Hi!
I am an international student, wondering which school to choose. I would really appreciate your comments since college forums are literally the only thing I can rely on (besides rankings) for help. Unfortunately, I do not have the chance to visit any of the schools.
Anyway, I want to study business, BBA would be best, but it’s not offered at all the schools I listed. If not BBA, then management/ leadership/marketing/operations management optionally. I have gotten into UVA, Georgetown, and UMich (don’t know about the ross pre-admit yet). The pros and cons I have listed for all the schools:
UMich
Pros
-Ross seems absolutely PERFECT when it comes to academics (great BBA, lots of research opportunities, great facilities, emphasis on leadership etc)
-a good social scene?
- great school spirit
- typical American college experience
Cons
-WEATHER
- the state school atmosphere that I do not know how I will find myself in (it’s just that I am not excited about tailgating, because I don’t even exactly know what that is, or I’m not familiar with greek life although I’m not super sure I would not rush). the same city may feel suffocating?
- if I do not get the admitted to Ross, would totally not make sense.
Georgetown
Pros
- a high international student ratio and a kind of “european” urban area feel (which I am used to)
- lots of internship opportunities
- the most prestigious school?
- seems like a good student life/ academics balance
- well linked to Europe in terms of airports etc.
- already got into the business school (no stress)
Cons
- might be a little overwhelming, and too preppy?
- not sure that McDonough is good with non-finance/banking majors (marketing?)
- the most expensive option
UVA
Pros
- absolutely love the weather!
- the school seems like a great place to be in terms of the social life
- seems not so stressful?
- typical American college experience haha
- the cheapest option
Cons
- would have to apply to mcintire after two years (what do I do up until then?)
- it’s kind of in a rural area and I’m a little bit afraid of feeling too isolated from what I am used to (bigger cities, a lot of people, rich nightlife)
- low international students ratio, may feel out of place?
-the same city may feel suffocating?
- literally SO FAR away from any airport that does international flights to my country
I also got into Emory (with 15k scholarship for going to Oxford college, but I feel Emory’s b-school is not as good) and NYU Stern, but I know that I won’t be happy in NYC (lack of community, and the city overwhelms me a little). I am waitlisted from UPENN Wharton, but still have to commit to another school by May (+it is highly unlikely to get off the waitlist).
I am a very social person, and as I am an international student, the sense of community and belonging is very important for me (3000 miles away from home!).
Any comment would be greatly appreciated, I truly do not know what to do!
" if I do not get the admitted to Ross, would totally not make sense."
That’s too bad, since Michigan is academically stronger across the board than all of the other schools you have been admitted too.
“absolutely love the weather!”
UVA has the mildest weather of the three, but it’s important to note that Virginia is not in the tropics. It’s not like you’ll be attending school in south Florida.
@rjkofnovi isnt Georgetown generally a little stronger and more recognized?
And I do realize UVa is not south florida. And thats good, because its not too hot not too cold, thats what I meant.
“@rjkofnovi isnt Gerogetown generally a little stronger and more recognized?”
Yes, in SFS. That’s about it.
Of course if you are a slave to UNSWR rankings there are 28 other universities that are better than Michigan.
I’d vote for Georgetown.
Good prestige (which could help if your career will be outside of the USA), strong academics including the business school.
International and diverse student body. UVA and UMich are both state schools and therefore will have a concentration of students from their home states.
Personally, I am not a fan of greek life/jock culture. You’ll get gobs of it at UVa and some at UMich as well.
DC is a great place to spend 4 years! Very livable city. Cosmopolitan without the stress and chaos of NYC. Lots of green space and trees.
Weather in DC and UVa is about the same. Michigan winters can be brutal.
I would say UVa is preppier than Georgetown.
“Weather in DC and UVa is about the same. Michigan winters can be brutal.”
This past winter was brutal all over the northern tier of the country. DC and Virginia were not spared. My point is, don’t go to school in DC or Virginia thinking you’re going to have a mild winter; lately they haven’t been happening.
“International and diverse student body. UVA and UMich are both state schools and therefore will have a concentration of students from their home states.”
Michigan has a very large international presense on campus. Remember the school, like UVA, has a lot of OOS students. Much moreso than almost any other public university. Furthermore, DC is an expensive city to live in. I mean very expensive. It is much more like NYC than you might realize. It is also not an overly friendly town. The general attitude with people you meet is what you can do for them…and not the other way around. As you can see, I am not fond of the city, but that is of course my opinion.
@rjkofnovi - UMich is more diverse than UVa, I’ll give you that. UVa. is 70% in state, so it limits geographic diversity. To me, the ideal college setting will bring a variety of voices to the academic experience.
I have a very different opinion of DC. I agree it is expensive to live in but for a student with room and board covered and paid for, one does not feel the effects as much as someone paying for housing. Housing is the primary factor contributing to the cost of DC life. So many things, museums and such, are free. Student tickets at places like the Kennedy Center are a great deal, just as one example. There are tons of little ethnic eateries where it doesn’t cost too much to get a great meal and something different. Public transportation is reliable, clean, and fairly priced. You can hop on super cheap buses and get to Philly and NYC in hours. The seashore is close by. I could go on, but you get my point. DC is very livable, especially as a student!
“. I agree it is expensive to live in but for a student with room and board covered and paid for, one does not feel the effects as much as someone paying for housing.”
You mean the typical Georgetown student lives in a dorm for all four years?
" So many things, museums and such, are free."
How many times is a student going to go to a museum?
" Public transportation is reliable, clean, and fairly priced."
It’s free in Ann Arbor.
“The seashore is close by.”
Need a car for that. Can’t have a car in DC. Too expensive to park and own.
“You can hop on super cheap buses and get to Philly and NYC in hours.”
You can do the same in Ann Arbor headed to Chicago. There is also a possibilty of traveling to Canada and Toronto. Legal drinking and gambling age in Canada is 19 and you can get to Windsor in about an hour.
Ann Arbor is a managable, clean, and safe city. The student is the center of attention in town, but the town is big enough to divert attention from the school. There is a large international airport less than 30 minutes away with easy bus service.
You cannot go wrong with any of those three options. All three have excellent BBA programs with excellent placement in your chosen industry. All three offer great undergraduate experiences, both on and off campus. And all three are roughly equally as prestigious, though it depends who you ask.
If you are European, I think you will prefer Georgetown and Michigan to UVa, but that is not necessarily true. And while Georgetown has a slightly higher percentage of international students (11% vs 7%), Michigan has far more international students in absolute terms.
In other words, go for fit!
@rjkofnovi - A lot of Georgetown students do stay on campus for 4 years. The school has cool housing options for upperclassman that are not dorms.
There’s a thing called zipcar. You might have heard of it because UMich has it, too. 
You can get your posse and head out for the day.
And how about Georgetown’s social life? Do any of you know if there is a tight sense of community at all?I know there is no greek life, how about some student organisations?
So from what I understand - McDonough and Ross are equal when it comes to academics, even in non-finance related business areas?
Thank you for all your responses @doschicos , @alexandre, @rjkofnovi!
karolinazab, McDonough is predominantly a Finance school. For those seeking jobs in consulting, particularly with McKinsey, Bain or BCG, Ross is a better. Ross is also better with placement in West Coast tech firms like Cisco, Google, Microsoft etc…
Thanks! I think, for now, I am just going to wait for the pre-admit decision. If it is a yes, I will probably go with Ross, although I am unsure about the social scene of U of M.
The social scene at Michigan is what you will make of it. There is something for everyone, you just have to make the effort.