<p>I have been accepted to both Carnegie Mellon and Chicago. After visiting both campuses in Pittsburgh and Chicago , I am still unsure which school to choose. I want to pursue a career in business, perhaps along the track of finance, marketing, management, etc... With that in mind, at CMU I would attend the Tepper School of Business, while at UChicago I would major in economics (which is highly rated among LACs).</p>
<p>My indecision comes from not knowing which school would give me an edge in finding jobs/internships (recruitment out of graduation). I know UChicago is well known for their economics major, but Tepper is an actual business school that allows you to specialize in certain tracks of business and might cover a wider array of business aspects.</p>
<p>I need to make my decision as soon as possible to move on and be happy with my choice. Anyone who reads this, please feel free to give me your insight/opinion--especially if you have first-hand experience with either school!</p>
<p>Definitely go with Chicago. Tepper is a top 20 b school, and Chicago is a top 5 econ program. As long as you are ok with the social aspects of Chicago, it will leave you better off when you graduate.</p>
<p>Forget the ratings for a minute. CMU has a strong undergradute business program while Chicago does NOT. In fact, I would suggest that you don’t need to go to grad school for business if you get an undergrad in business from CMU.
CMU is very good for kids that want a lot of interdisciplanary courses. I don’t know if Chicago is as flexible as CMU. You really have to consider these factors as well as other criteria in making your decision. </p>
<p>Congrats by the way. Both schools are great.</p>
<p>What future career are you considering? If your goal is consulting/banking, then Chicago is the obvious choice. If your goal is to settle into a company as a middle manager (say, in a management training program at Walmart, or similar) then an undergraduate business degree makes sense.</p>
<p>One thing to keep in mind:
CMU is stereotypically seen as more of an engineering school.
If you’re interested in pursuing a a career in a more quantitative area of finance (ex: trading, quantitative analysis, …) Carnegie Mellon may give you the upper hand. </p>
<p>Location is also a big factor. If you’d rather work in Chicago than New York, Chicago is the obvious choice. I’m not sure, however, if the inverse is true. Chicago is a big enough name that it still gets plenty of recruitment in New York. </p>
<p>With regards to the social aspects of Chicago, they are both seen as pretty “nerdy” schools. I don’t think it’s fair to assume CMU has a bigger or better social scene. The only dude I’ve met from CMU wore a skinny tie his first day at the office. Doesn’t exactly reflect well on his undergrad institution.</p>