Berkeley (GMP Haas) vs NYU (Stern) vs UVA

Hi! I was accepted into Berkeley’s Global Management Program in Haas, NYU Stern, and UVA (in-state), and I wanted to ask for some advice in picking between the three.

The main pros for each school: NYU will be a direct admit into Stern, and the opportunities in NYC are definitely unbeatable. For Berkeley, I’ll have direct-admit to Haas and Cal also has a strong data science major I can double-major in, since the business-tech scene in Cali is something I would be interested in getting involved in. The biggest pro for UVA is definitely the in-state tuition, but I’d have to apply to McIntire sophomore year. My biggest concern with the other two schools is that I’ll likely have to take loans (130k+) at Stern and (75k) at Haas.

Between Stern and Haas, which program is better/known more in the business field? And between all three, is it worth it (cost-wise) to go to either Stern or Haas over UVA?

Thank you so much!

UVA has the best business program and is a bargain.

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Loans that large need to be parent loans or parent-cosigned loans, which are usually a bad idea for both the parents and student.

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Yeah. You don’t borrow 75k or 130k. Only 27k is assured and your parents would be fools to borrow more.

You got into UVA. so it’s not direct admit. Work hard. Save the money.

Opportunities from UVA…even if you end up in a different major…are endless. And mcintire has 3 minors.

Edit:
While you want an answer to your question - and that answer can go at least three different ways depending on your ultimate desires (one can make a case for all three excluding costs), I encourage you to read up on stories of kids who take on this level of debt. If you changed the name Virginia to West Virginia, my answer would still be similar. There’s too many horror stories of people that chased a name and wrecked their lives. Graduating from any school provides no guarantee and people say X school pays a higher salary. Well sure, but rent is also quadruple other areas…and these kids no longer can get established. In my prior company (based in LA), every time we opened a job in Dallas or Atlanta…there were tons of applicants - young kids graduating college have no shot in so many urban areas today. Jobs mainly pay based on location, and not based on school attended. My son earned the same last summer, as an example, as his two Ga Tech roomies…he goes to Alabama.

Good luck.

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Tagging @Villalona who also has a student looking at GMP.

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Don’t go into that kind of debt for a bachelors degree. Unless the degree has M.D. next to it, it’s not worth the debt. You could put yourself in serious financial trouble if life doesn’t go your way. I promise, you’re not missing anything going to UVA.

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I would echo what the others have said above. No amount of prestige is worth going into 6-figure debt. Good thing is, given that you are going to UVA, you are not giving up much in compromise.

Congratulations. Could you please share your stats?