<p>Hello,
I am a High School senior from Southern California and I'm having a dilemma of what school would be the best option for me: Duke or USC.
Right now I'm deciding whether I should apply to the binding Early Decision for Duke or hold of and apply to it regular admission and then apply to USC as well. Academically, I feel I am qualified for both schools, I have not received a B since freshman year and have taken 8 AP classes, with at least 4s on every test. I received a 34 on my ACT and above 700 on all my SAT subject tests. Duke would be a little more of a reach, but both my parents are alumni of USC and I have taken a summer course there, so i feel confident about acceptance to USC.
In college, I plan to study business, I hope to someday start my own company with a product that is something new. Recently, I have had an idea for a new video game franchise but it was just an idea.<br>
Basically, where the dilemma appears is: Would Duke's economics or marketing majors give me the education that I would need to be successful in starting my own business?
I know that Duke does not have a business major and USC's Marshall is world renowned for excellence. I have wanted to go to USC my whole life, being raised by two Trojans but would I looked at other schools, I felt that the academic rigor I have had in high school may be more appropriate for Duke rather than USC.<br>
I pride myself on the balance that I have been able to create between academics and social, currently going out every night on the weekends. I want to continue that in college and join greek life. I want to enjoy college, because it is supposed to the best years of our lives. However, I want to also make sure that I am doing whats best for my life goals.<br>
In short, my question to you all is, Would Duke's business majors even compare to attending Marshall? and would Duke be a good choice for a student who is serious about academics but is not willing to sacrifice my social life?</p>
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<p>Duke’s “business” majors don’t compare to Marshall because economics is quite different from business. While there are economic theories that one must apply in business, they are certainly different fields of studies. Duke does have a markets and management certificate program, but it’s not a major. Duke also recently introduced a finance minor. So, there are certainly ample course offerings to give you a business/entrepreneurial mindset, but it’s still not the same as a business curriculum. Thus, you need to decide how important getting a degree in business is for you because they’re definitely different. Having said that, I don’t personally think that being a successfully business person requires an undergraduate degree in business. Economics/finance would certainly provide you a solid background on the theory and there are many successful Duke entrepreneurs so I wouldn’t be too concerned about the preparation. In addition, Duke grads do very well in management consulting, banking, and other business-centric industries and are heavily recruited by top firms. On the other hand, I would certainly choose USC if studying straight up business was the most important criteria. USC has a great program and its grads are very successful as well.</p>
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<p>Yes, Duke would be an excellent choice for that.</p>
<p>Duke-top academics, geographic diversity, strong business alumni.</p>
<p>Although Duke does not have an undergraduate business major, it is a CEO factory.</p>
<p>Duke. Hands down! Having said that, and this a quite tongue-and-cheek, if you “hope to someday start…[your]…own company with a product that is something new,” you don’t really need to to college. </p>
<p>Of course I’m joking, and personally, I would advise you to go to Duke. It is a better school (USC is amazing, but it’s not Duke), and I think you should get out of L.A. (as someone who grew up there) to grow as an individual.</p>
<p>as a legacy with a 34, you are a shoo-in for 'SC (unless you screw up your essay big time, or your teachers say you are a jerk in their recs).</p>
<p>Duke is a much better overall school. Marshall wins, however, if you want to settle in SoCal. The Trojan Family is HUGE here, and those job connections cannot be underestimated. But, get out of your element, and explore the world outside of California. Work for a year or two, and apply to Marshall for an MBA.</p>
<p>I’m going say go to Haas. I’m hardly a huge fan of Cal, but its in the heart of the most entrepreneurial environment in the US. While the rest of the US struggles, jobs in the Bay area are plentiful and companies are being started right and left. It feels a little like the boom years. If you can’t get into Stanford, Haas or Cal engineering is where I would want to be as a future entrepreneur right now.</p>
<p>If you want to live in So-Cal go to USC, which is the strongest in that area of the country (but doesn’t travel as well outside of it). Duke is the best school amongst the three but its going to feed into elite consulting and banking (as do the Ivies and other elite Northeast schools).</p>
<p>^^ :eek:</p>
<p>Happy to see slipper is starting to come around… :D</p>
<p>Only drawback with Haas is that it’s not guaranteed.</p>
<p>^^Slipper musta caught that recent (ho-hum) announcement: 'nother Nobel for a Cal Prof. hahahahaha</p>