<p>Hi I just want to know if anyone in the business program has comments. I heard something about the B- curve which sucks. Also are you glad you chose USC over other colleges (if so, what colleges?)? For me, i am between UIUC (only cuz i'm in state:accepted), uMICH (but i'll have to reapply soph yr to bschool: accepted), usc, nyu and washu. Any comments would be great!</p>
<p>Niihla, I would HIGHLY recommend Marshall to you. I would narrow down that group to USC, NYU, and UMich and probably throw out UMich (read on). </p>
<ol>
<li><p>USC and NYU are in prime locations. If getting a top financial job is your dream, then head to NYU by all means. It is always advantageous to be in the backyard of top firms; they come to your school and recruit and they get to know you on a personal basis, and that could be the difference between receiving that coveted internship/job or not. There are plenty of top firms in LA as well, and they recruit heavily at USC. It's no Wall Street, but there is plenty of opportunity. </p></li>
<li><p>In terms of education there will hardly be a difference. A top notch business school is a top notch business school and for someone to say that one school's faculty is superior to another is just nonsense unless they attended every school. I've received a great education and the profs for the most part were all caring and eager to see their students succeed. I can get into specifics but I don't want this post to be like a novel. </p></li>
<li><p>In terms of college experience I think USC is the superior of the 3. NYU really doesn't offer the "college experience". UMich does offer a lot of school spirit but it's a huge school and the students (from what I hear) tend to feel like they are numbers. On the other hand, USC (especially Marshall) is very family-like. Everyone at Marshall knows each other and for the most part gets along (totally not cut-throat). </p></li>
<li><p>USC's alumni networking, connections, and career resources takes a backseat to no one. NYU and UMich do not even compare in this department and you'll soon find out that having connections and networking are some of the most valuable tools in business. There is so much diversity across the board at Marshall that you'll be amazed at the connections you establish (assuming you are social). You'll meet people of different ethnicities that come from the far corners of the world; you'll meet trust fund babies, son's of blue collar families, kids from the "OC", future CEOs, sons of CEOs, etc. </p></li>
<li><p>Oh yeah and don't forget the weather. I wear t-shirt and jeans almost everyday ;)</p></li>
</ol>
<p>We have a saying here, that once you become a Trojan, you are one for life. Believe me it's true in every sense. I guarantee you'll be wearing a USC sweatshirt one day and some random person will come up to you yelling, "Fight on!!" I get it all the time and trust me it's a cool feeling. </p>
<p>Finally to add (forgot to touch upon earlier), the business curve does suck but I think most top business schools have this curve. It promotes competition and it hurts the kids that are in the middle of the pack, but it's nothing to stress about unless GPA is life or death for you.</p>
<p>hey.. could you provide information about the admissions process... who gets selected for straight business and what happens to the people that get selected for prebusiness...do they have to apply to the business school after a year or so or do they just enroll after fullfilling requirements?</p>
<p>they just changed the process.... it used to be that you would have to apply after you take the pre-reqs and be admitted based on a required GPA but now freshmen can be admitted straight into the business school.</p>
<p>which is definetely awesome that I dont have to reapply for the bschool, and go thru all that stress again which is a reason why i'm leaning away from umich..</p>
<p>yea same here... how do they determine whether you are straight business and whats usually the SAT score for that? (odds of a 1320 look slim?)</p>
<p>i really have no idea on straight admittance requirements because it just started this year... you should probably contact the school and ask</p>
<p>I think its the same for all of USC, all majors have the same chance of getting in, business or not. So when you apply to the school under business major, you go directly to the business school</p>
<p>afterhours, in terms of the business school, how does it look for someone determined to have a concentration in finance and seek i-banking as a potential career?</p>
<p>bump,,,.......</p>
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afterhours, in terms of the business school, how does it look for someone determined to have a concentration in finance and seek i-banking as a potential career?
