I am just purely curious about other users opinions on this subject. Say this student, has two options: Attend a prestigious 4 year liberal arts school that cost $60,000 a year, with the financial aid package they received they will have to pay about $15,000 a year. Or attend a very, small, non-selective business school BUT they are accepted into a degree program that allows them to get a BA in 2.5-3 years, and then continue on to a Masters in one year. It will only cost them around $8,000 a year with merit and financial aid. So in the end of the four years, the student will either have a masters degree from a small business college or a BA from a selective one. Which would look better when applying to law school or a job?
Wow you’d need a crystal ball for this.
@lostaccount When you say that, do you mean that I’m dumb because I don’t know the obvious answer or that it is a difficult choice to make? Sorry, I am bad at internet lingo.
@lynkel I don’t believe @lostaccount was being sarcastic. It’s really hard to tell (although I think business managers from the field of interest [as in investment banking vs. financial planning] could provide quite a bit of insight).
@usualhopeful That would be insightful. Is there a section of this website you would suggest? Another factor that could be considered is that the student would be studying economics at the selective school and at the other would achieve an undergrad in financial analysis/accounting and an MBA.
@lynkel There might be some more people who could answer it in the MBA section, although I’m not sure whether the discussion fits in there.
@usualhopeful Hm. I suppose I’ll leave it here and wait it out. I personally think that the MBA option seems better in the long run, but I am unsure and do not know much about how important school selectivity is when considering employment.
No I 'm not saying you are dumb? Why would I think that? No. I am saying it is hard to know. You’d have to be able to predict all kinds of things which are impossible to know. So you’d need a crystal ball. For example, if you want a job the college could turn out to make a difference or not. Also law school. If you go to law school the rigor of a good school that gets you to think logically and clearly could help you do well on the LSATs. But it could also help you get a job since some jobs might want great names on their letter head. On the other hand, going to a business school might give you skills that are directly applicable-depending upon what you want to do. And if you do really well on the LSATs the name of your school isn’t that important but the learning experiences may make you a stronger candidate-but it depends on your grades, etc. So, no I just don’t think there is an easy way to tell which would be better because it depends on variables you can’t predict.
If I had to say, lostaccount may have been making the point that, in his opinion, a 3.5-4 year BA/MBA program is likely to offer, almost by definition, little but a cheap pair of credentials.
For law school, without question, the LAC.
@lostaccount Thank you. That does provide some things to think about, I think that the business school may be the route to go for me. I don’t really think I care too much for the selectivity aspect and I feel I will learn more that route. Selective colleges do not even require you to acknowledge a major until your 2nd year of college and it’s more or less a very generalized degree, not one specifically orientated to what you want to do. Sorry, this just helps me plan my thoughts out.
@merc81 But will a high GPA/LSAT score at the small school cancel out the “cheap” credentials?
@merc81 @lostaccount I also do not actually know how well the small school is regarded, I’ve been told it is a good school in the business world but I have never heard it mentioned on this website or anywhere else.
@lynkel I have had a lot of discussions with my dad on same topic. My dad has ask me to make the decision but I do not know how to decide. But here is what he did for me. He asked me series of questions to narrow down your choice
- If money is not an issue - paying 45K /yr in your case without loan for a top tier college – then you need to consider it if (money is not an issue for my dad…but I am very concern).
- business is your major - school matters – pedigree is important (top 10 or 20) for job in Finance/IB
- If you plan to study pre-med or pre-law or not sure of major then you will be risking money for a top college. Then go with college that has offered money and they do you masters in a top school once you clear about your area of interest including doing MBA/JD.
- For Law – going to top Law school is important so LSAT score is very important. If that is the case, go to college with money get a UG and then go to a top Law School.
- This is something my dad told – if I want to have fun and enjoy college life do not go to high selective as it is very competitive and stressful (based on what I dad has said). I am still debating this point myself as I wanted to play D3 Tennis.
So two things, @lynkel:
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Going to a top LAC could have a strong positive impact on how well you do on your LSAT.
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Access “Entering Class Profile Yale Law School,” then select “Undergraduate Institutions Represented.” The range of schools you will find there is actually pretty narrow.
One thing to consider in this decision is what you are looking to get out of a college experience. If it is mainly a degree, than maybe the small, less prestigious business school is the right option. But if camaraderie, connections, social and ec aspects, and exposure to a wider variety of classes and intellectual thinking are important, than maybe the LAC is the right choice.
If u study accounting at the business college, and get a master’s, you could be a CPA at a very young age. That’s a really really good position to be in.
- I’m guessing that’s correlation, not causation. Anyone who can get into Yale Law is bright, and it’s likely that they went to a more selective school. However, there are also a number of larger state schools and a couple of colleges I’ve never heard of. Many very intelligent students choose less selective schools, but if they make the most of their time there, I don’t think it will limit them in professional school
It would be really helpful to have the names of these schools.
Thoughts:
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A master’s degree is not a universal good. It has to be a master’s degree that is useful in the intended field, and prestige matters a lot more at the graduate level. Having a master’s from a small, non-selective business school is not necessarily a bonus - the vast majority of MBA programs don’t actually confer much of a bump in salary. And few people want to hire someone into MBA-qualified positions without any work experience.
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Can your family afford to pay the $60,000 ($15K x 4) the other school is going to cost? How is this going to be financed? If you are borrowing the federal loan limits while your parents are paying the rest, and you’re coming out with just around $30K in debt then that could be a really good option. But if you have to borrow the entire $60K yourself and be faced with repaying that later, that could be a bad option.
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What are your career goals? Frankly, an art history major from a prestigious target LAC (think Swarthmore or Amherst) has a better chance of getting into Wall Street banking or consulting firms than a business major from a non-selective, non-target business school. However, prestige doesn’t matter for the vast majority of jobs other than that on the undergraduate level, so if you just want general jobs in business and want to work your way up or something, then going to the smaller school might be the bargain.
Law schools aren’t really going to care if you have a master’s degree from a small non-selective business school. They care about your LSAT scores and your GPA.
@moooop The college has a class in my program that helps you become a CPA, and I should graduate at the age of around 20-21.
@julliet The small school is called Thomas College, assume a standard LAC for the other. Response to 1) The college has a guaranteed job placement program as well as sets you up with multiple internships and summer job opportunities. 2) My parents do not have a lot of money to pay for college. 3) I am not really sure. In the beginning, I would have liked to work as a real estate lawyer or a manger of estates. I want to make about $80K a year or more, but I do not think I care if it is a super prestigious job with the BEST firm. I just want to live comfortably. 4) That’s what I thought, I am a very hard worker and know I can maintain a great GPA and work for high LSAT’S.