SMU vs. Northwestern

I am aware that SMU is a highly rated school with great academics. That said, what is the value of a degree in their Real Estate Finance program? My son desires to live and work in Chicago (in the field of real estate) following graduation. He is contemplating an additional major in Alternative Asset Management to enhance his knowledge and skills.

  1. Are SMU Cox School Of Business graduates able to receive job offers (and internships) from reputable companies in big cities besides Dallas?
  2. Would it be in his best interest to instead double major in Finance and Alternative Asset Management as an undergraduate student, and then attempt to gain admission into a top MBA program like Northwestern's to study Real Estate? The reason I am suggesting this is because Northwestern's business connections to the city of Chicago (his desired city) and the school's tremendous job placement rating for recent graduates of their MBA programs.

Please offer any experiences, insight, or opinions.

I posted this in a more recent forum, but I wanted to provide some insight into the Real Estate program at SMU.

I am a current student at SMU and know SO many students from Cox who head off to Chicago, New York, and everywhere in between. SMU has an extensive alumni network, Cox especially. The career center will help your son build his resume and connect with who he would like. There is a big career center for Cox specifically as well as some departments also have their own career searching offices inside.

Cox works year-round to find jobs for their students. I have had experience sitting in at the Folsom Institute for Real Estate during the summer and I cannot begin to express how impressed I was at their efficiency and determination to find each and every student not only a job, but a job that was a foundation for success. They also have the Real Estate Club that is managed by students but overseen by the Institute. Wow! This is an amazing program. From their mentorship program, board meetings that students are invited to attend, and mock interviews to their speaker series which last featured Mark Cuban, the students are able to meet with Real Estate heads from around the country and make connections. Especially compared to schools that some might think as more well known such as Vanderbilt (who do not have as strong career centers as you would think), I have seen what SMU can do for a student and I recommend it 1000% percent.

As for your second question, I believe a few of my points have touched on it, but I do not think that I am qualified to answer it in its entirety. I hope this helped in some way! I also applied to Northwestern this past year, so I understand where your son is coming from.

If you have any other questions, do not hesitate to reach out.