Undergrad Business vs LAC

<p>I know (or at least I think I know) that one day I want to end up on wall street; I love the idea of working with the best of the best as well as the intensity working there supposedly has. In order to make that dream a reality I feel the best course of action would be to get my MBA from a prestigious university whether it be a Wharton or a Sloan. So my question is which would these schools (Wharton and Sloan or comparable) rather see a liberal arts education from a school like Pomona or an undergraduate major like Finance from a school like Stern? I’m afraid I’m not eligible for most of the Ivy’s although I may have a hook at Princeton.</p>

<p>Definitely U-grad business. I would apply to the top 5 ugrad business schools if you want to end up on wall street. A look at the top 5 ugrad surveys shows that most end up in NYC. The number of recruiters at these business schools are usually from Wall Street and the friends you make at these top 5 ugrad business schools (connections) is infinitely helpful.</p>

<p>Most LACs are reputable for feeders into graduate schools but for MBA, admission is mostly based on GMAT and work experience. I would suggest a top LAC if you were going into any other graduate school (law school, med school, etc,) but not for MBA when work experience and a good intern program + first job on Wall Street would help you out SO much more.</p>

<p>I would put 100% support behind an ungrad business program (top 5) unless you were unsure about working on Wall Street or going to a top MBA. Of course if you can get into Princeton, definitely go there.</p>

<p>Kunfuzed, there is no right answer to your question. Business schools like all graduate and professional schools admit kids from diverse backgrounds. The top MBA schools admit the top students -- not just in grades and scores but also in ECs, recommendations, interviews, work experience -- basically the same mosaic of qualifications that you're developing now for your undergraduate applications.</p>

<p>For you to be successful as an UG, you need to choose the college or university that suits you personally. If you fit in academically and socially you will excel and ergo secure excellent internship opportunities and eventually get into a good biz school (or whatever appeals to you a few years hence). </p>

<p>Pomona (and Williams and Amherst and Swarthmore many other LACs) have high admit rates at professional schools and PhD programs. They have very strong networks on Wall Street. You will not be at a disadvantage with a degree from an LAC and a liberal arts education could be a big advantage. Again, it depends on how you would fit in at the individual college.</p>

<p>If you think that an LAC's style of teaching and ambience suits you , then go for it and don't worry about business school just yet.</p>

<p>If, on the other hand, you like the style of learning and environment of a large university, then research schools in that category.</p>

<p>If you don't know, visit. I went to a mega university and my son goes to a small LAC, so I appreciate the value of both. You need to find the right fit for YOU.</p>

<p>Don't study business undergrad. Waste of money. Take Economics instead, then do MBA.</p>

<p>When you suggest top 5 UGrad business programs how many of those are Ivy league? As forementioned the only Ivy I could reasonable HOPE to get into is Princeton which doesn't (I could be mistaken) offer any sort of business prog. I am on the other hand eligible for Stern or Babson or the like. I was originally at a very large public school in Florida and now attend a very small boarding school in New Hampshire and each one has its own advantages and disadvantages and for the life of me I wouldn't trade either experience for the world, leaving me very confused as to what I would like in a college but also confident that I could handle anything for 4 years. Also wondering if McGill should or could be on that list.</p>

<p>Almost non of these top 5 are ivy.
They go</p>

<p>Upenn Wharon, Berkeley Haas(out of state applicants may find it harder to get in), Michigan Ross, NYU Stern, CMU Tepper.</p>

<p>Trust me you do not want to go to McGill if you want to work on Wall Street. I would suggest your application to look like</p>

<p>Princeton (reach)
NYU Stern
CMU Tepper
Umich Ross
Babson (safety)</p>

<p>I left out wharton and haas and sloan because you yourself say that you probably wouldn't get in. </p>

<p>Pavel is wrong btw, though the major ITSELF can be disputed as useful or useless, there is no denying the job prospects or the recruitment by Wall Street firms. I can even give you such links if you are too lazy to go look it up yourself. The Top 5 usnews ugrad business schools get heavily recruited by Wall Street as business is now a very attractive undergraduate major.</p>

<p>Are those colleges the best to be recruited into a wall street firm or the best to get into a top notch MBA program? I ask because the purpose was to get into one of those top few MBA's not Wall Street straight from college.</p>

<p>Sorry to disappoint you but even going to Harvard undergrad will not guarantee you a top MBA. Why? Top MBA schools want to see experience and success first before accepting you.</p>

<p>The common quote is "Top MBA schools accept people who would succeed regardless of whether they get in or not." These people are often already successful and the way to do that is to get some experience on Wall Street. I would definitely recommend ugrad business schools for this. </p>

<p>MBA schools are totally different from med/law/graduate school so I would look carefully at what you really think you want to do. If you really want to risk it all with a no work experience application to a top MBA (first off I don't think you can get into the top), I would go to the highest ranked LAC or highest ranked national university. </p>

<p>Just note how risky this approach is as no work experience is similar to having a crappy GPA in HS when applying to colleges; you are starting off at a huge disadvantage already. </p>

<p>If your ultimate goal is a Wharton/Tuck/Harvard/etc MBA school, I would go with the ugrad b-route and get a good first job out of Wall Street and then work 2 years or so and apply to a MBA. </p>

<p>If you want to go to a less selective MBA school right out then I would go to a top nationally ranked/LAC University. Just remember that the connections you make in ugrad business schools are more valuable than you think. Many of them will be working side by side on Wall Street with you and many of them already have connections and strings they can pull for you.</p>

<p>Keep in mind that at Wharton, up to 40-50% of your major can consist of classes outside of Wharton.</p>