I have been accepted by USC, UNC and still waiting for UND/Michigan.
Unfortunately, all of them have a downside and none are optimal.
Here is a quick summary of me: 4.0 GPA over 62 credits, 1270 SAT, business major and wanting to major/concentrate on finance. I do not receive any financial aid. I am from CA by the way.
UND/Michigan: I love both of these schools and prefer them over USC and UNC; however, at both these schools I will have to spend three years, because they only accept me as a sophomore.
UNC: Cheapest school, I like the location and good for IB. It will take me 2.5 years to graduate, but the biggest issue is that I only have a 50:50 shot at getting into the business school.
USC: It will take me only two years to graduate, but I was admitted to the spring semester. So technically it will take me 2.5 years as well. Since I’ve already taken all but one GE classes, I can literally only take 1 class at my CC this fall. To make it more complicated, my lease etc… is running out this month and its hard to find a lease that is only for half a year. Also, I think that although I might not be the happiest here socially, I will perform the best academically.
Assuming three years and including opportunity cost the schools cost:
UND: $256,000
Michigan: $226,000
UNC: $130,000
USC: $144,000 + whatever waiting half a year costs me
Which USC? Are you talking about the University of Southern California? I am assuming that UNC is University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Is this right?
Will you be taking on loans for any of these schools?
If you haven’t gotten accepted by UND or Michigan, then the fact that they are also very expensive seems sort of irrelevant at this point.
“UNC: … the biggest issue is that I only have a 50:50 shot at getting into the business school.”
This sounds like a pretty important issue. Do you know what you would do if you don’t get into the business school?
USC (Southern California) and UNC Chapel Hill are both very good universities. Given your strong GPA it sounds like you have earned these opportunities. I would be inclined to eliminate the 50:50 issue of getting into the business school by going with USC.
It sounds like you are going to need to figure out what to do until the Spring semester. To me for a student going into business it would seem that working somewhere for a few months is not going to hurt you. Can you get a job near USC so that you won’t need to move when the time comes to attend USC?
Are you pretty much certain that you will be able to raise / find / beg / borrow the money to attend through getting your degree? Will the total loans be manageable?
@DadTwoGirls Yes. It is a pretty big issue. Added to that I am not very happy with the way that UNC treats transfer students. I would be taking a lot of classes that do not interest me at all and they are all around the place (for fall.) And finally, I really do not have any backup plan to business. Then again, I do really like their business program and the location just makes more sense for me both during and after college.
I am thinking of doing something near USC and taking at least one or two classes at a CC. I really wish that I could get an internship, but it’s pretty short-term now and being a CC students doesn’t make me competitive; at least not for the things that I am interested in.
Unfortunately, my father passed away when I was fourteen. As a result, I did receive a stable income through his work/pension. I invested that money and the proceeds are enough to pay for USC/UNC. Therefore, money isn’t a real issue, but since I am paying out of pocket, I am looking for the best return on my money. Fortunately, USC and UNC are pretty close when I consider that UNC would take me one more semester.
It sounds like you have really managed your finances and academics very well and you have put a lot of thought into your decision. The choice seems pretty clear as you have said yourself. USC will offer you the best option for getting into the program you want with a reasonable cost. The only real issue is what to do for the semester before you start and I agree that maybe finding a job for the next 6 months would be the best path.
@xraymancs Thank you for the response. Do you know any good places to find internships/jobs? I am not well prepared for applying anywhere to be completely honest. My resume right not is basically: 3 years of investing experience. Goes to college. End. Not having grown up in the US and not knowing anyone “important” doesn’t really help either. I’ve been looking at linked-in/glassdoor, but don’t know much other than that. I knew that I’d have to go all out as soon as I attend college, but figured that having USC/UNC on my resume would be a big step forward; plus I’d have all the recruitment opportunities on campus.
@Vincent1997 - I can’t help you with an internship as I am not in the region or in your field of choice. Take advantage of the career center at your CC and get your resume out as much as possible.
I agree with the working suggestion. It doesn’t have to be a real internship - even working at the Gap would be useful for a business major. Are you working now?
I don’t think you can major in finance at Michigan unless you are admitted to Ross. Don’t even think about going there unless that happens. And cost-wise, I’d pick one of your cheaper options anyway.
You do not need to worry about making your own professional contacts for internships and jobs. That is what the Career Center at your university is for.
USC sounds like your best choice. Have you asked USC whether an admitted student has access to their career services? In any case, being an accepted student there will help you enormously in your search for an internship. I don’t understand why you think between now and December is short-term for an internship - it’s plenty of time.
I think a lot of USC spring admits take classes at a CC in Santa Monica, but admissions could help you out there…
You mention you are from CA but not if you are close to LA. You don’t have much time to make a decision about moving, but if you can get into an apartment near USC for the fall it might make things easier in the long run. The downside is that many apartment leases near USC run from August 1 to July 31. However, there are lots of sublets available right now because students are home or abroad for the summer. I’m on the USC parents FB page and there are a good number of posts about available rooms. Moving to the area now would give you time to get acclimated and find a place starting August 1st. I’m familiar with the area just north/northwest of the new Village and it seems nice/safe. I would avoid areas near the Shrine only because there seems to be some problems in that vicinity right now.
I ended up getting rejected by both Michigan and Notre Dame; however, I was more relieved than anything else. I already decided on USC due to the simplicity of transferring there. I actually live in OC and was able to find a lease that is month-to-month. Also, I will be taking two classes at my cc and either find an internship, or simply take it easy before continuing on my quest for a 4.00 GPA
I appreciate everyone’s responses and they did help a lot.
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Congratulations, @Vincent1997 - Hope you have a great experience as a Trojan. My D is a rising senior in Viterbi. No place is perfect, but USC has been perfect for her. Get involved in clubs and service and you’ll meet people quickly.
(it wouldn’t have if you’d not been).