<p>I realize that many of not all the answers to this post will be no but I am just wondering. I am currently deciding between Cal and UCLA for business and yes, I do realize UCLA has no business program. I do want to acquire an MBA later on so by no means will I be stoping with a undergraduate degree. However, do anyone of you ever regret having chosen UCLA for business instead of Cal? I do realize Cal has more people recruiting because they are ranked higher and well they do have a business school, but do you guys feel like choosing LA was a major mistake?<br>
A mistake as in UCLA did not prepare you enough for life outside of college, a low salary(as compared to a Haas degree), not able to obtain a close relation w/ one's teachers because of the large class size.<br>
Also I realize many people that the type of job obtained after UCLA is mostly accounting. I do hope this is not true as I do not want to be an accountant.
So basically I want to know as my major question... is it really possible to make big bucks w/ just an UCLA degree as compared to a Haas degree.<br>
P.S. I have visited both campuses and I do live in the LA area.</p>
<p>okay i really don't know anything abuot business...my dad got his MBA from USC and that's all i know. and i guess college can help in terms of connections etc... </p>
<p>but all in all, does what college you go to have ANYTHING to do with how successful you'll be/how much money you'll end up making? </p>
<p>just go where you feel happiest OVERALL, not just what has the better name. that's my opinion. besides UCLA's major from what i take it is not pre professional, but helps you to understand every aspect of the economy. it hink that's far more interesting especially if you want to undersatnd the stock market and stock analyzing/managing (which is what my dad does) and you really do have to udnerstand all the aspects of the economy, and what other factors/trends affect business/growth--- not just the making money part. i would think it's very useful to learn before you go out for your MBA at wherever.</p>
<p>i know that goldman sachs recruits at ucla for investment banking. that's big bucks.</p>
<p>Wow. That is like the mother ship for me. Thanks = )</p>
<p>Any other advice?</p>
<p>abc, I'm in the EXACT same siuation as you. I'm deciding between Haas and UCLA's bizecon, and I live in L.A.</p>
<p>I visited UCLA's campus and I really loved the campus and Westwood village. I'm gonna visit Berkeley's campus this weekend.</p>
<p>I wanna stay in L.A., but I think that I'll be more successful if I went to Haas. Really dont know which to choose...</p>
<p>Well, what is ultimately keeping me back from Berkeley is that
1) I am a Spring admit.
2) I am afraid I won't be able to make Haas.</p>
<p>What's keeping me back is:
1) I'm also afraid that I wont make it to Haas.
2) UCLA's campus and surrounding area are just so beautiful</p>
<p>I am in the same situation about UCLA and Berkeley. I have decided UCLA because I know that I will be happy there. Ultimately, I want to get an MBA, so after I have that, where I did my undergraduate and what major it was is not really going to matter. I am also afraid of going up to Berkeley and then getting rejected at Haas, but the main reason I chose UCLA is because the atmosphere just felt right. You guys just need to follow your heart and choose the school thats right for you, not the school that may be a little stronger in a particular major. Remember, you might even change your mind and decide to do something totally different from business. Then you may as well have gone to UCLA because the only Berkeley programs that are stronger than UCLA's are business and engineering. Hope that helps....remember to follow your heart!!</p>
<p>^ Amen. Very well said.</p>
<p>They're both good schools... FOLLOW YOUR HEART!</p>
<p>And on a personal note, I would really detest starting school the second semester.</p>
<p>UCLAclassof2009 and passerby:
Are the two of you worried that the starting salary we will earn from our first job will be significantly lower than if we had obtained Haas degree or do you guys not worry as much?</p>
<p>I'm not too worried about salary. I had a chat with our school's CFO today; he's an experienced businessman, and he told me that job placement from both Haas and UCLA Bizecon is very good. He said that if I choose UCLA, my minimum starting salary would be $30,000, but starting salaries are usually in the range of $40,000 - $50,000. He told me of one guy who had a starting salary of $60,000. </p>
<p>Lots of employers recruit from both campuses, so if you're a good student, you'll be hired by someone. If you live in a large mertopolitan area (like L.A.), you'll surely be hired right out of college, because there are so many job oppurtunities in the greater Los Angeles area (I live in L.A., btw). </p>
<p>A good tip he gave me is to take the first 2 parts of the CPA exam in my junior year. That'll look really good on any resume; in addition to that, internships are helpful too.</p>
<p>Just be sure to get an MBA later on in life (hopefully from an Ivy).</p>
<p>Yeah... I was advised from a Haas graduate to look into internships. However, he did tell me more of LA graduates tend to be accountants than any other field related to business and that is one field I am definitley not interested in.</p>
<p>Bizecon majors usually minor in accounting so that they have some "practical" skill to show for. However, getting a CPA license is still a very helpful thing, even if you dont plan on being an accountant (like me). CPA licenses are useful in the finance dept (and so are MBAs).</p>
<p>The really important thing is to GET AN MBA from an awesome business school. (Harvard/Stanford/Wharton/Kellogg)</p>
<p>Yeah...but I mean that is not for another 4-5 years after we graduate. I mean I do not want to have a low paying job + one I detest for that long.</p>
<p>Btw, the main reason I'm heavily considering UCLA is because of location/environment/surroundings. If those location factors didnt matter, I would choose Cal (due to Cal's academics and prestige).</p>
<p>right now, I'm still 50/50 between Berk and UCLA</p>
<p>I would choose Cal if I had been accepted for Fall semester. But now that I think about it... UCLA would really offer me more. I sent in a letter asking Cal if they could change my admissions from Spring to Fall...hopefully they can reply back to me before I send in my SIR...hah... I know that's near impossible.</p>
<p>bump...........</p>
<p>go read daraverla's posts</p>
<p>He graduated from biz econ at UCLA in 2001 and made $58,000 right out of college. He also said that he had a 3.25 GPA. Considering this, if you have at least a 3.5 GPA at UCLA in biz econ, I'm sure you can make alot more than daraverla was making...plus, you have to remember that this was his starting salary 4 years ago and starting salaries have significantly increased in the past 4 years. Therefore, if you can get a 3.5 or higher at UCLA in biz econ, I think a starting salary of $80,000 would not be beyond your grasp. Plus, remember that although Haas grads may make more than UCLA grads in business, it is also way more expensive to live in San Francisco than in LA.</p>
<p>I WAS ACCEPTED TO BERKELEY AND UCLA AND I AM CHOOSING UCLA BECAUSE IT IS THE RIGHT PLACE FOR ME</p>
<p>I'm leaning towards UCLA now 70/30.</p>
<p>I'm not interested in working in the Bay Area anyway (although it's a great place to visit). L.A. is the place for me.</p>