<p>Firstly, I'd like to thank anyone who offers advice.</p>
<p>I know little of what I want to do or study. I don't wish to study the sciences, math or arts as I'm neither passionate nor talented in those disciplines. I want to be in a career/industry where I can comfortably make a lot of money (My family's poor.) I'm keen on entering the banking/finance/consultancy industry or something entrepreneurial subsequently.</p>
<p>I'm inclined towards a business or economics degree. Some contend that an undergraduate business degree is not useful and can be acquired later in one's career. Moreover, they argue that an Economics degree develops one's critical thinking and analytical skills and is looked upon more favorably by companies.</p>
<p>I'm stupid. All my life, I've worked harder than others and still get poorer grades. I'm sick of studying subjects which I'm neither interested about nor good in. I've never studied Economics nor Business subjects previously. But I know I'd prefer to study a subject that is directly applicable to my career as I've noticed I grasp subjects better when they are related to the "real-world" and less abstract. I suck at tests and exams but do better in projects. I've heard that Economics can involve a lot of math which is my Achilles' heel.</p>
<p>I understand that there will be lots of work in college and I'm willing to face that. However, I want to be in a school where it's not all about academics and competition for the best jobs. I want to try so many new things and meet new people in college. I don't wish to spend all my time studying. </p>
<p>I'm current looking to study Economics at Northwestern and Duke. For Berkeley and Michigan, I'm thinking of entering their respective business schools while I'm there. Lastly, I'm considering Cornell's Applied Economics and Management program. All look like solid choices.</p>
<p>I know it's difficult to make a comparison, but in your opinion, which would be a better fit for me?</p>
<p>Perhaps you could elaborate on your last sentence? “It’s like free money once you become an expert.” Do you mean being an expert in Economics along the lines of academia? If so, at this point, I have no intention of entering such a field. Although, I have great respect for individuals who have dedicated themselves to teaching.</p>
<p>this is my ranking for u.. first sch being the best choice</p>
<p>if you are looking at the undergrad sch itself:
Duke.. Berkeley.. NW.. Cornell.. Michigan</p>
<p>if business
Berkeley.. NW.. Michigan.. Duke.. Cornell</p>
<p>college is what u made out of it. some schs can be very gpa-oriented but it doesnt mean u get sucked into it. Study hard and play hard.. then college i believe will be a fascinating experience whichever of the above sch you attend</p>
<p>Thanks for the ranking. What you say is very true. But some schools are known to be more competitive and demanding than other schools. Trying to achieve the same grade may require varying amounts of effort in different schools.</p>
<p>The Business School at Berkeley is very competitive, you’ll have to work pretty hard to get the grades to get in. Econ at Berkeley is not overly competitive though. </p>
<p>As far as “trying so many new things and meeting new people in college, not wishing to spend all your time studying”, Berkeley is the most stimulating environment to fully expand your horizons outside of academia. Duke’s location is a bit more limited, cornell is extremely rural, NWU is not bad at all, but Chicago ain’t San Francisco. You really can’t go wrong with Berkeley there, it’s arguably the most interesting spot in North America (speaking from experience, having lived in many parts of NA and the world.)</p>