UCI vs UCSB vs UC Berkeley ECON

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of California - GENERAL
1

I was accepted to UCI, Berkeley, and SB for all different majors, and I’m having a really hard time deciding on which school to go to. My plan right now is to do econ & accounting and take the CPA, then probably get my MBA as well. I’ll be a third year next fall.

I was accepted to Irvine for Business Economics. I really regret not applying under Business Admin, but I’ll probably apply for the accounting minor once I’m there. I’ve heard that it’s nearly impossible to transfer to bus admin so I’m not going to be too hopeful on that happening. The campus appealed to me the most out of the three, but I want to make a decision based on the quality of program as well, and I hear that Irvine’s business economics is not the best.

I didn’t really like Santa Barbara’s campus, but I hear its accounting program is really good.

I was accepted to Berkeley for econ, and my peers have told me that I can definitely take accounting classes there too, but it might be a little hard since I’m not in Haas. The campus was okay, but I hear it’s extremely competitive and cut throat so I’m not really sure if I would thrive there. Another factor is that SB and Berkeley don’t accept students straight into the major, so I have to work hard to keep my grades up.

I hear undergrad doesn’t matter much if I intend to get my MBA, but I’m just super fearful that I might choose the wrong path and regret it later. What school would benefit my career the most? Is Irvine’s business econ that bad? This is my first time posting here so I apologize if I’ve broken any rules or anything like that.

2

It’s natural to stress over these things. Don’t be fearful. Be aware, be informed, be concerned maybe, but never afraid. You have three outstanding choices.

Big picture: success is determined 90% by you and your work ethic, 10% by campus and major. It sounds like you are going to do an MBA regardless. Yet even if you aren’t, it probably makes little difference in the long run which of those excellent choices you go with. You are admitted directly to the major at UCI and you liked the campus the best. Zot! And best of luck.

3

All 3 are great choices. It is still doable to do accounting with a UCB econ degree, which is still the most prestigious of the 3 choices. A degree from UCB is always very highly regarded. You mentioned taking the CPA exam. The requirements now entails an additional 30 semester units or 45 quarter units beyond the normal bachelors degree. You can go to the CA State Board of Accountancy website to review the requirments. I believe the Haas website also discusses taking additional courses at a community college and UC extension to meet the CPA unit requirements. In the long run, if you have both a CPA, especially with Big 4 experience, and an MBA, from a top 20 to 25 school, you’ll have many great options in your career. Best of luck!