<p>I was recently accepted into both SMU's BBA Scholar Program and A&M's Business Honors Program. I absolutely love SMU and I think that the school is the perfect fit for me; however, with the current scholarships I have, the total price for SMU is around $12,000 more per year than A&M.</p>
<p>I'm having a hard time deciding whether Cox is worth the extra 12k a year compared to Mays BHP. I love that Cox is smaller, more personal with professors, and has great connections with the DFW business community, where I want to work after college, but would I have the same opportunities at Mays BHP? Overall, I think both schools have great connections and internship opportunities.</p>
<p>I can see myself more at SMU than A&M, but I am really impressed with the BHP program at Mays and I think that I would be able to study abroad and overall take advantage of more opportunities that have extra costs at A&M compared to SMU, where my family and I would not be able to afford any "extras." </p>
<p>What do you think is the better option and do you have any advice you would like to share for people in similar situations?</p>
<p>Thank you!!</p>
<p>I am a current Cox BBA junior accounting major. Unfortunately, I know little to nothing about Mays. However, I am sure it is a strong program. Therefore, I can only speak to the strengths of Cox and my personal experiences with the program. Cox is ranked in the top 30 of all US undergraduate business programs. All of the professor worked in their respective industries prior to teaching and, therefore, bring plenty of industry knowledge. If there’s anything I can use to differentiate between Cox and Mays it would be location. Cox is located in the heart of the DFW metroplex, which ranks 3rd in the nation for HQs of Fortune 500 companies. I cannot stress the advantages this provides SMU students. Internships are an integral part of the learning experience. Nothing prepares you better for full-time work than actual work experience. Dallas ranks as the #1 city for college graduates to find jobs. I hope this helps you.</p>
<p>Thank you for your response @j4morrow . Would you say that having access to internships in DFW and experienced professors worth the extra cost compared to another similarly great program, even if it means taking on a little debt or be financially tight for a few years?</p>
<p>What has your experience at SMU Cox been so far and have you had the opportunity to have an internship? Being a smaller school and the Dallas location, I would think that SMU would have more/better internship opportunities than A&M?</p>
<p>That decision is ultimately up to your family. I would feel out of place giving a recommendation. All that I can do is give you my perspective based on my experiences in hopes that it provides you and your family the ability to make an informed decision. I had an internship with RBC Wealth Management the summer after my freshman year. The summer following my sophomore year was spent recovering from shoulder surgery, so I was unable to work. I am currently in the process of applying and interviewing for internships for this coming summer–these include investment banking analysts positions in Dallas and Houston. I can tell you that Cox does a phenomenal job publishing internship opportunities and connecting its students with jobs. I will be going through recruitment much of this spring semester for an accounting internship with the largest global firms that will occur spring of my senior year. So yes, SMU students have a high level of access to fantastic internship opportunities. Dallas is a huge resource, and we use it to the fullest.</p>
<p>j4morrow :</p>
<p>if we have not yet heard if we have been accepted to Cox is it safe to assume we will not be accepted? I saw on Cox twitter the acceptances for BBA Scholars and BBA Direct were sent out the 23. But I am just not sure if I did not get in or just haven’t heard yet? Is there anyway to confirm?</p>
<p>collegebound… I don’t know the answer to your question specifically but I can help as far as majors/schools go. Once you’ve been admitted to SMU, you have over a year to decide what major you’d like to study. So I wouldn’t worry about gaining admittance to Cox right now. You can study any major you’d like once you’ve been admitted to SMU. If you decide on Cox, then you have to maintain your GPA in order to stay in. Hope this helps!</p>
1 Like
<p>brighdalake - </p>
<p>Definitely go with Mays Honors! The Aggie network on its own presents so many opportunities for grads in every major (Texas A&M is consistently ranked as one of the top schools by recruiters), but especially coming from Business Honors, where they help you network in the business world before you even graduate. Mays BHP would also offer a very small and personal community: in 2013, only 87 students enrolled in the program. So, even if they were the same price, I would tell you to choose A&M, but with that much of a difference, it’s no question.</p>
<p>Also, when did you apply to Mays Honors?</p>
