic Product & Marketing immersion. And if you are concerned about being too far from a big city, you can participate in Johnson\u2019s innovative\u00a0NYC intensive<\/b><\/a>\u00a0in Fintech. Cornell Tech\u2019s Roosevelt Island campus is an oasis in New York City, complete with dorms that eliminate the dreaded commute. And if you want to get into the city, Cornell\u2019s C2C<\/a> runs two or three buses daily with multiple stops in Ithaca and NYC.<\/p>\n

Did You Know?<\/h3>\n

Wharton\u2019s Class of 2023 was the first among top MBA programs to break 50% women, with 52% women enrolled. The school maintained 50% women for the Class of 2024 and Class of 2025, while the Class of 2026 comprises 47% women and the Class of 2027 is only 44% women. On the other hand, Cornell Johnson often lags peer schools in terms of percentage of women, with just 31% women in the Class of 2022. It made a strong recovery to 39% in the Class of 2024, 43% in the Class of 2025, and 41% in the Class of 2026. But Cornell\u2019s Class of 2027 is only 38% women. This means opportunity for women!<\/p>\n

MIT Sloan<\/b><\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/b>Carnegie Mellon Tepper<\/b><\/a><\/h2>\n

Ready to geek out in a great city at a school that produces more startups than almost any other? Make it Sloan or Tepper! With the addition of Amazon, Google, Uber, Apple, and Microsoft, Pittsburgh is starting to feel a heck of a lot like Cambridge\u2014only with better food and shorter lines.<\/p>\n

Fun Facts<\/h3>\n

In September 2018, Carnegie Mellon celebrated the grand opening of the Tepper Quad, which sits in the center of campus and serves as the intersection of business, technology, and data analytics. Tepper\u2019s initiative, \u201cThe Intelligent Future,\u201d captures the school\u2019s commitment to prepare graduates for a future fueled by data, powered by technology, and unleashed by human intelligence. Over the past few years, Tepper has lagged peer schools in representation of women and underrepresented minorities. Tepper\u2019s Class of 2024 has only 31% women and 17% underrepresented minorities, but the Class of 2025 improved to 36% and 26%, respectively.<\/p>\n

Yale SOM<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Georgetown McDonough<\/a><\/h2>\n

These are two business schools that historically have had a wider purview than just business. Yale has a long history in nonprofit management, while Georgetown\u2019s location in Washington, DC, naturally brings a public policy and international component to it. The schools even look alike in their Gothic architecture!<\/p>\n

Fun Facts<\/h3>\n

Georgetown\u2019s Jesuit roots are captured in the concept of\u00a0cura personalis<\/i>\u00a0or \u201ccare for the whole person.\u201d McDonough\u2019s collaborative community embraces this value and extends it by offering access to global leaders through local resources such as the World Bank and changemakers on Capitol Hill, setting students up to make a positive impact in society. At Yale SOM, there is no limit to how many electives you can take outside of the business school. MBA candidates are students of Yale, not just the Yale School of Management.<\/p>\n

Northwestern Kellogg<\/b><\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/b>Wisconsin School of Business<\/b><\/a><\/h2>\n

When it comes to marketing, these two big Midwest schools are the kings. And Kellogg isn\u2019t actually in Chicago; it\u2019s in Evanston\u2014not quite the little college town that Madison<\/a> is.<\/p>\n

Fun Facts<\/h3>\n

Wisconsin School of Business is consistently ranked in the top ten MBA programs for marketing, in which it offers a specialization. In August 2021, the school announced a new specialization in Technology Strategy & Product Management, opening doors for marketing roles beyond the traditional CPG brand manager positions. Procter & Gamble, SC Johnson, Kimberly-Clark, General Mills, PepsiCo, and Johnson & Johnson are top hiring companies in CPG. Hiring companies also include top tech firms such as Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Intuit, Cisco, and Dell.<\/p>\n

Other Doppelg\u00e4nger Schools<\/h2>\n

By no means is this the end of this game of twins, or even triplets. Consider\u00a0Duke Fuqua<\/b><\/a>,\u00a0WashU Olin<\/b><\/a>, and\u00a0Vanderbilt Owen<\/b><\/a>\u00a0for health care;\u00a0Columbia Business School<\/b><\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0NYU Stern<\/b><\/a>\u00a0for finance;\u00a0NYU Stern<\/b><\/a>,\u00a0UCLA Anderson<\/b><\/a>, and\u00a0USC Marshall<\/b><\/a>\u00a0for media and entertainment; and\u00a0Dartmouth Tuck<\/b><\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Minnesota Carlson<\/b><\/a>\u00a0for being happy, far away, and cold but well positioned for consulting placement.<\/p>\n

Fun Facts<\/h3>\n

UCLA Anderson pioneered experiential learning through its capstone projects, which have been offered for more than 50 years. Depending on your career goals, you can support a client organization through Applied Management Research, start a business or join a classmate in doing so through the Business Creation Capstone, manage the Student Investment Fund, or take advantage of many other opportunities!<\/p>\n

Did You Know?<\/h3>\n

Minnesota\u2019s Carlson Consulting Enterprise offers student teams the opportunity to work directly with a client over two semesters, with one-on-one coaching and mentorship from consulting experts. 38% of the program\u2019s Class of 2023 and 20% of the Class of 2024 went into consulting roles.<\/p>\n

So, as you make a school list that ideally includes some reaches, targets, and likelies, try to get a handle on why you like each one. You might just be accepted to one of your perfect schools\u2014or maybe to its twin!<\/p>\n

Learn how a Stratus admissions expert can help you on your MBA journey. Sign up for a\u00a0free consultation<\/b><\/a>\u00a0today!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

How do you \u201cfit\u201d into an MBA program? Whether the issue is you liking a school or a school liking you (to the point that it accepts you), the question of fit is one that should always be top of mind for any applicant. Do you like a program\u2019s teaching style? The focus of the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":17441,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[378,1149,380],"tags":[909,442,444,435,452,614,692,694,700,634,640,908,473,686,462,545,531,478,910,479,497,485,683,562,495],"class_list":["post-15157","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mba","category-program-selection","category-mba-school-specific","tag-case-method","tag-columbia-business-school","tag-cornell-johnson","tag-dartmouth-tuck-school-of-business","tag-duke-fuqua","tag-entrepreneurship","tag-foster-school-of-business","tag-georgetown-mcdonough","tag-healthcare","tag-investment-banking","tag-marketing","tag-minnesota-carlson","tag-mit-sloan","tag-nonprofit","tag-northwestern-university","tag-nyu-stern-school-of-business","tag-public-policy","tag-stanford-graduate-school-of-business","tag-start-up","tag-tepper","tag-the-wharton-school","tag-ucla-anderson","tag-university-of-wisconsin","tag-vanderbilt-owen-school-of-management","tag-yale-som"],"yoast_head":"\nDoppelg\u00e4nger 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