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</p>
<p>If you are willing to work hard and want to work in the west after graduation then I'd say there's no better school to go to. Some might say that Haas (Berkeley) would be a better choice, but there's hardly any difference in terms of opportunity. They are both reputable programs but USC has the edge in terms of networking and alumni support; something that is VERY valuable in business and is highly overlooked by high school seniors. </p>
<p>If you're steadfast on getting into I-banking then go to either Berkeley, USC, or UCLA, it really doesn't matter. Just make sure you keep your GPA high because the major firms weigh heavily on it. In a field like I-banking your undergrad education won't matter, so don't let these so called "academic puritans" convince you to go to some distinguished school where the professor calls you by your first name. Go to the school that will benefit you in terms of GPA; if that happens to be the school where the professor knows your first name, then so be it. </p>
<p>Honestly, go watch Boiler Room and you'll have an understanding of the mentality you need if you want to be an I-banker. It's really a cut the BS type of job, and you better carry that through undergraduate business school. You will have to go through stress interviews, and if you make it, be prepared to work 90-100 hrs a week. </p>
<p>Now why would I recommend USC Marshall? Undergraduate business education is really nothing; actually I'd go as far as saying that studying business is nothing in itself. You can go to Wharton and believe me, there'll be hardly any difference in terms of enlightenment. I know people who have taught there and now teach at USC and they say the curriculum is exactly the same, it's just the quality of students and class size that differ. So why do we go to UG business school? Let's be real, it's for the opportunities. </p>
<p>Now here is where I endorse USC a great deal. Try going to a UCLA or Berkeley business student and ask them if an alum has them over at his house every other week to teach about their respective concentration. Ask them if they've had a CEO fly them out to their corporate headquarters across the country. I don't know how UCLA or Berkeley operates but I'd be willing to bet that they don't offer anywhere near the networking and alumni support that USC offers. </p>
<p>This is why I personally picked SC over the aforementioned 2 and that is why I endore the school to you. You come here and you are family - the Trojan family (cheesy yah). You work hard here, maintain anything over 3.2, join few clubs and eventually become board members, do a couple summer internships (school has plenty and it's not hard to get one), go out to networking events, sign up to be mentored, have the ability to carry a conversation, and I guarantee you will have a top class job BEFORE you graduate. It really is not that hard at all. </p>
<p>In the end let me say that if you go to USC, Cal, and even UCLA (biz-econ) you are in a great position. They are all great schools and only the immature ranking obsessed idiots will tell you otherwise. I hope that helps. Leave me any questions and I'll try to answer whenever I sign on.</p>
<p>this is kind of off topic, but i've been accepted as an econ major into the arts and sciences school, and now i'm starting to wonder if i should have gone for business. does anyone know how difficult it is to transfer once (if) I decide to go to usc?</p>
<p>
[quote]
this is kind of off topic, but i've been accepted as an econ major into the arts and sciences school, and now i'm starting to wonder if i should have gone for business. does anyone know how difficult it is to transfer once (if) I decide to go to usc?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>you just have to maintain a solid B average in your prereqs. the prereq classes are fairly competitive, but it is certainly attainable.</p>
<p>Because none of us here can tell whether one will get in or not since we're not the adcom. The only thing you can do is ask for stats and go from there.</p>
<p>Now to the issue of employment. People make claims about this "alumni network," and it is true that USC is well represented in California. A great school if you want to work in California, but only the top students will get offers to work at NYC and even San Francisco for that matter. How do I know? Because I'm almost done with the recruiting process and, believe me, it is extremely meritorial. I think afterhours, or whatever the hell his name is, is doing a disservice to this board. I'm only here to clear things up. Let me illustrate the stratification of employment at USC:</p>
<br>
<p>3.8 - about almost any job you want, holding for interviewing skills.</p>
<br>
<p>3.8-3.6 - borderline Ibanking, but will get an interview at mid-tier level firms.</p>
<p>3.6-3.4 - extremely borderline Ibanking, but a match at mid-tier level firms. In the accounting school? From 3.3-4.0 a match at the big four.</p>
<p>Below a 3.4 and you're borderline anything, pending an investigation into your transcript. People in the low three's rarely get interviews at top firms. </p>
<p>USC is a good school, but is not great. If you have a chance to go to a Berkeley Haas or Michigan or Business at NYU, take their acceptance and run. They place way better than USC in the top-tier financial fields. Liberal arts at USC is pretty ****ty, but I can only comment from my experiences. </p>
<p>The business is not as great as it is billed to be. Any business school other than Sloan or Wharton is not going ot be as good as it is billed to be. What really matters is how that school is viewed in the market and whether or not they have alumni at the top firms. I've said my piece. Afterhours is just giving you the same recruiting BS I heard when I was making my decision and I want to give an objective view of how things really are.</p>
<p>
[quote]
USC is a good school, but is not great. If you have a chance to go to a Berkeley Haas or Michigan or Business at NYU, take their acceptance and run. They place way better than USC in the top-tier financial fields. Liberal arts at USC is pretty ****ty, but I can only comment from my experiences.</p>
