<p>Hi I am currently choosing between USC and UCLA. My intended major is engineering (though I am undecided at USC), but I was planning on working towards an MBA as soon as possible out of college.</p>
<p>I have a half scholarship to USC so the cost of both is relatively the same and I was wondering which would be the better option for me.</p>
<p>From what I can gather, UCLA is a bit more prestigious, but USC appeals to me because I think I will get a more personalized education w/ thematic option and smaller classes in general (I will know my profs better), the alumni network is typically seen as stronger (It will be easier to get jobs), and I hopefully will be able to stand out more in my class... hopefully.</p>
<p>Still its hard for me to picture myself in the trojan red as opposed to the bruin blue. :(</p>
<p>If my main goal to get an MBA from a top school, what should I do?</p>
<p>If you have been accepted to Thematic Option and the cost is approximately the same, I would recommend USC. The individual attention and small classes you will experience in TO are a huge advantage. In your writing classes, you will have individual tutorials with your teachers and tiny classes (my daughter’s Thematic Option classes had between 9 and 24 students in them).</p>
<p>UCLA’s perceived undergrad prestige is not significant enough over USC to be concerned with it.
I’d say USC. Even if you didn’t have the thematic option, I’d still say USC.</p>
<p>The strength of your undergrad program is considered. Go wherever you find the best fit, and that is likely where you will be most successful.</p>
<p>Also, USC is almost as large as UCLA, so don’t automatically assume that you will have smaller classes. I’m a student at UCLA, and I would say that ~60% of my classes have 20 students or less.</p>
<p>If your interest is MBA, you should start researching now.
It’s not just one thing that will get you into a top MBA program.
You may go to a not so good university and get a high gpa, but there are other factors that will also play into admissions. Significant WORK experience is one. Test scores and letters of recommendations are others.
Research specific programs. Looking at Harvard’s MBA class profiles within the last couple of years shows that students come from all types of schools, even Cal States!
[Undergraduate</a> Institutions - MBA - Harvard Business School](<a href=“http://www.hbs.edu/mba/profiles/undergrad.html]Undergraduate”>People - MBA - Harvard Business School)
They even come from different majors.
[Class</a> Profiles - MBA - Harvard Business School](<a href=“http://www.hbs.edu/mba/profiles/classprofile.html]Class”>Class Profile - MBA - Harvard Business School)</p>