I was accepted to the following majors:
UCLA: Economics/ math (single major)
UCSD: Economics/math (single major) (Muir)
UCI: Quantitative economics (will double major in mathematics)
Graduate-wise, I know UCLA and UCSD are top 20 programs, while Irvine is top 50 at best.
I’ve found 0% information on undergrad though, and don’t know how undergrad affects my chances into getting into a good grad program.
my two-pronged questions:
- How do the colleges rank in actual rigor and preparation? I'd specifically love to hear from another econ undergrad
- Will my college choice significantly affect my options for grad school? I.E. academia version of prestige?
UCI is free ride, while UCLA and UCSD covers tuition and partial housing, but would still wipe out savings or put me into minor debt (<5k) .
UCSD Econ is already a fairly quantitative, math-based program; I’d imagine the Math-Econ program is even more so. In general, UCSD Econ is considered good preparation for a career in finance but better preparation for those pursuing academia/research or econometrics. I’m not sure how it compares to UCLA, but the school you attend for undergrad shouldn’t affect your business school acceptances as long as you excel.
Oh, sorry, let me clarify: I’m not trying to use economics as a springboard for business school, but rather to get into a graduate economics program. I’m interested in learning how my undergraduate prep will affect my chances at getting into a good program. I really like UCI, but if it’s program doesn’t prepare me well enough for grad school, it doesn’t matter how cheap it is.
You may want to check the math prerequisites for the intermediate microeconomics and econometrics courses, and check for mathematical economics electives at each school. More advanced math prerequisites would be desirable from your standpoint.