I’m a first year McGill business student and I’m going to transfer to University of Western Ontario’s Richard Ivey HBA program next year. (Since Richard Ivey starts 3rd year, I’d technically be doing social science courses next year and then Ivey.) But I’d like some input into whether or not this is actually a good idea. A lot of my friends are against it and say that I’m going to be “transferring down”, even though the general consensus is that Richard Ivey is much better than McGill’s Desautels business program.
Go for Ivey. Despite what your friends have heard, it’s much better in terms of recruiting/job placement.
@OrchidBloom thanks for the response! Do you think Ivey’s placement opportunities outweigh McGill’s international reputation? That’s basically what I’m debating. I’m also thinking about getting a law degree or my MBA after grad and I’m wondering if either school would give me the upper hand in applying to professional/graduate studies.
No, it is what you do at a school that will give you the upper hand.
From what I’ve heard, Ivey also has a very strong reputation in business circles (at least within North America). If you are looking to get a law degree, the higher GPAs at Western may help you. If you decide to get an MBA, keep in mind that you’ll have to get a few years of workplace experience first anyway.