I’m faced with a dilemma with my decision for undergrad between Umich (denied by ross) vs UT Austin Mccombs any advice would be appreciated. One thing to note is that tuition isn’t a factor. Here are the pros and cons of each.
Umich
Pros:
I would major in Mathematics of Finance and Risk Management which is a really interesting major to me and I would have the ability to minor in business at Ross, or comp sci and go into quant finance, or potentially economics. Could also pursue a data science major. I would have a lot more ability to explore different fields/jobs since I feel like I have a passion for more than just business.
I’ve always wanted to go here (probably the biggest factor). My dad went to Ross, my brother is a junior at Ross, and two of my cousins are also in Ross. I grew up supporting them through all sports and everything, in general, has always been my dream for me to go to Umich. Love the campus and everything about it.
Having a lot of families already in Ross they’ve told me that they can help a lot in getting into clubs and business frats since they’ll have pull which is what they say is key in being able to go into Finance after college more so than even being in Ross alone.
Umich is more widely recognized and established through all parts of the country and world rather than just a particular region
Cons:
I got denied by Ross and I’m not sure how I would feel going to Umich and constantly being reminded of that and how my whole family is in Ross lol.
Wouldn’t technically be a business major which from what I’ve heard at Michigan doesn’t matter very much but still is a factor to consider.
Would definitely have to work a decent bit harder to get the same opportunities in business considering I’m not in Ross.
UT Austin Mccombs
Pros:
Got accepted into Mccombs and would be able to pursue a straightforward finance degree (likely with a math minor/major)
Really liked the campus and the overall vibe, Austin is dope asf (the weather is a plus over Umich)
Mccombs has a lot of resources and the from what I’ve heard is quite a bit less competitive than Umich.
Mccombs is the 7th best undergrad business school and 4th for finance
Cons:
It’s not Umich lol
I hate that I have this feeling and I’ve been trying to get rid of it but it feels subpar and just the safe option
Most people end up in Texas after graduation or somewhere in the south (not necessarily
bad I just would like to have more options)
your pros for UT are much more compelling than the pros for UM, and the cons are much less jarring.
I think the UT brand name is growing on the coasts as well and will rival UM’s soon, if it doesn’t already. we are in the Northeast and people are impressed by UT for sure- not necessarily for the right reasons, but just because it’s so hard to get in OOS (UT takes 90% in state). and also recent successes in big time sports don’t hurt. plus, everyone says Austin is cool
read your own post. it just sounds like an easy decision for UT.
I don’t think you will find this is the case at all. Your LSA majors would be highly valued by recruiters, and they certainly aren’t going to not interview or hire you because you aren’t in Ross.
If you are concerned about Ross students having access to resources you don’t, it sounds like that concern should be minimized given that you are planning to join business organizations and will also have family members who will make sure that you don’t miss anything.
Are you in state for Michigan? If so, I would absolutely choose it. Your disappointment will be replaced by excitement once you are on campus. If you are OOS, then Michigan no longer has the price advantage.
Also…you know that the Ross students were booed by the rest of their classmates at graduation last year, right?
There are few public universities that can open the same doors as Michigan. Texas is one of them. Texas places people in the top IB firms, MBB consulting firms, etc. I think you want to go to Michigan and encourage you to do so. However, the reason shouldn’t be that Texas is subpar or safe. For whatever rankings are worth, US News undergraduate business rankings have Michigan at 4 and Texas at 7.
Are LSA students allowed to interview at companies when they come to Ross/Ross career fairs and events/presentations? Do LSA students have access to Ross listings in Handshake? Can LSA join Ross clubs?
I realize LSA students can network into any company, just trying to understand what LSA students can be involved in from the campus resource perspective. Something for OP to look into.
I read it the totally opposite way, as if he was trying to talk himself into UT! His positives were weather, less competitive, and he liked the campus vibe at UT.l (vs loving the whole Michigan culture).
The bottom line, as I am sure the OP knows, is that he has to stop worrying so much about what other people will think. Don’t worry that you will be looked down upon if you are not in Ross (no one besides family will even know you applied), or that UT is somehow second rate (it isn’t). Try really hard to picture yourself and decide where YOU will be happier and where you can better achieve your goals.
