I am in-state for Indiana and interested in business. I know Kelley School of Business is a good school…but, I am wondering if I should apply to U Maryland bc of the better overall academics?
Only you can decide that, and that is a personal decision. Bear in mind that you don’t need to make that decision now, but the priority deadline of Nov 1 (which gives you best chance at admission and is the only way to be eligible for merit money) is fast approaching.
To help you decide the answer to your question, here are several factors to consider:
- Finances - can you afford it/are you willing to take on extra debt? If the answer is no, then you have your answer. NO school is worth taking on debt you will not be able to repay. Of course, it could be argued that college in general is so ridiculously expensive that it isn't worth the money, but that's another story altogether. But in all seriousness, it is not the name of the school that gets you a job. It matters most that you have a degree. Some first jobs do use a minimum gpa as a cutoff to whittle down applicants they decide to offer interviews to. It matters less where you go than what you do while you are there. Let me restate that so I am clear - WHAT you do at whatever school you choose matters more than WHERE you go. At the end of the day, if you go to a "name" school but don't impress on an interview, you won't get the job.
- Are you considering grad school? If yes, then undergrad matters less. Just get a strong gpa in undergrad so you can get into grad school of your choice.... However, the caveat to that is if you are a very strong student, consider going to an undergrad that you wouldn't mind going to grad school at, as many schools offer a combined 5 year degree for a Bachelors followed by Masters to top performing students (so you shave off a year of tuition and studies).
- Look at curricula. Seriously, get the 4 year plan with exact classes you will need to take for each school. Which appeals to you more/seems like you would learn more so you can be more successful?
- If you would be happy with either curricula, then look at gen eds. Look at what is required for each school and the options available to fulfill each category. Which school has options that seem less painful?
- Where do you feel is the best fit for you? Visit the schools, see the campuses, programs and students first-hand. Talk to current students and don't be afraid to ask a lot of questions. You will get a sense of whether or not you can see yourself going there.
In the meantime, since I love Maryland (and yes, I am OOS), read this http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-maryland-college-park/1743639-things-to-love-about-maryland-p1.html
Best of luck.
Why do you think Maryland has better academics than Kelley?
I would save the money and stay in-state, should you be fortunate enough to get in to Kelley.
I would apply to both, you should have options, but I personally think that very few state schools
are worth spending the OOS costs, if you have an good in state alternative at half the price.
If you are willing to spend more, don’t limit to other state schools. Most private schools outside the Ivies
are willing to give merit scholarships that make the cost competitive with an OOS public college cost.
Both of my kids were offered 20k/year merit from multiple private schools.
Maryland OOS is almost 48k, about the same I pay for a very highly rated private school.
Apply in-state but look at both private schools where you are in top 25% of applicants and OOS publics too.
Apply to both Kelley School campuses. Bloomington and Indianapolis. Outstanding academics and Placement. Which is why you go to school to begin with.
Trust the rankings. Why go out of state when yo can get a top degree in a Beautiful campus town like Bloomington or a cool urban campus like Kelley Indy.
Go visit both…
No knock on Maryland, but in general, always look in-state. And in this case you have world class options.
I don’t think Maryland is better than IU. Overall they’re probably academic peers. The Kelley school at IU is the most renowned undergrad school/program at either university, so if i had to call one better than the other, I’d put IU on top. (but that would be splitting hairs…)
So unless you feel like Maryland is just a much better fit for you, and you can easily absorb the difference in price, I’d choose IU. You can apply to both, of course.
I would imagine that overall university rankings in USNWR are what the OP’s impression is based on because that’s what most people are familiar with.
2017 Rankings (USNWR)
University of Maryland–College Park is ranked #60 in National Universities, Indiana University–Bloomington is ranked #86 in National Universities.
HOWEVER, for business school in specific, per Bloomberg rankings, Kelley knocks Smith out of the park, with Kelley at #4 and Smith at #50.
http://www.bloomberg.com/features/2016-best-undergrad-business-schools/
My son was accepted to both IU/Kelley and the Smith School at UMD. He was offered a scholarship at IU which made it relatively comparable (we live in MD), and he would have no loans in either case. He was also offered a huge amount of money at another strong business school. He chose UMD, because he felt like UMD had more very strong programs, and he wasn’t 100% sure he would stay a business major. That said, IU is a great school, and I would have completely supported his decision if he chose it.
You should apply to both, go visit, sit in on classes, and get a better feel for both before May 1st.
Good luck to you.
Best advice is to apply to both (be sure to get your app in by Nov 1 to be considered for merit money and special programs) and then you will have time to compare specifics and decide what’s right for you.