So I’ve been accepted to various strong business program such as Mendoza, Carroll, and Marshall, but the more I think about it, the more that going to Kelley (Indiana University) appeals to me.
My primary reasons for liking Kelley are that:
it will accept all of my 45 AP credits
it has a strong business program
the IB workshop has an incredibly strong placement rate
I would be one of the smartest there (33 ACT)
it would be marginally cheaper (45k vs 65k)
it has a strong social scene
I don’t have to worry about not getting into my selected major (Mendoza has limits for finance)
So my question is, am I insane to sacrifice the prestige and selectivity of the schools I’ve been accepted to to go to Indiana?
No you aren’t crazy. Indiana University as a whole may not be as good as the other colleges, But Kelly is amazing. It’s in the top 10, will give you amazing placements you’ll be a year and a half ahead and can graduate early to save even more money ( assuming 15 credits per semester.) So you’re not crazy, but if you choose kelly you’ll sure be called smart for making this choice.
$20K per year isn’t “marginally” cheaper; that’s a lot cheaper. That’s not even counting all the money you’ll save by transferring in 45 credits (or, in lieu of saving money, you’ll have more flexibility to do internships or study abroad or whatever). And Kelley is an excellent business school. No, I don’t think you are crazy at all.
Seems to be a good business person would recognize the value of 20K cheaper plus being able to knock off a year or two from AP credits (or double major, intern, study abroad)
@NHB123 No, you are not crazy. My son is deciding between Mendoza and Kelley and for us ND would only be about $10,000 more per year. I think the ND name and the alumni network are worth at least that, plus I think ND is a better fit for our son. If Notre Dame was $20,000 more per year for us, I would probably lean IU
With all of that said, if our son picked IU, I would be perfectly fine with it. Both ND & IU have great business schools.
IU makes a lot of sense, especially if you are wanting to pursue IB with the caveat that you get into the IB workshop
My H and S went to ND (loved it) but you are not crazy at all. Never discount fit as part of the equation. It sounds to me that school that seems to appeal to you the most is also the least expensive so it is a win-win.
My H’s main choices were ND and Gtown. He loved the overall vibe/friendliness/warmth he felt at the ND, he loved the big time sports aspect, and he felt the academics were a really good fit for him (at that time many years ago, one could easily flip in and out of the business school and that was a big positive since he wasn’t sure what direction he wanted to go as a freshman). My S went for his MS in Accounting and the biggest factors to him were that it was a very highly ranked program (you get more pragmatic that way for grad school), he felt the courses offered would not be a re-hash of his undergraduate work, that ND would be great place to interview out of, he felt very welcomed when he visited the program, and it would provide a different experience than he had as an undergrad in NYC (including big time sports). It was a bonus that it made dad very happy. Hope that helps a bit.