Also, going back to your LSA major, you are going to have a much easier time standing out in recruiting because you don’t have an identical Ross major to other students.
Yeah thanks this is basically the whole dilemma, I recognize the opportunities at UT but it’s just so hard to look past my love for UMich and I’m trying to just change my mindset. Thanks for the help
Yes, LSA students can join business clubs. Yes, they can attend Ross recruiting presentations (my daughter was at one on Thursday), and yes they have access to handshake.
Are there some Ross resources and opportunities available only to arise students? I would guess there are some, but I know tons of LSA and engineering kids who are successfully interviewing with and getting offers from investment banks, MBB and other top consulting firms, etc.
Edited to add: I won’t say with certainty about whether there is some Ross-only section if Handshake, but I know my daughter applied through handshake to jobs at Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Deloitte, and similar.
Thanks for sharing some insider info. I agree there are students outside Ross getting these opportunities…but they are working hard to access them (as are the Ross students…I don’t want to imply Ross hands opportunities to students, because they don’t, students still need to hustle for opportunities).
Your reasons for wanting to go to UM don’t have merit. Remember, the don’t have a dream school etc. Start a new family legacy at UT.
You want to study finance - so studying math and a CS minor is not finance. It’s great. It can perhaps get into some of the same areas…but it’s not finance.
So go study finance - I wouldn’t care if it was U Tennessee or U Toledo - I’d still say - go study finance.
That it’s McCombs is just added bonus.
This is an easy, not a tough decision.
Studying what you want should always, IMHO, override studying where you want.
I understand why, on an emotional level, this is a tough decision.
But as an aspiring business student, if you treat this as a business case study, the answer is pretty clear. Even at cost parity, I don’t think it makes sense to forfeit your desired major for UMich when you have a top-notch program like McCombs as an option. When you say
recognize that there are two reasons you feel this way: 1) your family glorifies UMich and 2) the “familiarity breeds contempt” effect regarding your in-state flagship. Neither of these is reality. You could just as easily have a mirror-image counterpart who lives in Michigan but has family ties to UT, and has the exact same feelings in reverse.
I know you’re saying that tuition isn’t a factor, but it would be an interesting project to create an investment account for the additional money UMich would have cost, and see how much you can grow that investment through your college years and beyond.
I’m sure there are thousands of kids who would love to be able to go to UT, especially McCombs.
As a UT grad who lives in the Northeast, I’ll tell you that UT has a strong national alumni network. It’s huge and influential, like Michigan, not just in Texas or the south.
I’ve been recruiting for large companies for 30+ years and in my mind, the ability to NOT major in finance in Michigan but still end up in finance (if you want to and if you love it) is a huge positive for Michigan, non-Ross.
The world is a big place. You don’t need to specialize at age 18. A math major can do pretty much anything if they are good at it (and want to).
I rarely meet a kid who wanted to major in finance while they were in college who actually understand what the discipline involves and what careers are like in the field. Are there some? Yes. Most of the time, it’s a respectable major which doesn’t have your parents friends bugging you “what are you going to do with that”.
There is a reason why many top employers offer a “mini MBA” for their new hires who are going into a finance role straight from a BA in something else. They are magically able to squeeze the four years of a finance degree into an 8 week program (and yes, with some other disciplines thrown in there! Org design, marketing, etc.)
If the idea of a non-finance degree appeals to you- go to Michigan. You may fall in love with something else- cool. or you may end up in finance anyway- also cool.
It sounds like you really want to go to MI. If money isnt a factor, you can go there if it is your dream. It is true you arent in Ross, but you arent in BHP at McCombs either, and it will be easier to change majors at MI. Outcomes will likely be similar. It isnt worth a price difference, but if the price isnt a factor, follow your dream
Yeah that’s interesting to hear and that’s what I had been thinking about recently I feel like I’ve thought about doing finance for a while but I know that I have other interests so maybe in that sense Michigan would allow more fluidity in that sense rather than locking myself into business.