<p>@catcat34 thanks for your response! I agree with you that Mays business honors is a great program! Even though there is such a large price difference, I still think SMU Cox has great internship opportunities and having the resources of a smaller school, it might be worth the extra cost? I applied in October.</p>
<p>@collegeboundhs14</p>
<p>When I applied I didn’t receive my BBA acceptance until April. More than likely, you just haven’t heard anything yet. </p>
<p>@brighdalake</p>
<p>It’s tough to put a price tag on the internship and networking opportunities that are available to you at SMU. While Mays is certainly cheaper, you are also enrolling into a program 4x the size of Cox. Both schools are highly ranked (Cox #30 and Mays #33). It really comes down to what you want. Look at this decision as an investment. A&M is cheaper and has a large alumni network, but is far from any major cities and businesses. SMU is smaller and more intimate which allows you to connect directly to business leaders right here in Dallas. It’s also important to think about the surrounding areas as this can determine the experience you have outside the classroom. College station is a solid college town of a little under 100,000 people. However, it often clears out over break. On the other hand, the Dallas metroplex is a vibrant city offering a variety of opportunities outside of the classroom with over 6.5 million people. Those are the facts, and it really comes down to what you’re looking to get out of your experience and what returns you expect for your investment.</p>
<p>@brighdalake: Also keep in mind that any scholarship money you get from SMU also applies for our study abroad programs. Or if you and your family still can’t afford those opportunities, SMU has a great campus in Taos, New Mexico that is a really fun experience (and extra scholarships are always being offered to study in Taos over the summer). I had considered the Mays Business School (didn’t into their honors program), but ultimately ended up choosing SMU and the Cox School of Business. I was excited that the BBA Scholars program would let me start taking business classes my freshman year, so I could verify sooner what I wanted to major in and start making networking connections. Does the Mays program also let you take business classes first semester freshman year?</p>
<p>@Lilly119 thank you for your response! Yes, they also offer business classes for freshman. Like SMU, they have a seminar type class where you can explore the different business majors. Have you come across additional ways to increase your aid as an SMU student? I was looking into the work-study program on campus and there seems to be other ways you can add to the scholarships you already have while studying at SMU.</p>
<p>@brighdalake There are additional scholarships offered through the business school and our student senate (once you are a student) at one time amounts of $1K-$5K. Plus there are many on campus jobs and work-study programs to be had!</p>
@brighdalake‌ Hi. My son will be a freshman this fall and is currently in the same dilemma. I would be interested to hear which school you picked and what has the experience been like. Thanks!
My son is at SMU and at the same time another student went through the same thing you are and he chose A&M. He had a full tuition offer at SMU but not R&B. He chose A&M with regret because SMU was his first choice. He even turned down Rice and MIT (50k grants each). I have spoken with the mom several years later just to see how things were going and both of our children happened to be in the same major too. I was stunned by the differences. She was very upset because her son wasnt’ allowed to take a single course in his major until he completed every single GEC requirement at A&M. So he wasnt’ as far a long as my son was. My son had every opportunity thrown at him - co-op, TA, research assistant, internships, etc. just after his freshman year. Whereas her son wasn’t able to start that process until his Junior year. He was also taking 12 credits so he could maintain his 3.5 GPA minimum requirement for his scholarship so I’m sure that didnt’ help either.
SMU allows you to take any course anytime you’d like. That was the best thing my son did.
Also, you are comparing a state school to a private school. There are vast differences. Smaller classes, there aren’t any TA’s that teach at SMU, you won’t be pushed out (every class isn’t a weed out course due to lack of state funding), etc. The list is endless.
My son joined a club and got his room covered so it is doable. Another idea is you can become an RA to get free R&B.
However, I would definitely pick the school that fits you in the end. It is priceless - we were told by a professor to pick the school that makes you happy because happy students succeed. It is so true.
You just have to realize there are differences and in my opinion it will be harder to fight the rat race at A&M. Good luck!
Thank you @newjersey17‌ ! The information is very helpful.