<p>My current plan is to transfer to a US university (I'm Canadian) as a junior next year, attend a good business university and then work 2 years before getting my MBA.</p>
<p>However I would like a good work opportunity during those two years and therefore am looking for a very good (not to say renowned ) undergraduate business program.</p>
<p>I was thinking about going into economics at Columbia but it doesn't seem to be very well known ranked business-wise. At least not at undergrad-level. So any recommendations? Ivy league or other.</p>
<p>I have heard good things about Berkeley but the cost for internationals students is prostate-exam bad. If its the best I'll make the loans but I'd just like to check other options.</p>
<p>Columbia, or any of the Ivies save Cornell & Penn doesnt have an undergraduate business program. Reason? Because their Economics degree does the same exact thing without making the person seem like a tool.</p>
<p>what he means to say is only complete a-holes major in business during undergrad. finance related majors especially economics are the proper norm for entry into fields such as investment banking. if you really want to do it properly, double major in econ and a social science i.e. sociology or even history</p>
<p>In terms of undergraduate business programs, this is correct and universally acknowledged. Wharton also allows--indeed, encourages--undergrads to take a major portion of their courses in Penn's excellent liberal arts departments in the College of Arts and Sciences:</p>
<p>
[quote] The emphasis on liberal arts.
We believe that students need a solid liberal arts education. That's why we require that one-third of your coursework be taken outside of Wharton. Want more? You can take up to 43% of your degree requirements in the arts & sciences. In fact, we want you to!</p>
<p>The flexibility of the curriculum.
We designed our curriculum to give you the flexibility to shape your own education. Need evidence? 20% of our students study abroad. 15% pursue minors. Over 30% graduate with more than one undergraduate degree from Penn. Even within Wharton, you have more courses and areas of study to choose from than at any other business school 11 different departments and 18 different concentrations.
<p>So double major in economics and social sciences/arts</p>
<p>And then an MBA?</p>
<p>Id really like to go into marketing.....2 questions.</p>
<ul>
<li>What should my double major be?</li>
<li>Would Berkeley be a good choice?</li>
</ul>
<p>Is Wharton really that hard to get into for an international transfer? What is the emphasis placed on for admission there; grades or others (EC, volunteer work, essay)</p>
<p>Sorry for being confusing before-- what I meant by "tool" is this:</p>
<p>If you 100% know you want to just aim your life at making $$$, go to Wharton. It will teach you all the practical skills necessary (i.e, how to write memos, balance the budget, analyze trends, etct etc). However, it will not teach you how to be INTELLECTUAL. Think of it this way--- other Ivy Graduates will be viewed as WORLDY, very "wise". Wharton grads are thought of as shrewd and keen on making money. </p>
<p>With that said, there's nothign wrong with making money and there are many ivy grads whose sole aim is to make a quick buck anyway. I guess it's just that Wharton graduates have less of a truly intellectually mind-stimulating experience than what other Ivies can offer.</p>
<p>ALso you should know that Law Schools and MEdical Schools look down upon "trade" schools, such as Undergraduate Business. They prefer their students have a broad liberal arts exposure and develop the ABILITY TO THINK ANALYTICALLY rather than learn a set of skills pertinent to one line of work.</p>
<p>I'm just reiterating what is the commonly held perspective on trade schools... Don't believe me? Go on any law school website and you'll see that they discourage pre-professional studies.</p>
<p>Never but its a good guess. :D
Law school would be an option for me after a few years on the market maybe. Well technically as a JD-MBA. I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.</p>
<p>So truazn you posts have been very helpful so far (as have everyones). Which do you think would be best in terms of balancing the money-making and intellectual stimulation (both for the person ad grad schools); Berkeley or Columbia?</p>
<p>Don't buy into truazn's misinformed impressions of Wharton. It is NOT a "trade school", and has nothing to do with "practical skills" like memo writing, etc. To the contrary, it provides an intellectually and analytically demanding program, which is why its grads are in such high demand at the top IB and consulting firms (along with grads of Harvard, Yale, etc.). It's no more of a "trade school" than any top engineering, architecture, or similar program (e.g., MIT, CalTech, etc.). In fact, as I pointed out above, the Wharton undergrad program has a very strong liberal arts component--up to 43%--but adds intellectually challenging and analytically demanding classes in fields such as finance, statistics, management, etc. There's a reason Wharton undergrad is in a class by itself in the world of undergraduate business programs, and it has nothing to do with being some kind of "trade school".</p>
<p>But don't take my word for it--explore the Wharton Undergrad site for yourself:</p>
<p>Lots of business UGs go on to law school. Hardly a handicap and helps if you go into business/corporate law where deal points come down to dollars and cents.</p>