<p>The business is not as great as it is billed to be. Any business school other than Sloan or Wharton is not going ot be as good as it is billed to be. What really matters is how that school is viewed in the market and whether or not they have alumni at the top firms. I've said my piece. Afterhours is just giving you the same recruiting BS I heard when I was making my decision and I want to give an objective view of how things really are.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Excuse me? Did I not say that if the person is going to go into finance then go to NYU by all means? Did I not say that if the person is going to I-Banking to go to a school that allows you the best GPA because I-Banking firms weigh heavily on it?</p>
<p>Your advice is extremely flawed in the sense that you are taking one appendage of business (and a unique case in that) and labeling the entire body alike. Also how do you know how great those other schools are in comparison to USC? Have you attended them yourself or are you basing it off reputation alone? </p>
<p>Your advice doesn't hold water when talking about other concentrations. I would NOT want to go to a school like Michigan if I was doing anything outside of finance and management. How the hell are going to get a relevant internship or even be recruited when you are in an area like Ann Arbor? It is extremely advantageous to be located in NY, LA, and SF because they are large cities that are home to many companies. </p>
<p>Also for people outside of finance, the "Trojan Network" is extremely valuable. Finance and accounting are unique in their case, but in terms of real estate, entrepreneurship, international business, etc, having a network is very important.</p>
<p>"Trojan Network" is a powerfull asset if you want to work in socal, which most alums do. any trojan saying otherwise probably hasnt attempted to taken advantage of it. my mentors have helped me tremendously, i wouldnt have had the same oppurtunities at most other schools. not to mention unique instances where old school OC alums treat me like their best friend, just b/c i go to USC.</p>
<p>yes, a biz degree is pretty much the same thing everywhere. finance is finance here or umich. acounting is still accounting here or umich. what makes schools different i believe is quality of students, location and rep.</p>
<p>if i were you, i would narrow down to SC, nyu, and umich, also. youre set any way. where do you want to end up working and doing? do you like smaller classes w/ a lot of conatct w/ profs? do you value social life or are you an introvert? these are important questions you need to address. </p>
<p>i think USC has the best social life of the three, if thats something important to you. and if not, this school will probably turn you into an extrovert.</p>
<p>oh and that gpa stratification: though a little innacurate, i believe it would be the same almost anywhere.</p>
<p>its more like this:</p>
<p>3.5 and above gets you an interview about anywhere.</p>
<p>3.5-3.0 gets you an interview at most places.</p>
<p>3.0 and below, you better have strong interviewing skills.</p>
<p>most recruiters i have met were impressed when i had 3.4. </p>
<p>internships are just as important, thats where strong recruiting and connections come through, 2 things USC is well-known for.</p>
<p>you are talking about. Are you talking about the top-tier I-banks or some piece of **** bank in LA? I know for a fact that Goldman Sachs and other banks like it have stringent GPA cutoffs. A 3.5 will not land you a Goldman Sachs or a top-tier I-banking interview. How do I know? I have a 3.5 and extensive internship experience but was not able to get a Goldman Sachs interview. However, some of my friends with 3.8's were able to get one. So that pretty much rules out the "have a 3.5 and you'll get an interview anywhere" assumption. Recruiters impressed with a 3.4? I've been around recruiters enough to know that they just put on an act just so one can be enamoured with their firm. I mean, what else are they suppose to tell you? That a 3.4 is terrible? </p>
<p>Moreover, I think my grade cutoffs are pretty much accurate. These guys are just trying to give you a rosy picture without detailing some facts. As a matter of fact, I wouldn't be shocked if these people were naive freshmen and sophomores. </p>
<p>Again, if you want to go to a program that has more respect than USC in finance, but definitely not accounting, then head to Michigan, NYU, or Berkeley Haas. I know several people at NYU that have my GPA but are working on Wall Street. Why? Because of the location and representation. It's all about how the market perceives the school and the market in I-banking is not kind to USC. If USC was indeed respected in the I-Banking profession then MrTrojanman's cutoffs would be appropriate.</p>
<p>As for Afterhours and his lambasting of my post in that it is finance centric, um, where do you think all the jobs come from? You really think a marketing major or operations management major is going to land a high-paying job? Highly unlikely, especially given that USC's reputation in those areas is even worser than finance. Entrepreneurship? Many of these concentration people head over to work at Accounting firms or consulting firms doing consulting work. But guess which ones are selected? GASP, the 3.6's and up. How do I know? Again, I know enough people to get a feel for the marketplace and what they demand. The real money program at USC is accounting, given its high ranking and respectability in the marketplace. In this program, you will see people in the low 3's actually getting hired at the Big Four or top-tier Accounting firms.</p>
<p>But if you're satisfied with working at a queer bank working as a commercial banker, than I guess MrTrojanman's cutoffs in this case will be appropriate. Salaries are in the mid 30k's, whereas accountants and I-bankers land somewhere towards the 50's with a signing bonus.</p>
<p>alright bud, lets slow down a little. first, not everybody is going to work for top tier firms like gs, lets not put too much emphasize on them. second, anything not top tier is not exactly a piece of ****, there are plenty good i banks out there, some of whcih pay more than gs. third, USC is probably better than nyu if you want a job in LA, as i said location is important.</p>
<p>gs, ernst young, merrill lynch and other top frims in different industries all regularly hold info sessions here both spring and fall semesters. why would they even bother?</p>
<p>im a junior, by the way.</p>
<p>one more, thing lets not get carried away with all this ibanking ballyhoo. the original poster just wnats to know about b-school programs.</p>
<p>I'll agree with you there. But even the little I-banks are selective.</p>
<p>BTW, our basketball team sucks. </p>
<p>You actually go to those info sessions? I view them as a waste of time.</p>