Undergrad Business: Ross Vs. Wharton

College Search & Selection
1

I’m a rising senior who loves Penn and Michigan. I want to do undergrad business, and like the academics at Penn much better but the school spirit and town of Michigan. I also love art, and would do an art minor at Stamps if I went to Michigan.

Would I be crazy to not ED to Penn? I think I could get the same education at Ross (minus the prestige) and I want a fun college experience but I still want to get into Wharton, I just don’t want them to decide for me w/ ED so I’m against it. If I didn’t ED I’d EA to Harvard & UMich.

Stats: my ACT is 35 (36,33,36,35), 800 US History SAT II, 770 Math II (retaking in May to get 800), 95 unweighted GPA (on 100 pt scale), 99 weighted. APs: 5 on APUSH, 5 on AP2D, currently taking AP Physics 1, APCSP, AP French, AP drawing, plan on taking APBC, AP Econ, AP stats, and AP Art History next year. Varsity athlete (coxswain), started a non-profit that’s led to statewide recognition, citations, and awards. Summer = bs international college prep programs w/ oxbridge (ik they don’t look good but they’re fun).

Also: white girl, OOS, absurd legacy at michigan (parents, aunt & uncle on one side, uncle on other side, 2nd cousin) and minor legacy at Penn (my late grandfather is a semi-influential Wharton alum, but i know legacy only counts for ED).

Please let me know what you think!!

2

So Ross = Wharton - Prestige? Bill Maher might agree, but others might say Ross has considerable cachet too, despite its flyover state location.

3

@businessgirl2024: How do you know that you “like the academics at Penn much better” than at Michigan ?

In answer to your question, you would not be crazy to not ED to Penn.

4

I’ve toured both, and like the setup of Penn’s curriculum (concentrations, cohorts, smaller classes, 40% liberal arts) better than the finance factory-esque academic environment of Ross, with its much bigger classes and more rigid requirements

5

businessgirl2024, you seem to be misinformed about a great many things. Perhaps the respective tours emphasized different aspects of their respective programs, and Wharton came out in a more flattering light. :wink:

  1. Wharton obviously has the edge over Ross, but the margin is not that significant. I don't think the academics at Wharton are "much better".
  2. The curriculum at Wharton is indeed flexible, with only 20 of the 37 (54%) core units required for graduation coming from Wharton. The remaining 17 core units are flexible, which, as you pointed out, enable Wharton students to receive a well rounded liberal arts educations. But Ross is no different, with 58 of the 120 (48%) credits required for graduation coming from Ross. The remaining 62 credits are flexible, also enabling Ross students to receive a well rounded liberal arts education. More than one third of Ross undergraduate double major or minor inn another program, so clearly the curriculum is not that rigid.
  3. Ross and Wharton offer similar curricula and classroom experiences. I am not sure who told you that the Ross curriculum is finance factory-esque. If anything, Ross emphasizes Strategy more than Finance.

https://undergrad.wharton.upenn.edu/flexible-curriculum/

https://michiganross.umich.edu/undergraduate/bba/curriculum/curriculum-by-year

Finally, do you have verifiable proof that classes at Ross are much bigger than classes at Wharton? Wharton enrolls more students and is not exactly known for small classes (neither is Ross mind you). I was under the impression that classes at both Ross and Wharton where moderately sized, but I could be wrong.

If you feel you would be significantly happier at Wharton, and it seems you have convinced yourself that you would be, then applying ED to Penn makes sense. You should apply ED to your favorite school. If Penn is not your first choice, then apply RD to Penn and EA to Michigan.

6

I noticed you said you would apply EA to Harvard and Michigan if you didn’t do Penn ED. To Dave you the suprise later, I just wanted to inform you that Harvard is single choice early action so you can’t actually do both :frowning:

7

@Kbat11700 She can apply to Harvard SCEA and any public university EA. It’s only private universities she cannot apply to EA at the same time.

1 Like
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It seems to me if “I just don’t want them to decide for me w/ ED so I’m against it. If I didn’t ED I’d EA to Harvard & UMich.” then you aren’t sold on Wharton. If you’re not sold on Wharton, don’t ED there. Yes it gives you better chances but you should do that if you are clearly interested in them as your first choice (decisively). It sounds like you might have as much or more interest in both Ross and Harvard.

Also, what are you most interested in academically / career wise? If it’s IB Wharton has a recruiting advantage (over Ross). They’re both good and you can get to NYC from Ross (many do), but it’s basically the standard at Wharton (represents one of the top two or three schools recruited). Something to consider.

9

Kbat11700, as momprof9904 points out, SCEA only restricts applicants from applying early to private universities. Since Michigan is public, it is perfectly acceptable for applicants to apply there EA, even if they apply SCEA to another university.

10

I have direct experience with Wharton. Yes not UG but some perspective.

If Ross can be classified as significantly more “affordable” for you (and I don’t use any actual numbers because that is family dependent/situational) then in no way should you be concerned with prestige gap.

Does one exist, sure. Is it real in terms of outcomes and actual quality of learning, surely not.

The other “fit” factors may not seem important to a teenager when thinking in terms of most impressive school sweatshirts, as I call it.

But do not underestimate quality of student life and spirit at Michigan. And the Ann Arbor environment will add to that as well.

Younger brother went the UM path. And I honestly can tell you more than once, I said I wish I had gone there as an UG when visiting him. It was an awesome experience.

I don’t know the Penn UG experience but it certainly appeared to be different than his.

So, apply to both and see where you get in before getting too wrapped up in these questions. You don’t want UM to be some consolation prize in the end. It’s top shelf.

11

i think i’ve decided to not ED to penn and because at the end of the day michigan feels more me:)

12

thank you!