<p>My son got into the Foster School of Business at the University of Washington, Stern School of Business at NYU, and the University of Virginia. He's likely going to do undergrad business at any school he goes to, but what's the best choice? U of Virginia is ranked #1 business school in the nation this year, but you would have to reapply specifically to the school of commerce as a junior. NYU is ranked 15th, but it's in New York which is probably much better location wise. The University of Washington is our home state, so we would get in-state tuition, but my son really wants to go out of state. Our family is right above the line for financial aid, so going out of state would be quite a commitment for our family's finances. Any suggestions?</p>
<p>Getting into UVA from out of state is difficult – so difficult that the typical out of stater has substantially better credentials than the typical in-state student.</p>
<p>I don’t think that an out of stater who works hard would be likely to fail to achieve the kind of credentials necessary to be admitted to the commerce school at UVA as a junior.</p>
<p>Personally, since you’re in state, I’d send him to Virgina, which has an excellent school. Since finances are a concern, I don’t think it’s worth it to send him to NYU.</p>
<h2>One of my mentees is the exact same similar situation, but is out of state for Virginia. I’ve told him that unless NYU gives him the best financial deal, he should go to Virginia. Both have excellent business schools, and offer excellent opportunities.</h2>
<p>Ooops. Misread. Thought you were in-state for Virginia. Since finances are a concern, and I’d bet he’s likely to want to return to the Pacific NW as do most people I know who are from there, I’d go with U of Wash., which would still offer him excellent options particularly in the NW, where it’s well known. Since he’s good enough to get into Stern and U Va., he has the potential to graduate as one of U Washington’s top students, which would also open doors for him.</p>
<p>happyp, this is an interesting question as, especially in business, the choice of schools has bearing on future employment. Since you’re on the westcoast you may not be as attuned to northeast xenophobia but there are some firms in New York, Boston that favor northeast schools. (Not officially of course, but the preference is apparent). I know this sounds elitist, but regionalism is a fact of life in many professions.</p>
<p>The other point is the wildly different cultural ambience of the schools. Manhattan and Charlottesville are hardly on the same planet. I don’t mean this as a disparagement of either; just that they offer completely different environments – physical and social. Has your son visited both? Done an overnight? I would think that one or the other would be a better fit for him.</p>
<p>As I write this my son is at UVA attending a graduate program open house. I spoke to him briefly when he arrived and he was overwhelmed by the beauty of the campus. He graduated from a northeast college and works in Boston, and he the idea of attending a university outside of his geographic and cultural comfort zone is unfamilar. The implications are not necessarily negative; just different.</p>
<p>An important element in any professional program is career placement. I know Stern has easy access to many New York firms, especially Wall Street. I would investigate what type of internship opportunities UVA offers and consider whether they are appealing in type of firm and location. My understanding is that UVA has excellent Washington (DC)connections so if your son is interested in government or NGO work UVA may have the edge.</p>
<p>Congratulations on SEVERAL good choices! Good luck and let us know what he decides.</p>