<p>So I got accepted at these amazing schools and now I'm having a hard time choosing between them. I'm primarily interested in an economics major with view of entering management consultancy. Obviously all three of them are recruited by top consultancy firms (perhaps Wharton or Stanford more so?)</p>
<p>Stanford has always been my dream school. However, after reading some experiences from current students (namely this one from a disgruntled econ major <a href="http://www..com/stanford_university/reviews/5287/%5B/url%5D%5B/B%5D">http://www..com/stanford_university/reviews/5287/</a>), I have some doubts (EDIT: the censored word is uni go without the space). What I am most concerned about is the accessibility of the professors, and the size of the classes. Are any classes taught by TAs? I don't want to attend large lectures where teaching comes second to research for professors. Do professors bring the material to life? Would you say Stanford is undergraduate-focused or graduate-focused?</p>
<p>Also how heavily are Stanford undergrads recruited by management consulting firms like McKinsey, Bain and Booz? Is it one of their core schools? </p>
<p>I definitely don't want to make a choice based only on prestige which I understand Stanford and Wharton win in terms of international recognition (I'm an international student). To be honest I'm leaning towards Brown because of the open curriculum, more accessible professors and the prospect of a true liberal arts education. Wharton also has some things that help build some undergraduate cohesiveness like cohorts and the Leadership Ventures. I'm finding a hard time to find something that makes Stanford stand out academically except from the name, the weather, the gorgeous campus and the laid-back atmosphere ('duck' syndrome?)</p>
<p>If any current Stanford students could help me, I would appreciate it.</p>
<p>My son just went through a bunch of job interviews for investment banking and consulting jobs for when he graduates. He is not a Stanford student, he attends Dartmouth. However, since his sister will be attending college in the fall and also plans to major in economics, for her sake he paid attention to what schools the other candidates were coming from. He never encountered anyone from Brown or Wharton. Wharton MBA’s yes, but not undergrads. Brown seems to do well as far as placing people in non-profit organizations. The moral of the story: his sister is attending Stanford even though she was recruited by Brown, and by Penn and offered Wharton admission.</p>
<p>Let me understand you. You may be willing to give up your “DREAM school” because of some unverifiable opinions of a random stranger on the internet? I don’t get it. Assuming the writer of the review is actually a Stanford student, his main complaint seems to be that Stanford economics is “extremely theoretical.” Isn’t the point of college to seek, nurture and develop new and exciting ideas through high-level critical and analytical thinking? If you’re looking to learn a trade, you can pursue an MBA in the future. More likely, your immediate post-grad employment will provide the training. You have to honestly ask yourself what you want for the next four years. Do you want to learn how to think for yourself or do you want others to train you for a vocation? Only you know the answer.</p>
<p>I have posted this many times. Don’t make major decisions based on what you read on the CC message board. Perhaps Brown is the best school for you, but don’t decide because of one or two random posts. Stanford received over 30,000 applications. There is probably a reason for that.</p>