<p>I'm seriously considering applying to USC as a transfer student, but I'm not sure which track to take. Here's my situation:</p>
<p>A) I want to major in something that won't be impossible to get a very good GPA since I want to go to law school. (This seems to cancel out Marshall business with the 2.75 curve. What about Leventhal? I'm guessing accounting @ USC is tough, but how tough? Also, the Leventhal curve is more generous. Like 3.1 or something.)</p>
<p>B) I want to major in something that could get me a great job out of college in case I decide to not go to law school. I would also like to take advantage of the superb Marshall network. This seems to cancel out Econ since it's in CLAS, right?</p>
<p>So that's why I'm in somewhat of a mess. Lets say I go to Marshall and graduate with a 2.8 total GPA because of how tough it is and because of the curve. That basically gives me no shot at law school AND it would be tough finding a well paying job with that GPA.</p>
<p>Lets say I do Econ. What if I decide law school isn't for me? I think I would have a much harder time finding a job with a BA in econ as opposed to a BS in business or accounting from MARSHALL.</p>
<p>Anyone feel me on this? What would you recommend? I'm absolutely clueless on the level of difficulty at USC. I'm guessing electives can boost the GPA, but for all I know...those are tough at USC as well.</p>
<p>I'll be a freshman next year, and I am facing the EXACT same dilemma.</p>
<p>First and foremost, the "Marshall network" falls under the branch of the Trojan Network, no graduate school network is more exclusive than the other. I only say this because the Trojan Network is merely an online database where you can look up current alumni and their professions, and contact information,etc. No more, no less. Basically it's just a way for the alumni to touch base with current students and contribute any information the students may have regarding their professions. The school even stresses that it shouldn't be used to solicit internships. </p>
<p>The curve is not as daunting as prospective students make it to be. B's are easily attainable while A's evidently aren't handed out on a silver platter. You can come out of Marshall with a respectable gpa if you at least make an effort to put in the time. Also, if you want a great job out of college, make sure you know what you want to do and concentrate in a discipline that is practical to the job you seek. Solid concentrations in my opinion are finance and entrepreneurship (3rd in the nation). ie if you concentrate in marketing don't expect a steller salary coming out of college.</p>
<p>Accounting is an intense major that's not for the weak hearted, enough said. You WILL get "hazed" your first semester. Not literally of course, but the first semester is very, very demanding. The academic schedule is not the semester system so it's much more fast paced than Marshall's, meaning more work in less time and taking finals while some students are taking their midterms. Classes are 2 units not 4. The job prospect is favorable here as myriad companies actively recruit Leventhal students, aptly justifying the school's reputation for being perennially ranked in the top 5 for undergraduate accounting I believe. Starting salaries for accountants are promising, complemented with signing bonuses. </p>
<p>To be honest, I think I met one kid all last year who said he was an economics major. ONE. </p>
<p>If you have anymore questions shoot away since I am bored out of my mind at work...</p>
<p>Wow, thanks Rudit....that was really helpfull. IF i get accepted to USC as a transfer to ECon BA isntead of Marshall....is it hard to switch into Marshall?</p>
<p>In my personal experience, I've never heard of someone that wanted to transfer into Marshall getting rejected. The worse they can do is place you on pending status until you complete all of your prerequisites, of which I'm not familiar with for transfer students. I wouldn't be too worried about it though.</p>
<p>For the most part have you seen Marshall kids come out with good jobs ($60,000+) even without high 3.5 GPA's? Because it seems like those GPA's are very hard to come by considering the curve and the competitive atmosphere.</p>
<p>I highly doubt anyone coming out of Marshall will be making $60,000 with under a 3.5 gpa unless he has the right connection. To be honest, grades won't get you as far as a connection will. This is the beauty of SC, connections are everywhere! Consider joining a fraternity, it's a wonderful experience and investment. Trust me, I know this through experience and I didn't even have to submit a resume to get the job I landed this summer, all because I was really tight with the company president's son. Remember, it's not what you learn, but whom you know. USC personifies this in every way if you make the most of it.</p>
<p>It is possible to get a 60K+ salary out of Marshall with under a 3.5 GPA, but like eRudit3 stated, it is most likely due to connections. Fortunately, USC isn't one of those schools where success is purely dependent on connections. There are idiots who get great jobs due to their father's success or being connected to an important person, but the whole GPA thing really shouldn't deter you that much. Even if your GPA is like a 3.1, the job you get will still be pretty decent.</p>
<p>If you're worried about getting into law school, but need something to fall back on, then i'd suggest going for the regular business admin. degree. You'll have a degree to fallback on, and you won't be put through as much stress as the accounting students.</p>
<p>It is quite the feat to get A's/A-'s in all your BUAD classes or even 80% of them, but that shouldn't discourage you from getting a degree from Marshall. Hard work usually pays off (not neccessarily in Organizational Behavior or Business Stats) and you should end up with pretty good grades at the end of your college career. Good enough to get you into law school. It's all based on how much you really want to put into your college education and your future.</p>
<p>so you mean business administration as the senior concentration or something? or you mean just doing business itself as opposed to accounting.</p>
<p>I think law school would definitely be impressed with something applying from Marshall, but still, there's only so much it can do. I'll need at least a 3.3 if I have any hopes of going to a top 100 law school...so i wanted to know if that's possible if you put lots of work into it. I was assuming no because of the curve, but you guys seemed to clear it up a bit better. Thanks.</p>
<p>I meant just doing business in general instead of accounting. business admin is not a senior concentration (unless you count the option that allows you to just take more interdisciplinary business courses).</p>
<p>The curve actually has a pretty minimal effect on you if you take the time to put in the extra effort into your courses. Also, some people may disagree with me on this, but GE's and electives can be great GPA boosters as long as you're taking a class that you're actually interested in and that isn't too demanding (PE, Guitar, Piano, etc.).</p>
<p>Getting a 3.3 isn't too impossible to get; with enough persistence in your studies you should be able to get that GPA. Set your goals now to ensure that you don't end up falling behind your dreams later on.</p>