McIntire School of Commerce

<p>This isn't about getting in it's about what happens when you do get in. Is it a super competitive school, How are the professors, What is the average GPA at graduation, Is the course load a lot, How are the Tests, Is it a lot of group work or individual work? If you have gone or go to McIntire tell me what you thought.</p>

<p>Bump out of personal interest</p>

<p>my friend is at mcintire. it is competitive, the professors are brilliant. i'm not sure about the average gpa, but there is A LOT of work (especially reading). i assume there is a lot of individual competitiveness especially since it's just UVA. </p>

<p>even during break my friend is home, and whenever we go out for dinner or something she brings her textbook. it's hardcore. mcintire is the #2 business school for undergrads, barely below wharton.</p>

<p>The students in McIntire aren't that smart as they are hyped up to be, although however the professors are brilliant and engaging. You'll be swamped with group projects and a lot of teamwork in McIntire. The downside is that you won't get to take other classes because of the heavy workload. There's also no point going to McIntire if you're planning to get an MBA, because you'll just have two business degrees, which is fine by some people. In my opinion, you should explore as many things as possible during undergrad.</p>

<p>I like the teamwork aspect. Are people dicks to each other though?</p>

<p>The E-school is similar in that there are lots of group projects and a bell curve.</p>

<p>While the bell curve exists, I'm not sure how much it actually factors in the final grade. If so. wouldn't the average GPA be below 3.0? If you have access to The Course Forum, which might be limited to enrolled students, you'll see that grade distributions are significantly skewed toward As and Bs. Don't know how accurate those distributions are, however.</p>

<p>Regarding teamwork, over time jerks and lazy people pay for their sins. No one will invite them to work in future groups.</p>

<p>I don't understand what you mean by that question Sachmoney. Comm schoolers cannot afford to be mean to each other especially when they are in a group. MechWahoo has pointed out that no one will invite them to work in future groups if they are lazy or depend on another team member. I have noticed that the competition for the job market is extremely stiff - which comes as no surprise given the horrible conditions on Wall Street this year - and a lot of kids in the school want an investment banking job.</p>

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<p>How do people make themselves stand out on the job market then?</p>

<p>By going to a information sessions and networking with recruiters and UVA alumns. The best way is to prepare yourself for what you might expect in an interview.</p>

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There's also no point going to McIntire if you're planning to get an MBA, because you'll just have two business degrees

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<p>I wouldn't say that. An MBA is not just about the education. People get MBAs to change careers or advance in their current career. The value of an MBA will very likely be in the exit opportunities rather than the education.</p>

<p>An MBA is going to get you further in the job market, but I don't think having a business undergrad degree necessarily "adds value" to your qualifications. If anything, you just appear to be serious in a business career. I think majoring in something else during undergrad and then obtaining an MBA gives you a more valuable experience and an opportunity to take other classes.</p>

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I think majoring in something else during undergrad and then obtaining an MBA gives you a more valuable experience and an opportunity to take other classes.

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<p>I completely agree with this, but I just think it is somewhat foolish to say that there is no point in doing ugrad business if you think there might be an mba in your future. If someone is seriously interested in business then there is nothing wrong with going to mcintire. They may very well find that an MBA is unnecessary to move forward in their career. I personally, would prefer not to major in business, but do a b.a in economics. The employment opportunities would be somewhat equal, as well as more time for electives.</p>

<p>Eh, I disagree with you. You're going to be starting from the basics anyway in an MBA program. The only advantage to having a business undergrad is that you'll be more familiarized with business terms and working in teams.</p>

<p>Thats not the point. MBA programs are basic in general. People go for the degree, not the knowledge, except for maybe engineers and other professionals who want to move into management roles. But for them, it doesnt make ANY since at all to have a business undergrad.</p>

<p>^ And that could be a significant advantage in your first job, perhaps placing you in a faster track for promotions and such. I don't know though, it'd be great to have a list of compiled data for how students did graduating from the comm school and how students did graduating from the other schools (in business careers).</p>

<p>The bottomline is that you don't need a business undergrad degree to succeed in the real world, especially if you plan on getting an MBA. Like you said, people go for the degree and not so much the knowledge unless you majored in something that was not business related. In order to move up the ladder in the business world, an MBA is almost always a requirement. I certainly think that the only added advantage to having a business undergrad degree is the ability to jump into real-world business right off the bat. There are other alternatives to expand your knowledge that is indirectly business-related, such as economics or endingeering. I think it gives you a different perspective going into an MBA program.</p>

<p>So then why do folks attend the comm school? Other than the possible prestige (?) of attending a #2 nationally ranked institution, there's something to be said about the comm school's impressive career services. Or... so I've heard. A current comm schooler can comment so much better than I can on this topic. =)</p>

<p>Job security (I have said before that many comm schoolers are crazy about getting an i-banking before heading off for another career or going to business school).</p>

<p>"there's something to be said about the comm school's impressive career services."</p>

<p>They are great at getting top employers to recruit at UVa, but they are bad at reviewing resumes.</p>

<p>I read through all the resumes in wharton MBA class of 2005. That helped way more than UCS/CCS.</p>