Please respond: Standing out to employers as a student interested in business

Hey! I’ll go ahead and ask my question before I fill in the details: for a hard-working and academically excelling student, would an accounting or finance degree from a state school (U of KY) hinder my ability to stand out?

Details: I am a National Merit Semifinalist who has not received the rejection letter, so I expect to be named a Finalist. I was a Governor’s Scholar. My SAT was 2180, or 2280 superstored. Similar PSAT and ACT scores. 4.0 unweighted GPA. Good extracurricular involvement.

On the long term, I aspire to be some type of businessman. Possibly an entrepreneur, or an executive in a larger company. But I understand that businesses would not hire execs straight out of college, so I must pick a route to get there. Engineering is a possibility; I do love math, but I don’t think engineering is what really drives me. So as I weigh my options, I know accounting is typically considered the hardest of the business majors. I can’t afford Ivies or anything like that (& not going the debt route), but I can get a full ride at UK. But I’m wondering if a state school accounting/finance degree would be too easy or common for me to stand out? As a hard worker, should I go for something harder?

Other questions: Any other suggestions on ways to stand out with a common degree from a common school?

I would love to get an MBA down the road. Anyone know how common it is to be able to get employers to pay for business grad school?

Any other thoughts?

Thank you all!!!

No bash on accounting majors!! I know it’s a tough degree… Mainly just wondering if it’ll lend enough weight coming from a state school