For god’s sake Wall Street is not the be all for business jobs. For many it sucks more than anything in life due to horrible hours, crazy bosses, and general Lord of the Flies atmosphere. Give it a rest.
Though not LAC, consider Villanova, BC and
My D20 was looking at both LACs and a few undergrad business programs. Her interests are Econ (and other social sciences), but she did DECA all four years of high school, and summer courses in marketing and Econ at a nearby college. She really enjoyed marketing. Most of the schools she had on her list were LACs, but Fordham, BC, Villanova, and Syracuse were the outliers she included for B schools–not just majors. After visiting all of the business schools and almost all the LACs, she came to the conclusion that the LACs with business majors were mainly catering to the recent demand. They did not offer the same level of business study as the undergrad business schools on her list. While Skidmore and Dickinson were favorites for other reasons, she talked to business majors at both colleges who lamented not having the same number and variety of business courses, and missing simple amenities like a large room full of Bloomberg terminals where no one has to share. She came to the conclusion that if she wanted to do business as an undergrad, an LAC offered a “lighter” version. This is not necessarily a bad thing. For some students that might be what they want. But D was clear that if she was going to do business as an undergrad, then she wanted to do business fully.
On the other hand, for better or worse, the business schools were much different. She spent a summer at BC and talked to students in all the business schools when we visited. At Fordham, BC, Villanova, and Syracuse, the course work in the B schools was varied and extensive, and things like Bloomberg terminals were not an issue at all. The only concern for D was that the business students said their programs do not really allow for exploration outside their specific school. The Fordham student mentioned the large amount of Core/Gen Eds for Fordham in general as part of the hindrance for taking classes in different subjects that did not meet a requirement. My D came away from her discussions at these schools feeling that all of the students were clear on their goals and fine with not venturing outside their B program.
D wanted more flexibility and didn’t like the idea of being unable to explore other interests. Sure, she could switch to the CAS if she changed her mind after a year, but she was only interested in the B programs at these schools so switching out would be undesirable. Instead, she opted for a LAC without worrying about a business major specifically. She kept the B schools on her list (at the bottom) as potential options anyway. She was accepted to her ED school (a LAC without a business major) so it’s no longer an issue.
Again, both experiences are fine. I just think it depends on what you want. My D was never fully sold on an undergrad business degree, so it was not a difficult decision for her. (Plus, her ED school does a great job placing students in positions or grad school after college.) As CC always stresses, you need to do your research on each school and talk to faculty and students in your area of interest.