<p>2 of the top 3 public universities. Both great socially and pretty equal academically. Both cool college towns, both great campuses & facilities. Athletics have more history and tradition at Michigan but pretty similar overall these days it seems - including great non-revenue sports (hockey! at Michigan, baseball, soccer, lacrosse at Virginia). Pre-admitted at Ross, McIntire has no guarantees but is ranked ever-so-slightly higher (I know what a big deal Ross pre-admit is & that's a big factor here). Tuition about the same OOS & each requires a plane flight. Both have fabulous brand new business school buildings. Not sure about the food at Virginia, wasn't impressed with the food at Michigan but that's kinda low on the list. Weather is certainly different. Anybody have any thoughts about this choice? Doesn't have to be business school related.</p>
<p>McIntire doesn’t hold a candle to Ross. Do some research; Businessweek’s rankings are inaccurate.</p>
<p>I would say U of M for the basic reason that you are about 1/100 people across the country who is a pre-admit. McIntire and Ross are very close in most rankings and you are guaranteed a spot at Ross, barring a really rough freshman year. Unless you are receiving scholarship money from UVA or can’t stand the thought of Michigan winter, I would say Ross. Have you seen either school or both?</p>
<p>It is a tough choice and it all comes down to which school you like better. Both are top programs and there isn’t a single job that Ross will get you that McIntire can’t and vice versa. If you like a smaller, preppy, sort of Ivy feel, go to Virginia. If you are huge on sports, more laid back, full of school spirit, and love being around tons of people, go to Michigan. </p>
<p>If I had to choose which school was better, I would definitely give the nod to Ross, but the difference is marginal at best. </p>
<p>If money is an issue though, UVA meets the financial needs of all of its students. Michigan doesn’t. I still haven’t received a dime from Michigan’s financial aid department :(</p>
<p>Edit: If you got pre admitted into Ross, and money is no issue, then you should go to Michigan. Either way you would be fine though.</p>
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<p>Ross contends with big names like Sloan and Wharton. McIntire is nowhere in that picture. Up till now, I didn’t even know UVa’s business school’s name.</p>
<p>Also, look at avg. salaries after undergrad. Ross not only has a greater success rate, its grads also make more money. Clearly the difference is NOT marginal.</p>
<p>Ross> McIntire</p>
<p>Although I agree that Ross is slightly better than McIntire, in terms of overall undergraduate experience and undergraduate professional placement, I believe Ross and McIntire are even. Overall, Michigan is slightly better than UVa academically, but again, in terms of undergraduate experience, Michigan and UVa are peers. </p>
<p>I would recommend visiting the two schools and going for fit. I personally loved UVa’s campus almost as much as Michigan’s (UVa was prettier, but Michigan was just more dynamic), but I preferred Ann Arbor to Charlottesville (also an awesome college town in its own right).</p>
<p>Of course, pre-admit to Ross virtually guarantees successful enrollment into the program, so that’s something else to consider.</p>
<p>You Michigan homers are ridiculous. UVA is just as much of a target for the top investment banks and consulting firms as Michigan is. There is no evidence to suggest that Ross grads make more money than McIntire grads. I would choose based on fit in this situation. Like you said, these are 2 of the top 3 publics we are talking about here.</p>
<p>Ross DOES NOT COMPETE with Wharton. This comparison that Ross students throw around is completely inaccurate and does a disservice to students who are seeking to make an educated decision. Wharton’s representation at the top firms is exponentially better than Michigan’s or almost any other school for that matter.</p>
<p>lesdiablesbleus, at least those “homers” stick to their school’s forum. I do not recall the last time a Wolverine went to the Duke forum and bashed Duke. I would estimate that 5 or 6 Duke students have been coming to the Michigan website frequently for the last 4 years. I don’t understand the preoccupation.</p>
<p>^^That’s because deep down inside those Dukies know that their school is overrated and Michigan is it’s peer. :-)</p>
<p>This is a no brainer if you ask me. You have a pre-admit to Ross and no guarantees from McIntire. Go with U-M. Please ignore Businessweek’s ranking system. Every year it changes fairly dramatically, which is obviously a ploy to sell more issues. I mean does anyone in academia or the business world actually think that ND, for example, has a better business school than Michigan?</p>
