<p>It seems that based on what your interested in you’d probably like business programs the best. Let’s talk about those first then. Within the region you’ve specified, I’d divide business programs into four tiers. The first tier is safety schools. These have decent, but not necessarily great programs. They still provide a good education though, and are fairly easy to get into. I’d put the Smeal School of Business at Penn State (particularly if your a Pennsylvania state resident), the Wayne Calloway School of Business and Accountancy at Wake Forest, the Whitman School of Management at the University of Syracuse, The School of Management at Boston University, The College of Business Administration at Northeastern, Rutgers University - New Brunswick Business School, the College of Business Administration at Fordham University, and Bentley College (a dedicated college to business in Boston). The second tier would be schools that are moderates. These are generally a little better than the other ones (though that might be debatable). They are at least more difficult to get into. Among these schools, I’d include the Carroll School of Management at Boston College, and The McDonough School of Business at Georgetown, Next, you’d have reaches, which are much better, but harder to get into. These include the McIntire School of Commerce at UVA, the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon,and the Kenan-Flagler School of Business at UNC Chapel Hill. Finally, you have high reaches which have the best education and opportunities, but are also extremely hard to get into. They are the Wharton School of Business at Penn, the Stern School of Business at NYU, the Sloan School of Management at MIT, and the AEM prorgam at Cornell CALS. </p>
<p>Of these programs, I recommend you have a good bed of safeties, with some reaches. Among the safeties, I’d particularly recommend Fordham, Northeastern, Wake Forest, and Penn State. You should probably bypass the moderates, which aren’t that great relative to the increased difficulty of getting in, and snap up the three reaches. The far reaches are all great schools, but just be aware that they are extremely hard to get into. You may therefore want to apply to them once you’ve got your other applications finished.</p>
<p>Be aware as well that Tepper, and the far reaches, particularly Cornell, Penn, and MIT, would be mathematically intense. If you feel that you’re quantitative abilities aren’t that great, then you might want to pass them up. Conversely however, if you like math and are good at it, then you may want to give them extra special consideration. The choice of course is yours, but you should think carefully before you apply. In particular, if you’re end is a job in business rather than a business education specifically, you might want to think about more traditional economics programs from top schools. An economics degree from the Ivies, Duke, or even Johns Hopkins, Tufts or Georgetown can go a long way. </p>
<p>Another alternative is liberal arts colleges. They provide really great education in economics, and tend to have really good opportunities. This is because employers respect the education they provide, and because the alumni are very loyal and willing to help you. The size of a liberal arts college also means that you can build strong personal relationships with professors who can give great recommendations. Among liberal arts colleges, I’d say that Williams, Amherst, Swarthmore, Bowdoin, Middlebury, Hamilton, Colgate, and Washington and Lee (specifically the Williams School of Commerce, Economics, and Politics) have the best opportunities for business. </p>
<p>Be forewarned that they are difficult to get into, and can occasionally be stingy with financial aid if that’s an issue for you. It’s also worth noting that they depend heavily on the alumni network for jobs. This is often very good, because their alumni are prominent, loyal, and very willing to help, but it does mean that you need to seek out and cultivate relationships with them if you really want to get the most out of one of those schools. Fortunately their career services offices will help you with this. At the end of the day if you want a really great, personal education and a fanatically loyal alumni network who can give you great opportunities in the business world, liberal arts colleges really are an excellent choice. </p>
<p>One final note. Some of these schools are so prestigious that their degree transcends regions. This is the case with MIT Sloan, Penn Wharton, Cornell AEM, Duke, Johns Hopkins, and the Ivies (by which I mean their arts and sciences divisions, including Penn CAS and Cornell CAS). In many cases though, you’ll find that a school’s degree gives you the best opportunities in its region. This is partly because the alumni are clustered in the region, and also because the local businesses in these regions have more experience dealing with graduates from these schools than businesses in other regions. For instance, a Northeastern or Bowdoin degree would carry more weight in New England than the Mid Atlantic and Northern Virginia, whereas a Washington and Lee or Georgetown degree would carry more weight in the Mid Atlantic and Northern Virginia than in New England. You should therefore consider where you want to work before you apply, and prize schools in that region before other schools. Overall, I think your prospects are bright as long as you keep your grades up, and I’m sure that you’ll be able to get in somewhere that fits your interests. Best of luck to you.</p>