Final day! Still deciding. OOS Michigan Ross about $16K more per year. Both have lots of pros/cons. DD not sure about where she wants to be (i mean she’s only 18). U Michigan more familiar. But a new path could be exciting and fun! Is the extra ~$65 K worth it??? or save it for grad school. Leaning to USC Marshall but reaching out to the collective!
Both are great. Decide and roll. Both are expensive. Too much $$. She’ll be fine either way only you can decide at this point. $65k is a lot of $$. But off campus living will likely be less at Michigan to eat up some difference in later years.
She can achieve all her goals from either school.
Where does your D want to live after college? Michigan has quite a few more undergrads, is that a meaningful pro or con? How about the weather? She should pick the school with the vibe that appeals most, which sounds like Marshall.
If parents have to take debt for any part of the extra Mich $64k that would be a big negative, at least in some situations.
Grad school is unlikely with a BBA. An MBA right after a BBA is worthless. A BBA isn’t a very good UG degree for any other grad degree imo.
Grad school would not be uncommon but an mba potentially unnecessary and st no ‘real’ school than without two years work experience.
They may shift gears in grad school. Not b school at all.
The premium is worth it at Ross. The strength of the Ross BBA and it’s national reach is significantly greater than USC. That first job out of college is extremely important for your career trajectory. Ross is a target school, Marshall is not.
These schools are not equal. Ross is a top 5 BBA program. Businesses who recruit graduates are notoriously picky about strength of undergrad and reputation. A Ross BBA will get you that first interview with most companies in any part of the US.
Two great schools. No bad choices here! Congrats to your D!
Personally (unless the money differential is not meaningful to your family) I’d save the $68k and go for USC. If she does well at either school she will be in great shape.
It’s 64K, not 68K. Business is not like most majors. Graduates of the very top schools get opportunities that are usually not available to those who go to lower ranked ones, even ones ranked near the top 10.
My error …actually the OP wrote $65k as the price differential. That amount will be quite meaningful to many families.
And I am a CPA and majored in business as an undergrad as did my S so I understand what goes on a b-schools. I do think that USC is ranked high enough that students who do well there will have outstanding opportunities.
IMO the OP and her parents should weigh the importance of the price differential to her family (can the family comfortably afford the difference? will it require significant loans? etc.) when deciding.
I am not a rating person but FWIW, USC is ranked second in poets and quants (with Ross ranked 7). Poets&Quants For Undergrads - Wharton Again Tops Poets&Quants' Best Undergraduate Business School Rankings
That ranking changes every year, often dramatically. Next year they could be out of the top ten. It does t matter. Ross has a much stronger National pull than Marshall. If you want to stay on the west coast, it won’t be as important. If you want to consider the rest of the country, then it does matter.
Yes, rankings do change annually. However, USC Marshall is traditionally a very well respected program (as is Ross of course).
We will have to agree to disagree on the opinion we have for the OP.
Since debating is not allowed on CC at this point it is best to leave it here and allow the OP to take both of our opinions into consideration as she moves forward.
Do you have data that support these statements?
Remember, everything is an opinion
From last year:
To the OP. You’re spending a bundle attending either of these schools. If they were equal, then of course I’d recommend USC. But they are not. The extra buck, imho, is worth it to attend Ross. Of course it’s up to you to decide. Best of luck with your decision!
Sounds like USC is the decision with just hours remaining to me.
BTW, I’m sure it’s all in good humor, but at graduation today, the Ross grads were booed when the school was announced to rise and stand up.
Sounds like jealousy to me.
Nah, I think they (Ross UG’s) tend to struggle the most with math, science, technology and language here at UMich. (I kid)
If it were me or my kids, and the weather and money weren’t issues, then I’d pick Michigan. I love Ann Arbor, a real college town, and the school is top notch in nearly every way, but for their EA deferral and admissions process.
Thanks for your input. We read that SAME EXACT reddit thread when trying to decide. DD did instead make the painful decision to choose Marshall, for many of the same reasons that the reddit thread said. As a true business student, she could not get past the lost opportunity cost of investing the extra $64K! :). Also, reached out to MANY of our bicoastal business friends who said that they both are taken seriously, especially for undergrad. Thanks folks!
Congratulations and all best wishes to your D.