Regret Applying EDII to Emory - Focus on Transferring?

College Search & Selection
1

So after getting rejected from Wharton EDI, I unreasonably lost a lot of confidence in my app and decided to apply Emory EDII because I was so positive that I would be rejected from the other schools I was applying to. We’re not rich so we could only afford to visit a very small amount of schools. Emory had a really pretty campus, cool people, had a solid business school, and was one of the very few schools where I visited, so I decided to apply EDII after a Wharton rejection scare.

Maybe this is natural, but I’m having some SERIOUS buyers remorse. The FA package wasn’t as good as I thought it would be, the Emory brand (at least for business) is significantly weaker than I thought it would be, and as I explore Atlanta more and more, it isn’t as cool of a city as I thought it would be (REALLY similar to Houston). and isn’t as intellectual as I thought ( way too pre-professional with nothing in between ).

My dad is close to a couple of recruiters for Consulting/Asset Management Firms in Dallas, Houston, and L.A and pretty much all of them either A) Never heard of Emory/Have no idea where it is or B) Isn’t very aware of it’s pedigree - think it’s on par with like SMU/BU/Pepperdine. Supposedly the recruiting a Emory is EXTREMELY limited to the SE and everyone who gets a job in NYC got it because they were already very wealthy/connected.
They all think Emory’s only strength is in medicine.

My parent’s are supportive but I can tell that they are kind of disappointed that I didn’t get in anywhere better. My dad is ALREADY encouraging me to apply as a transfer sophomore year.

I know I should be EXCITED about going to Emory, as it’s an awesome school, but it’s hard to get really excited when no one around you really cares about it and it seems like even employers don’t really respect the school that much for my major. I know it has a good ranking at all, but eh lol.

What’s even more frustrating is that if I wasn’t such a scaredy cat after my Wharton rejection I probably would have gotten in somewhere better ( at least for business ). Looking at the results thread for schools like Georgetown and Northwestern is kinda depressing because my stats are a lot higher than a lot of the people in that thread. I legitimately think I had an very solid chance at like Georgetown or Cornell and would have definitely gotten into Emory RD without the binding agreement…

Is there any way I can get more excited about Emory? I was SUPER PSYCHED when I first got accepted, but a lot of it has worn off. I bought a bunch of Emory apparel to try and get more excited but it get’s tiring having to explain to everyone that Emory isn’t the same as Embry-Riddle or Elon lol…

Sigh… It’s just paying so much for a school that very few people seem to respect is kinda troubling to me… The transfer process is extremely tiring and I’ll probably have to start ALL over again.

2

You should be hooting and hollering! Emory is a top notch place for business.

Here are some rankings:
Emory University Goizueta Business School’s Full-Time MBA Program ranks top-ten for four years in a row by Businessweek (2015)
Emory University ranks among the top 25 national universities in U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” (March 2015)
Emory University Goizueta Business School’s popular Undergraduate BBA program has been ranked in the Top 10 for nine consecutive years and currently ranks #9 by Businessweek (April 2014) and #15 in U.S. News & World Report (September 2015)
Emory University Goizueta Business School’s Full-Time MBA Program is currently #15 by Businessweek (October 2015), #28 nationally and 59th globally by Financial Times (January 2015), #16 nationally and 25th globally by The Economist (October 2015), and #21 by U.S. News & World Report (March 2015)
Emory University Goizueta Business School’s Evening MBA Program has ranked as high as #2 nationwide, and currently ranks #8 nationwide by Businessweek (October 2015) and #15 nationwide by U.S. News & World Report (March 2015).
Emory University Goizueta Business School’s Executive MBA Program ranks #22 worldwide by Businessweek (November 2013), #12 nationally and 57th globally by Financial Times (October 2014), and #23 nationally by U.S. News & World Report (March 2015)
Emory University Goizueta Business School’s (non-degree) Executive Education programs ranks #11 for customer executive education programs, by Financial Times. They also rank as the “top Southeastern business school” when taking into consideration those areas that gauge program quality and client satisfaction
Emory Executive Education has maintained, since 2006, a top-10 national ranking in the areas related to Follow-up, Teaching Methods and Materials, New Skills and Learning, Aims Achieved, and Value for the money
http://goizueta.emory.edu/aboutgoizueta/rankings_success/top_rankings.html

Also top 10 undergrad in 2014 according to Fortune: http://fortune.com/2014/07/10/best-undergraduate-business-programs/

3

I can tell you that I live in the Northeast, and Emory is considered a great school. It’s my understanding that it has a national reputation, so I am confused when you mention people who haven’t heard of it. Don’t worry, many, many people who hire know of Emory. Please rest assured that you will be going to one of the top schools in the country. It’s all good!

4

When you say that those particular recruiters have never heard of Emory, my take is that they aren’t very good recruiters, not that Emory is not a great school.

5

Emory is a great school and well regarded for business. If you can’t be happy going there, you probably won’t be happy going anywhere. I would go with the intent of staying four years – if you go hoping to transfer you will never make friends, get involved in campus life etc. because you will have one foot out the door mentally. And keep in mind that transferring isn’t always so great – you will be starting at a new school after everyone’s friend group is in place and it is often hard to break in, you might be behind in some classes that other members of your class took already, etc.

6

Your dad’s recruiter friends should lose their jobs if they don’t know Emory. I’m in the midwest and have hiring authority with a national firm.

7

Emory is a great school. Nothing to regret.

According to Bloomberg’s ranking of undergrad business schools, Emory at #9 is ahead of both Georgetown and Northwestern, and only two steps behind Wharton.

http://www.bloomberg.com/bw/articles/2014-04-04/the-complete-ranking-best-undergraduate-business-schools-2014

Its MBA program is also ranked by Bloomberg in the top 15, ahead of Cornell, Georgetown and NW.

If you go and really don’t like it, sure, you can consider transfer (but bear in mind FA is harder to get as a transfer), but chances are you’ll like it and do well.

8

Sorry but anybody who does not know Emory lives in a hole. No, honestly, there are some schools that people in academics know to be great but are not known by people outside academics or are known more locally. How many people not in academics know what a great school Harvey Mudd is? But Emory is a very well known school. Most adults who are aware of their surroundings have heard of Emory. If your dad knows recruiters who haven’t heard of it, they have to have serious problems. Like have they been in a recent car wreck? I heard there was a car wreck recently. Were they involved? They have to be seriously out of it. Or are they recruiting to hire for restaurants. I don’t think Emory has a culinary institute so maybe if the recruiters only attended a culinary institute they would not have heard of Emory.

You may want to consider a well known phenomenon whereby things that appear to be inaccessible also appear to be more desirable than things that are in your hand. That is why the grass seems greener in the place you can’t reach. Thus Groucho Marx’s comment "“Please accept my resignation. I don’t care to belong to any club that will have me as a member”. Had Emory rejected you, it would look a lot better to you right now.

Our mind plays tricks on us. They are called cognitive distortions. You are in the midst of experiencing one.

9

I agree with the above. Go to Emory and be a really great student. Should be easy if your Dad’s friends are right ( but they are not) and if it isn’t so easy, then you are where you want to be! And if you still want to transfer you will be able.

10

NU has no undergraduate business school

11

Emory is well respected in the West, where I live; it’s a school a lot of top – and yes, intellectual – students try to go to.