Hi. I am a rising transfer sophomore student and I’ve been admitted to both Boston College and University of Southern California. At Boston College I will major in Economics in A&S college and I will be allowed to take 6 classes from its highly-regarded business school (I will most probably take 6 finance courses). At USC I will major in Business Administration. Therefore I will have to take all the classes from the business core. Financial aid packages are almost the same so financial situation is not a factor in my decision.
I am a US citizen that grew up in Europe and that would like to possibly relocate to Europe at some point of my life so the prestige of the school is somewhat a factor. Which school would open more opportunities for me? I am also planning on having finance-related job after graduation (If in the U.S. then I would most probably look for a job on the East Coast rather than on the West Coast). Thank you
Both schools are very good for the type of major you want. Prestige-wise, technically, USC is probably more heard of; but BC is very solid in economics and business. It’s a personal decision. There’s a big difference between the environment/weather in Boston and Southern California.
-Consider if you want to study business administration in a business program (which would include business core classes in subjects such as accounting, finance, IT, business law etc.) or if you prefer to pursue economics which is a liberal arts major and take the 6 allowed business classes. I’d look at the curriculum and the two schools and see which you prefer.
-Since you grew up in Europe you should ask around wtih people you know there if either school is more well known there in case you choose to move back.
-Both are fine schools I’d say BC has a slight edge if you want to be on the East Coast and USC would have a slight edge if you want to be on the west coast. That is largely because they would have a stronger alumni base in the area.
-Look at the coursework you would still need to complete at each school and determine if you could graduate on time if you transfer there. Most Jesuit schools (BC is one) have a large core curriculum.
Boston College is the better choice if you may settle on the east coast and the two are equal internationally. Boston College also has a much nicer campus and the surrounding area is like night and day. Los Angeles is not as good a place for college students as Boston.
Hi! I can’t speak for the schools’ individual programs but USC definitely has a much higher prestige than Boston College. I disagree with the previous comment stating that Los Angeles is not as great for college students… quite the contrary! Not only is USC in the heart of Los Angeles, but it is also surrounded by other Los Angeles institutions including UCLA. Los Angeles is a hub for internship opportunities and is a melting pot of different cultures. I agree Boston is a wonderful city filled with different institutions, but there is no comparison to the iconic Los Angeles(: At the end of the day, both are wonderful schools. You truly can’t go wrong. Just pick the school you would feel happiest at!
I consider Boston College and USC to be academic peers at the undergraduate level, as most probably do.
It sounds to me like the academic focus at USC will be more pre-professional (BBA), while the BS-Econ at Boston College will likely allow you a bit more academic flexibility.
Calling the USC program more “pre-professional” is not to say that courses like Financial Accounting, Managerial Accounting, Corporate Finance, Organizational Behavior, Marketing, and Ops Mgmt are not useful; they are very useful, especially if you decide you want to become an entrepreneur or a manager/executive in a corporate environment.
If I were you, I’d visit both and choose based on fit. The degrees will be about equally prestigious; choose, then, based on academic programs and weather/cultural fit.
As a student studying in Boston, I can tell you that Boston is a wonderful city full of college students. It’s very convenient - you can just take the T, bus, or walk to anywhere you want. However, Boston College is in Chestnut Hill which is located at the very last T stop…it’s very isolated and there really isn’t much around the campus. It’s also sketchy at night… I toured BC, but did not like the campus vibe at all…I’m not going to get too much into details because I don’t want to offend anyone… Anyways, if you’ve lived in Europe, you will love Boston since it’s like a European city with brick buildings and lots of cyclists. Be prepared for the weather though, it’s shit cold…
BC is 5 miles from downtown Boston. The area around BC has median household income of 115k and among the lowest crime rates in all of Mass., about 25% the crime rate.
I used to live near BC, sketchy description is totally off. It’s a nice area for people with money. It’s not too far off BU and BU is considered urban. But this is 1980s time frame.
I don’t get that USC is more prestigious than BC, but for accounting, I think USC wins.
Both of my kids didn’t like Boston so it depends on the student.