UC Berkeley Haas/econ vs. NYU Stern

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of California - Berkeley
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<p>I'm having a very hard time with this decision!</p>

<p>I’m thinking I may want a finance focus as an undergrad but my goal would rather be involved in the finances/planning/management of a smaller company than be on Wall Street as an ibanker. </p>

<p>ROI calculations and many rankings put Berkeley above NYU Stern. Stern excels at finance though, but I’m unsure how they compare if I concentrate in a business area that isn’t finance and how internships/job prospects are then.</p>

<p>NYU Stern is a 4-year business program that is more selective as NYU as a whole. It's the most complete undergraduate business education and I may not need to go to grad school immediately or at all after graduation due to the ability to concentrate in a specific area. NYU has the better location. I'm worried about moving away from contacts and experiences and I feel the east coast has more opportunity (despite being from California myself). UC Berkeley students have successfully found summer internships in NYC while at school however. I'll be saving money going to Berkeley as well so this wouldn't be that hard to do if I am recruited. I feel working while enrolled in classes (as Stern students do) is a good experience.</p>

<p>Berkeley requires an application to get into the business program (starting junior year, 50% acceptance rate), but I like that it will show continued motivation to move up that grad schools and companies recognize and the econ program is not competitive (but requires high grades in prerequisites). Few students need to go to grad school immediately after undergrad. Nearly all graduates from both schools get jobs after graduation (NYU Stern does a little bit better, but it's a negligible distinction).</p>

<p>Berkeley graduates have a huge presence in top business schools. NYU students have a major presence as well (to a lesser degree). I'm keeping in mind that while NYU's business program is 3x the size of Berkeley's, the other schools of NYU are unlikely to send many students to top business schools.</p>

<p>Berkeley has the 2nd highest rated undergraduate business program by most rating agencies, I would fit in there I believe, and competition for San Francisco jobs/internships may not be as fierce as NYC. I don't need to be in a frat there but I was wondering if it's a good decision for a non-athlete. Rumors of cutthroat competition in business program (not a total turnoff and exists at both schools).</p>

<p>Berkeley, being public, won't give as careful care to undergraduates and I would see professors much less there than at NYU. I think smaller classes and the sense of community in a 4 year smaller business program would benefit me at NYU.</p>

<p>Berkeley has a reputation for being difficult and the difficulty of their math classes may hurt my chances to explore finance there, and I feel as though it would be easier to be toward the top of NYU Stern's class and more doable to gain extracurricular experiences at NYU.</p>

<p>NYU is more exciting to me than Berkeley if that's something to consider. I've heard gloomy descriptions of Berkeley and I'm concerned about the impersonal teaching and stressful nature. I'm not worried about weather or lack of campus. I think I need to actually be enrolled to judge the enjoyment of them.</p>

<p>NYU is more expensive than Berkeley, but I have generous financial aid from institution/California. NYU also encourages working while taking classes making it easier to pay for school as money is being earned while there.</p>

<p>Thanks for any help you can offer to help me decide or for clearing any misconceptions I have!</p>

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<p>NYU is a rather large private university. Although classes may be smaller than at Berkeley, they may not be that small in an absolute sense. Check the on-line class schedules for the classes you are interested in.</p>

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<p>That’s true @ucbalumnus‌ and I’ve thought about it and I’m less concerned. I’m self-motivated to seek help and get involved enough for Berkeley’s classes. Has learning from TAs (GSIs, right?) been a good experience for you?</p>

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<p>The research university model of a large lecture by a faculty member with discussions by GSIs has its pros and cons. The cons are commonly cited by LAC advocates (but NYU is not a LAC). The pros are available to a motivated student who wants individual help by going to instructors’ office hours – in such a case, you have several instructors to choose from (the faculty member and all of the GSIs). But it is likely that relatively few students take advantage of that.</p>

<p>Upper division classes do get smaller, but economics and business are among the largest majors on campus, so some of their upper division classes (the core ones for the major) can be quite large.</p>

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<p>Thanks @ucbalumnus‌. That sounds like a good system.</p>