<p>“Both great socially and pretty equal academically.”</p>
<p>I am sorry but I feel Michigan is academically superior overall to UVA. Michigan has no departmental weaknesses. Virginia is relatively weak in the natural sciences and Engineering.</p>
<p>I would go with UM. I’m from Virginia and I can tell you that UVA isn’t all that great. Atleast personally, I’d rather not go to a school made up primarily of white,wealthy, preppy, northern Virginians. Beyond the fact that there is little racial diversity, there is even less diversity of though. You may be one that falls into the crowd and feels really at home, but you may be kind of left out of the loop. From what I know, you either love UVA or you hate it. There is very little middle ground.</p>
<p>That being said, it is still a very good school. I’m sure there is diversity, it just may not be very obvious. </p>
<p>I don’t know about the facilities at UM, but I can tell you most of the dorms and food at UVA are not good. I don’t know about all of them, but from what I’ve heard, freshman dorms + dorms on the lawn are not places I’d want to live. </p>
<p>I’ve lived in Northern Virginia all my life and have grown up with the UVA type. Maybe I’m just tired of them or maybe they’re really as vapid as I think they are, but in general, I would not want to spend four more years in the same atmosphere of NoVA.</p>
<p>Best of luck.</p>
<p>Charlieharper, just because you haven’t heard of Virginia’s business school, doesn’t mean it isn’t a top program. Whether you like it or not, McIntire and Ross are peers. A good argument can be made for McIntire being better than Ross and vice versa. Arguing over it is meaningless because they both attract top students and top firms. Argue all you want, but they are peers. If you must decide which is better, I would agree that the nudge would go to Ross. </p>
<p>Ovechkinlyubov8, I too live in Northern Virginia and the hype around UVA is huge here. The reason I am choosing Michigan over Virginia are the exact same reasons you said. UVA requires a special type of student. Its small, quite, preppy, and full of rich kids. If you think you can be around them ChuckP, then you could be at home here. If you want more diversity, go to Michigan.</p>
<p>The only heavy reason I would consider Virginia over Michigan is if you are an instate business major.</p>
<p>^^^But he hasn’t been pre-admitted to McIntire and he has to Ross. Therefore, that “heavy reason” is a moot point.</p>
<p>Exactly. Which is why I belieive he should go to Michigan. What I was stating earlier is that Virginia is still a top program and he would be fine either way. The difference isn’t huge and it all comes down to personal preference. But since he was already pre-admitted, Ross would be a better choice IMO.</p>
<p>I second what WolfPackfan says. I don’t think it has ever been an argument over “Which is a better program”. They’re both very strong and very competitive. Ultimately, it is a personal preference. I gave my opinion concerning UVA based mostly on my personal preference. I really don’t have the background knowledge to judge the programs academically, but I can say what I’ve observed about the general UVA atmosphere. For people who like and are comfortable with the environment at UVA, McIntire would be a great option. However, I think that the vast majority would be able to be comfortable at Ross. </p>
<p>ChuckP, it’s really what you want to do. Both programs are great. You will be just as sucessfull wherever you chose to go. Just think about the kind of place that you want to LIVE in for four years. College is more than studying.</p>
<p>hey ChuckP, I am also admitted to Mich and UVA and also want to go on into the business schools. However for me, I did not apply for Ross pre-admit, so I am enrolled in LSA right now. </p>
<p>I have been looking at a lot of threads and information over the last few days. From what I gather, a big portion of people have said Michigan even though I am not admitted in Ross. For you, I think it should be a straight yes for Mich. Ross pre-admit is crazy man! While at UVA, you never know about getting into McIntire, as competition is increasing. </p>
<p>I am leaning towards Michigan as well. because if for some reason I can not get into Ross after my first year… I can study econ/maths which (although not as good as Ross and McIntire) is still a good shot for job recruiters. </p>
<p>I must say that UVA’s campus looks reallly nice… But even Michigan’s campus is really nice, as well as Ann Arbor. </p>
<p>I strongly suggest Mich, unless there is something really pulling you towards UVA</p>
<p>Thanks for the advice folks - it really helps. But now I have to throw another school in the mix; accepted at USC Marshall School of Business. Any thoughts on Marshall vs. Ross?</p>
<p>Ross, no question.</p>