Best Business Schools

Hey all,

I have decided that I want to commit to undergrad business schools. Obviously UPenn is at the top of the list with Wharton. But what are some other good schools that offer BBA programs? While UPenn is a reach, I’m also looking for schools that are more collaborative and laid back; schools that have more of a a balance between work and play. I saw Emory and Wake and liked them, specifically Emory. However, I’ve heard some mixed reviews about their reputation as good schools. What are some other strong BBA schools that are close to Wharton’s level? Is Emory a great school? It would mean the world to me to go to a top 20 school; Is Emory considered in that range?

Thanks

I think UNC would be a great school if you’re instate. If your GPA and test scores are good enough for UPenn, then you could probably get a full ride at UNCW or UNCC which also have very good business schools.

I did visit UNC and found it too big for my liking. I like smaller schools like UPenn and Emory. Do you not think Emory is a good Business school?

Emory is a good business school, but I’m not very familiar with it other than it’s pretty hard to get into.

My college counselor has a connection there and said I have a solid chance. I really just want to go to the best college that has a BBA program. I just wasn’t a fan of UPenn’s competitive atmosphere.

Emory is great. Villanova is another great one as are USC, BYU and Indiana. Wake is outstanding for accounting.

Notre Dame, Boston College, NYU and Michigan give Wharton a run for its money. ND is probably as hard to get into as Wharton.

Many things have changed in recruiting and companies cast a wider net than in the past.

Biz programs tend to be competitive–competitive people are drawn to that field.

What kind of career do you want?

Reputation is most important if you are interested in careers like Management Consulting or Investment Banking (among various other “pretigious” financial services roles).

I’m not saying I’m not competitive I just prefer a collaborative atmosphere. I want to succeed as a student, yet I want my peer to do well also.

As for my career, I’m not quite sure. The main reason I’m so interested in a BBA program is because of the exposure from all the different aspects of business (real estate, finance, etc.).

not easy to get in but an amazing school.
http://tepper.cmu.edu/prospective-students/undergraduate/business

why not just look up target schools on wall street oasis

I agree with @Flurite. Apply to Harvard and Princeton, they’re obviously incredibly competitive, but realistically they’re the only programs at Wharton’s level. After that, Ross and Stern are probably your best bets, and they both offer tremendous opportunities. Others might have differing opinions, and Emory is fine as well.

@2inSchool2 there is no chance Notre Dame gives Wharton a run for its money. Wharton is only rivaled by Harvard and to a degree Princeton. Mendoza is nowhere near as difficult to get into, carries far less prestige, and offers far less opportunities.

this is the most comprehensive list http://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forums/list-of-targets-and-semi-targets

@NashSaddle. ND avg ACT 34, AVG SAT 1500. 50% in top 1% of class, #5 Forbes Most Powerful Alumni. This isnt the 1980’s things have changed.

Just to clarify before it comes up. I have nothing against Notre Dame, I have many friends there, but here is the 2014 career plan data for ND: https://careercenter.nd.edu/assets/185995/firstdestination2014final.pdf and Wharton: http://www.vpul.upenn.edu/careerservices/files/WHA_2015cp.pdf

ND is lacking Blackstone, Evercore, Silver Lake, Silver Point, KKR, Centerview, Bain Capital, Och-Ziff, Point72 and many more of the top shops.

Judging schools by narrow and small number hiring is absurd.

BTW, Goldman plans a 20% cut in front office over the next 12 months after a 40% reduction in comp last year. Wall Street is a dying business.

@2inSchool2 even just looking at acceptance rate, Notre Dame is 18.3% and Wharton ~7-8%. But again, the most important data in my mind comes from the career plan surveys. It concretely shows the opportunities that the students take.

Where is your Goldman data from?

You can argue it’s dying. It’s nut currently as lucrative as it has been in the past. But the whole premise of this is based on top business schools, which inherently feed Wall Street. But, if you argue tech or the cloud are what’s important, Penn has a much better Comp Sci program anyway.

@NashSaddle. ND is a Catholic school and gets fewer applications because of that. The acceptance rate is not a good indicator of selectively or profile of the students. Applications to ND are also managed by Catholic high schools. ND has the classic self-selecting application pool.

@2inschool2 What supports that? Let’s look at yield which is probably the best proxy for “self-selection” that I’m aware of: http://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/2016-01-25/national-universities-where-students-are-eager-to-enroll There is bias here admittedly. But it’s not even close. BYU sure looks self-selective, but the ND yield isn’t even that high. Given that 22% are legacies, who get in much more easily and enroll much more frequently, then it looks even worse. But you’re right, the ND student pool is different from many of its top peers, because it’s way less diverse, which only makes it less attractive of an option to most students.

Also, I still have no clue where your Goldman statistics came from.