IU Kelley vs SMU

Student Lounge International Students
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<p>Hello all,
I have been accepted as a direct admit to Kelley business school in Indiana university bloomington. (It is a top 15 program in the US) I know that it is a relatively unknown uni, and along with the fact that i have a spot at SMU biz, i am currently facing this dilemma as to whether or not to accept the offer. </p>

<p>Here are a few of my considerations.
1) Cost. SMU would obviously be a cheaper choice, and although IU does not have as high tuition as some private schools in the US, the difference would be about 150k. I will not be taking out a loan, however it is my parent's hard earned money, and i would not like to squander it without making an informed decision.
The 150k saved could be used towards a master's or investments in the future, however i am not sure as to whether or not a US degree is worth all that money, esp from a non ivy league school.
However, if i do land myself a job in the US upon graduation, compensation wise, it is better over there, for starting salaries and annual income as a whole. Therefore this 150k would then be justified. However, given the current economic climate and quota for h1b visas, it would be very difficult to obtain a job being an international student. Companies would shy away unless you're the cream of the crop.
In case you are wondering, Kelley has an IB workshop that has a near 100% placement rate for it's participants into investment banks, however it is only for a elite few students ~60.</p>

<p>The</a> Investment Banking Network at Indiana University: IBA Index</p>

<p>2) Brand name/ Prestige. I am aware that many people have never even heard of Kelley as a business school, as compared to the ivies. This is also a cause for concern as brand name and prestige probably matter a lot in the business world, in order to open doors for my career. I would like to go into IB or consulting in the future, and if i do return to Singapore, how well would this degree from Kelley serve me as compared to a local grad? Also, brand name is also important if i do want to source for a job in the US, due to placement that the school name offers. </p>

<p>3) Returns of investment. As mentioned in the previous point, i would assume that a Kelley grad and an NUS/SMU/NTU grad would draw the same pay (if i do return to Singapore), and this would not seem like such a good trade off, considering the amount of tuition i paid in the US. Career advancement wise, I can't say for sure, maybe someone here can advise me on that, as to whether a US degree holder will have an advantage.
Best case scenario would be to land myself a job in the US. </p>

<p>What do you guys think? Any input would be much appreciated. I only have 2 days left to accept the offer.</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

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<p>I got accepted to Kelley as well. Got accepted to finance BSB. It ranks ten in the states for its finance course. IU kelley has the AACSB accreditation and that means you can work in Singapore if you want to in the future!
I would choose IU Kelley instead of SMU.
SMU is a good school too but a cert from the states is always slightly more better/different than a Singapore cert…???</p>

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<p>Btw I’m Singaporean too so I do know how prestigious SMU is. I still would choose IU Kelley.</p>

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<p>Congrats on your offer! However after thinking it through i think i’ll be headed towards SMU. Hope i wont regret it.
Although the business school is good in general, the school overall is not that great, hence it is quite an unknown school, i was looking at working in states after i graduate, so i think that it may not be wise to spend all that money for a maybe 1% chance at that, even if i do get into the IBW.
Do you intend on working in the states after you graduate? </p>

<p>I got some input on another forum, i would like to share it with you, of course it’s more relevant to my situation, so take it with a pinch of salt.
"Choose SMU Business.</p>

<p>Background about myself: I studied at a US University and worked in the US for a while after graduation on a H1B visa. I didn’t study business but I have lots of friends who studied in the B school. Btw, my alma mater is far better than IU in ranking, wealth, prestige and job placement.</p>

<p>Sorry to burst your bubble but IU Kelley is not a target school by any ranking. IU is in a backwater mid-western town(I have visited IU for the Singaporean Society mid-western games). Big Brand MNCs and Bank tend to keep their target school list to 10-15 universities and IU is definitely not in this list.</p>

<p>Finding a job is tough in the US. Finding a job for a foreigner is 10x harder. You have to prove you are much better than a similarly qualified American. It costs more to higher a H1B worker at a bank/MNC than a similar American because of expensive visa processing fees/lawyer fees. Expedited processing fees paid to the government alone is USD$2k and then you have to enter the H1B lottery. In the 2012 Lottery, only 1 out of 2 applicants managed to secure a visa. This lottery is pure luck and not based on ability. Most companies don’t bother with the Singaporean H1B1 visa since it costs the same and has more restrictions/less benefits than a regular H1B visa.</p>

<p>A lot of my Singaporean friends who studied in the US decided to come back to Singapore because of their inability to find work. These are guys with 3.8/4.0 GPAs who are unable to find ANY H1B-sponsoring job in the US.</p>

<p>The pay really isn’t that good to begin with. My first job out of University paid my 75k a year before bonus. This is USD$6250 a month. My federal + state tax + medicare + social security tax bill came up to 35% of my monthly salary. So after tax my take home was USD$4062. However, this didn’t include any retirement saving yet. I contributed 16% to my 401k retirement account to get the maximum employer match. This left me with USD$3410 a month. On top of this, I had to pay for my car + rental + etc. In the end, I didn’t save much. I was lucky if I could save $1000 a month.</p>

<p>I have now returned to Singapore and I think that’s the best decision I have made. I save more money in Singapore and I get to see my family daily. "</p>

<p>That being said, i believe that a US degree does stand out from the sea of local grads, in the way you work, and the broad based education that you receive. However, is a cert from the states better than one locally? YES, if you are from an ivy league or top 20 school. IU certainly does not rank that well, it is currently #83, despite it’s business school being #13.
Don’t get me wrong, I am not trying to discourage you from going, I just feel that there are many factors into a decision like this. Cost being one of them. If your parents are wealthy and can very well afford it, I would encourage you to go. However, keep in mind that IU is not as recognized in Singapore as a degree from an ivy league school or schools like UVA mcintire, UC berkeley haas, or NYU Stern. These are top schools in the US as a whole and have badass business programs.</p>

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<p>SMU is an excellent school and believe it or not I would have chosen to go SMU business after graduating from JC. Unfortunately my application was rejected and had no choice but to come to the states. Although I would very much like to study in Singapore I do not regret coming here. My main goal here was to transfer school. Once again congrats on your admission to SMU!</p>

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<p>thanks, may i know what college you’re currently studying in right now?</p>