<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>Look at the ROI. Do you feel the education at SMU will benefit you enough to justify an additional $48k or even more. I don’t see it. The fact that you asked the question tells me you may not have an extra $48k laying around. I certainly wouldn’t take a loan out to attend SMU. Just my opinion…</p>
<p>SMU Cox School of Business it highly regarded and better than A&M’s. If money is no issue then select SMU. But most people do have a budget and if you do then A&M is probably the better choice.</p>
<p>Thank y’all for your input! What would you say if both schools were the same price? Would it be a matter of personal preference or would you suggest one school over the other?</p>
<p>If price is no object would you buy Lamborghini or Mercedes? Honestly, I think you should take SMU if the price is the exact same. However, the price is very different. I know Mays isn’t as highly regarded as Cox is but Mays is still very highly regarded. Go with Mays and save a little bit of money.</p>
<p>I have a professor at my my current college, & he always pushes SMU. He didn’t attend however he did work at a law firm in Dallas. He stated that, in the Dallas area, a degree from SMU was king. So I would probably advise you what the other have. If you can afford it, SMU. If you can’t afford it TAMU Mays.
You do seem to lean more towards SMU so that is something to consider. You don’t want to be attending Mays because you feel you can’t afford Cox, & then you are thinking you could have gotten a better education there. Having said that, I firmly believe any apprehension you might have about TAMU will be gone when you actually start attending there. For what it’s worth Mays is rather higher than Cox in USN&WR.</p>
<p>Get your BBA at A&M and then let your new employer pay for your MBA at SMU or even something more prestigious. Don’t go into debt for the difference between SMU and TAMU.</p>
<p>franko is correct. The ranking may say one thing but real life appears quite different. A Cox MBA carries more weight from all I’ve been around.</p>
<p>In either case whiciv01 is correct. Let your employer pay for the MBA.</p>
<p>My youngest is in business honors, however we are OOS and know nothing about SMU ( it didn’t make the list for consideration). BHP is excellent, there are lots of opportunities to meet & interact with business leaders (some of it is even required). They have special courses as well as access to the honors classes. There are roughly 75 BHP students per year group so you also get to know those students very well. The Aggie network is huge (and loyal), and a real benefit that opens many doors. Go to the information session for BHP candidates, when we attended the post graduation stats made the decision an easy one. Yes, you do get to know the professors but I will say, they do a good job of that with or without honors - upper division in Mays charges a supplement fee to facilitate smaller classes for all Mays students. One of the best marketing tools is the Aggie Ring, I also have a senior with one, you’ll be amazed who stops you & talks to you (gives you a business card, etc) wherever you are. Good luck with your decision & congrats in your invitation to join BHP.</p>
<p>I agree that A&M has a great alumni network and business connections, but with SMU’s location in Dallas and its smaller size, wouldn’t I have more/better opportunities to take on internships and gain real experience? I don’t want to be just a number. I definitely agree that I would still be able to get internships at A&M, but wouldnt there be more competition to get those spots than at SMU? @whciv01 I’ve looked at the ROIs, I don’t think they show exactly what a business degree is worth from both schools. A&M is heavy engineering, which pays more overall.</p>
<p>@135 pipe, I know rankings are good to extent, A&M being 35 and SMU being 55 for MBAs, but Bloomberg Undergraduate Business rankings ranks SMU at 30, A&M at 33. So close!
[Top</a> Business School Rankings: MBA, Undergrad, Executive & Online MBA - Businessweek](<a href=“Bloomberg - Are you a robot?”>Bloomberg - Are you a robot?)</p>
<p>I guess what I am saying is that at SMU, even though the cost is considerably more, having the location in Dallas and having access to those internships be more valuable in the long run?</p>
<p>i’m going to tell you what I told you first… go to Texas A&M. If SMU is ranked higher, whatever. In the long run, and even in the short run, A&M will be an extreme benefit. Mays is highly ranked, and A&M powerhouse alumni dominate the DFW area as well as Houston (I know irrelevant). I’m from DFW, and I can’t tell you how many successful A&M alumni I know. LOTS</p>
<p>@ratatat0 I’ve heard that the business honors at A&M has a 100% job placement or graduate school path after graduation. But I think SMU also has a very high job placement rate, especially in Dallas, and has the advantages of a smaller school…</p>
<p>@brighdalake According to Businessweek ([Southern</a> Methodist University: Cox School of Business - Undergraduate Profile - Businessweek](<a href=“Bloomberg - Are you a robot?”>Bloomberg - Are you a robot?)) only 87% of Cox undergrads receive job offers at graduation, so that’s a big gap between SMU and A&M BHP. What advantages do you think SMU would give you over Mays Honors because it is in a smaller school? I’m curious because I would think that it would be the other way around - Mays BHP would give you the benefits of a small school such as a lot of access to faculty, small classes, and a close-knit community, but would also come with the research opportunities and networking benefits of a large university, which SMU would lack.</p>
<p>But, if you’re leaning towards SMU because of personal preference and are willing to pay the extra money, go there. You’re the one who will be spending four years of your life at one of these schools, so make sure you feel like it’s a good fit for you! I’m just pointing out the differences between the two on paper to try and help you understand your options.</p>
<p>@catcat34 I think you are right! I love that A&M bhp is the best of both worlds between a small community and access to the entire Aggie network. A&M definitely seems to be the better choice based on the current costs. I’m hoping to get more aid from SMU in the upcoming months, if I do get this opportunity, I’m now trying to figure out where I see myself. I do “see” myself more at SMU, as well as my parents, but that doesn’t mean I don’t like A&M. I have already planned more visits to both campuses and even sitting in classes to help with this choice. So far the feedback as been almost 50/50. Most people say A&M based on its reputation, network, job placement, small/big community. Most people say SMU based on its professor personal relationships, smaller class sizes in all departments , internships, and location. Both really have all these characteristics to some degree. I love that I can use this website to get so many interesting opinions. I really appreciate it!</p>
<p>I’m currently a freshman business major at Texas A&M; however, I am not in Business Honors. If one of your main reasons for picking SMU over BHP is because of the smaller size, then you should realize that the average size of Mays Business Honors classes is 20 students. Honors students register for next semester’s classes as first priority; they register before seniors going into their last semester. I have many friends in Business Honors, and they seem to love it. You are presented with many opportunities to meet with business professionals that can help you decide which major is right for you. Your classes are different than just regular business majors because of the size difference; most of my Business Honors counterparts had more group projects in their classes than I did. But then again, as a freshman, you do not take many “business” classes. You are still taking prerequisites (unless you’re one of those students coming in with 30+ high school hours), then you’d be starting with accounting, etc. The Aggie Network is serious business. “Aggies hire Aggies” is a term you will hear throughout your time here, especially at Mays. Both SMU and A&M are obviously excellent choices, but A&M is much cheaper and still offers great connections for the future. I know I’m biased, but I can’t help it. :)</p>