IU Kelley vs. Berkeley Haas (OOS)

Hey all! I posted this in a general thread, but wanted to seek out school-specific advice.

I have been accepted to Indiana as a Direct Admit to the Kelley School of Business as an intended Economic Consulting major, as well as having qualified for the Hutton Honors College. However, I found out two days ago that I earned a Regents’ invite to UC Berkeley as 1 of 30 incoming students to their brand new Global Management program (4 years at Haas).

I am an Indiana resident, so Kelley would cost about $24K/yr. with the potential to be less after various scholarships from Hutton and Kelley. As an OOS admit to Berkeley, it would cost me and my family about $63K/yr. Since I don’t have significant financial need, I would get a $2,500/yr. amount for the Regents’ and Chancellors’ Scholarship if I were to be selected.

The prospect of going to Berkeley certainly seems intriguing, but I’m not sure if it’s worth the extra ~$40K/yr. Having been selected for Global Management, I know I would have tremendous opportunities at Cal, but the career prospects seem to align with those that I would have at Kelley if I were to get into the IB or Consulting Workshops as an undergrad. I’ve looked at the career reports for both schools, and the top hiring companies for IU Kelley are Ernst & Young, PwC, Oracle, Deloitte, and KPMG. Similarly, the top employers for undergrad Haas students are KPMG, Ernst & Young, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, and JPMorgan Chase.

Are Kelley and Haas similar in terms of prestige (in your opinion), and/or is Berkeley worth the extra $40K/yr.? My parents have said that they are willing to support whatever I want to pursue, but that they would have to take on quite a bit of debt to make Berkeley happen.

I am unfamiliar with the new program at Berkeley, but placing your parents into substantial debt for an undergraduate degree is unwise. If Berkeley really wanted to honor you, they should have done so with in-state tuition/waiver of out-of-state tuition.

I would go to IU without thinking twice. Kelley is an excellent school and will allow you to fulfill your career goals. In my opinion, no school is worth even close to 160k more than Kelley. I am a current junior at Kelley and I would be happy to answer any questions you might have. Also, why is IU costing you $24k a year if you got into Hutton? Did you apply after November 1?

IU and Berkeley are two great schools, but they are incredibly different. Berkeley will be much more intense as everyone there is incredibly high-achieving (although, everyone at Hutton/Kelley will be too). Make sure to consider the type of environment you are searching for (more laid back at IU, much more hard core at Berkeley). Also, the cost difference is staggering (by this factor alone, I would recommend IU). It’s also important to consider that the program at Berkeley will be brand new. While I am sure that Haas has spent a very long time planning for this new program, there will be kinks that will need to be worked out. The offerings at Kelley have been improving and improving for years, and are top-notch. I recommend IU, but go where you feel that you will thrive personally and academically.

IU without a doubt. If you had said …my parents are wealthy and have plenty of money, but is it worth it? Then that is a philosophical question to be discussed. But $160k more, with what seems like a significant debt burden to your family? No. Not worth it.