<p>I qualify for no financial aid, and would have to take out quite a hefty amount of loans for an undergrad degree. It's doable, but will be hard. Any advice?</p>
<p>How much debt are we talking and what’s your next best option?</p>
<p>Wharton is arguably the best undergrad business degree. If going to another Ivy League schools is cheaper then consider that, but Wharton is worth whatever you pay for it. If you go into banking or consulting your first year comp will be over $100K, allowing you to pay those loans off quickly. </p>
<p>Plus if you go for an MBA later down the road having Wharton as your UG school will help immensely.</p>
<p>In addition, consider that most of Wharton’s graduate won’t need an MBA, right there you’ve already saved hundreds of thousands in tuition and opportunity costs.</p>
<p>Personally, I think Wharton is worth it!</p>
<p>I heard that employers will come to look for you to offer you a job, not the other way around. Don’t know if it is true, but with UPenn’s status, it doesn’t surprise me.</p>
<p>Companies come to all major universities to offer employment not just UPenn. The question boils down to how much the degree is going to cost and what are your alternatives. Find out from the career services department what the median starting salary is for your desired major. Look at the companies that have hired graduates from your degree, the employment location, and to the extent possible find out how previous graduates have progressed (compensation-wise) in that industry.</p>
<p>Do the same companies recruit at other, possibly cheaper, options?</p>
<p>Yes it is. Wharton is one of the best if not the best undergraduate business program in the world. It will open a lot of doors for you.</p>
<p>From the way you posed this question, you make it sound like Penn is a done deal. But you don’t have an admission decision yet, do you? What are your back-up schools? What do you mean by “hefty” amount of loans?</p>
<p>Your next best option is an important variable in how much debt Wharton is worth. Wharton is worth less if your next best option is paying in-state tuition for Virginia, Michigan, etc… </p>
<p>Wharton is pretty much undisputedly the best undergraduate business program, and you’ll probably get a great job coming out of there. But you will be working with people who paid in-state tuition to places like Virginia, Michigan, and Berkeley. Those people probably are pretty happy with those consulting/Ibanking gigs, and they’re not paying off loans.</p>
<p>Short answer: yes.</p>
<p>Longer answer: The degree of certitude regarding this “yes” depends on the incremental gain in prestige over your next best option, as well as the debt difference… but the answer is still yes.</p>
<p>You will be able to clear your debt in max, 5 years. I know, at least a dozen Wharton undergrads who cleared their debt, in 5 years, and went on for their next loan for MBA!</p>
<p>Normally, I would say that majoring in accounting is the best business major for jobs and opportunities. However, whether you graduate from Wharton or State U with strong GPA, the salaries for accountants are about the same. Thus, if you are majoring in accounting, it wouldn’t be worth it to incur large amount of debt at Wharton. For other majors, it might be depending on the major and depending on the job that you get. Everyone here seems to assume that you will be going into investment banking ,which is NOT true for all Wharton grads.</p>
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<p>That hasn’t been my son’s(Wharton grad in mid 2000s) experience. Among his friends who he has kept in touch with through Facebook and in NYC where he works, only 2 went on for MBA degree and they didn’t start their careers on Wall Street.</p>
<p>Taxguy, there are Wharton grads with accounting concentration who went into IB. But generally I agree with you that if one is pursuing a CPA and an accounting career, the school shouldn’t make too much difference.</p>
<p>I agree with everyone saying that it depends on other available options. As for Accounting however, I have to disagree that one should not take on debt to go to Wharton simply because your major is Accounting. If you’re planning on going into public accounting, I am sure it does not matter. But in private accounting, school probably matters more (not necessarily a LOT more). And school will definitely still matter a great deal if you plan to do ANYTHING else besides Accounting with your Accounting degree.</p>