UChicago (Econ) vs Georgetown (McDonough)

<p>Hello! I was accepted to both UChicago and Georgetown EA. If my RD schools don't work out, I'll be choosing between these two schools, so I'd like to have a well thought out choice just in case. Career-wise, I want to be in business, but I have a pretty broad range of interests. Right now I could see myself working in the business side of a creative industry (probably music), technology (consumer electronics, websites, etc), or public policy (but not as a government official). I know I definitely do NOT want to go into finance/consulting/i-banking/etc. I like both schools in terms of location and student life, so I am mainly concerned about the curriculum. I know UChicago's econ department is one of the best, but I'm afraid it will be too theoretical for me. I'm also a little wary about the Core taking up a lot of time. I've heard a lot about the worthlessness of an undergrad business degree, and although Georgetown is a top school, since a majority of the students at McDonough want to go into finance, I don't know how good it is for the other majors. I also heard that most people at top MBA programs don't have undergrad business degrees, so it can be redundant for someone with one. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!</p>

<p>bump please help!</p>

<p>I would say Georgetown! UChicago does seem to be much more…I’m not sure what the right word is…focused on one area. Georgetown, on the other hand, is more well-rounded - it is a respectable school at which to get an undergraduate degree in preparation for business school that just so happens to be in a vibrant city.</p>

<p>As a veteran in finance, I would recommend Chicago over Georgetown not only for the career opportunities (smart folks will do fine in either) but also for the holistic education and additional cache Chicago provides. I would certainly make the same recommendation for my young one who will be making similar decisions before she knows it.</p>

<p>@JessicaForbes
And what “area” would that be? I’m genuinely curious.</p>

<p>To the OP: I’m really in no position to be giving you any advice, biased and inexperienced as I am, but I can attest to the fact that an undergrad business degree would not confer any significant advantage to an applicant as far as admissions to top MBA programs are considered.</p>

<p>@jak321 Economics</p>

<p>By the way, feel free to disagree, but he asked for advice and nobody responded. That is my take on UChicago, no need to be rude. :)</p>

<p>Well, UChicago is very, very strong in all of the Social Sciences (especially Economics), but it’s Arts and Humanities departments are also among the top 5 in the world, while it’s Physical Science Departments are in the top 10. It’s Law and Business school are also among the top 5 in the world. </p>

<p>But your take on UChicago is not altogether unique, so I can’t really blame you there. </p>

<p>OP sorry for hijacking the thread :p</p>

<p>^While UChicago blows Georgetown out of the water in terms of graduate programs, some of them are probably not as strong as you claimed. For example, its chemistry is not in the top-10 (in the US or the world).</p>

<p>I don’t think you go to Georgetown for business. Try Penn or MIT.</p>

<p>^ Georgetown has an undergraduate business school.</p>

<p>The only “worthless ug business” degrees are those from lower tier schools that are generally crappy in all areas. Gtown may be for enjoyable for you overall.</p>

<p>@Sam Lee
Yes, I am aware. When I said top 10, I was referring to the Physical Sciences/Math Dept as a whole. The same goes for the Humanities and Social Sciences, but I can see how you could conclude otherwise seeing my poorly worded post.</p>

<p>@barrons
I think that you would have to look very hard to find an altogether worthless degree. But how much much is a UG business degree from the second batch of B-Schools (McDonough, McCombs) worth vis-a-vis an Economics degree?</p>

<p>There are lots of schools where you might have been far better off getting a certificate in a trade from the local CC than a degree from the lower tier school. I think a biz degree from UT would have an easier time getting a good job than an econ degree from UT and have more choices with less effort.</p>

<p>cac815: I am pretty much in the same exact situation. Can you, or anyone else who has decided between these two schools, explain what some deciding factors were?</p>