I’m interested in Investment Banking and other finance related careers. I understand both schools are comparable in some ways and both are selective. A few questions:
- How much better is Michigan than Georgetown for undergraduate business? (I understand both have some of the best OCR opportunities for investment banking.)
- If getting good grades is important, which school would be more conducive towards earning higher grades?
- Since I'm a college transfer student, I believe I would need to complete 3 years at Michigan (if admitted directly into Ross) while I would only need to complete 2 years at Georgetown (junior standing). Should this be a serious consideration in the decision process?
- I also think the fit might be an important consideration as well. What type of person would fit into Michigan vs Georgetown?
- Factual advantages and disadvantages of both schools?
- Any other serious considerations I should keep in mind as I choose one over the other? I would like to make the 'best' and informed choice possible. .
Any advice would be greatly appreciated, although please try to provide unbiased and objective opinions. Thanks in advance.
I can’t answer from the Georgetown point-of-view as I don’t really know much about that college, but I’ll talk about what I do know about for UofM, though much of my information comes from Ross MBA graduate and a current Ross senior. I’ll try not to be biased as a Ross preferred-admit lol.
- When I considered which undergrad business schools to apply to, I personally did not even look at Georgetown as I did not see it as Ross, Stern, Haas, or etc level. My interest was towards management, so if someone who was looking at finance could pitch in on this that would be helpful.
- For Ross, high grades aren't too difficult if you put in the right amount of effort. What I've heard is that a lot of classes do require a bit more work from the student as they are taught by TAs, but if you can study by yourself that shouldn't really be an issue. The latter was told to me by a current Ross rising senior. I've also heard that it is very easy to maintain a high-grade point due to Ross having some grade inflation.
- Two years vs. three years should only be a consideration depending on either cost or extended time in college. I do not see the extra year as hindrances in any way, so this should not really be a serious consideration unless cost is a factor.
- Seeing how Ross has an emphasis of the "learning something by doing something" mentality, it has a lot more "hands-on" learning compared to other schools like Wharton. If you're someone who can work with others well, then you'll definitely fit in fine.
The other two questions would need to be answered by someone with more knowledge, but this is what I know. Hope it does help, even if by a little. With either school, I do think you will be set. For a little bias, I do think the Ann Arbor college life would be a bit more fun with the size of the campus, student body, and the lively city. Either way, wish you the best!
Hard to say - I do not know many people who choose a finance program based on better education. OCR is what is important - you will get great OCR at both schools.
I do not know much about McDonough course difficulty, but Ross has some VERY generous curves (perhaps the nicest undergrad curves at Michigan) and most people do pretty well GPA-wise (I know because I have close friends in Ross and took some Ross coursework myself).
Even though I think GTOWN is a better school. For business, it’s hard to beat Ross, go with that if you can get in.
Academically, Michigan is superior to Georgetown, both the Business school, and the university overall. That’s not really up for debate. My own father and sister, but proud Georgetown alums, will wholeheartedly admit as much. In fact, my father urged me to choose Michigan over Georgetown when I had that choice way back when!
However, when it comes to finance, McDonough is as highly recruited as Ross. That’s because Georgetown is as prestigious as Michigan, and when it comes to finance, it is all about prestige.
That being said, given the choice between the two, I would recommend Ross because should you change your mind and decide to work in a field other than finance, say consulting or technology, Ross is more highly recruited than McDonough.