Hello, I am a senior in high school and I am looking at both Kelley and Farmer business programs. I have been accepted at Farmer and assume to be direct admitted to Kelley. I am really having a tough time deciding between the two programs. While I have not visited either school yet, I really like the reviews I hear about social life at Farmer. It’s also smaller and is recognized for teaching which is awesome. However, Kelley seems to have the upper-hand when it comes to rankings. I know both programs are highly respected but I want to know what kind of reach each program has. I’m interested in studying finance and hope to land a job in investment banking (whether it be starting or post-grad school). Do both programs have strong reach in NYC or Chicago? Also, are there any statistics regarding graduate school placement? Thanks!
I’m a Farmer grad living in Chicago. There are many thousands of Miami alums, and specifically Farmer alums in Chicago. The alumni chapter is very active both socially and professionally for networking. IU/Kelley also has a large Chicago alumni base. The name recognition and perception of both business schools is very strong in Chicago. While both have sizeable alumni populations in NYC, there is somewhat less visibility of both business schools in NYC. While Kelley is ranked somewhat higher than Farmer (in some publications), the delta is not large enough to point to a considerable difference in employer perception or student experience. I would check the Farmer web page on the MU web site for stats on grad school acceptance - or email them for further info. As an overall student body, MU has grad school acceptance rate significantly above the national average. I cannot comment on IU grad school placement. The stats of Farmer and Kelley direct admit students are similar, but the average GPA and test scores of the overall MU student body are a tier higher than that of IU. Finally, IU is significantly larger than MU and the campus has a different feel. I strongly suggest you visit both campuses to decide where you feel more comfortable.
I don’t have a lot to add to answer your question, but they are both great schools and you would do well going to either. I suggest you consider the overall out of pocket cost when making your decision, unless it truly doesn’t matter to your family. My son was accepted to both, and scholarships at both, but decided IU was similar enough to our state flagship (Maryland) that it wasn’t worth the extra money. He had a hard time deciding between UM and UMD, but wound up choosing UMD. We both really liked Miami, and especially the Farmer School. Definitely go visit both.