Hi everyone! I have gotten to the point where I have received decisions from everywhere I have applied, and have to start thinking about making a decision. My top two at this point are the University of Michigan and the University of South Carolina. Cost for both are very similar for me, so that will not play a role in my decision at this point. I am planning on majoring in something related to business. At South Carolina, I really like the international business program. For Michigan, I have applied to Ross. I am having trouble picking between the two schools. Michigan is instate for me and I live about 20 minutes away, and I do not like that it is that close to home. I do recognize, however, that it is a terrific school. I fell in love with South Carolina’s campus and the idea of attending when I visited, but I do know that it is not ranked as highly as Michigan overall (but it does have a great business program). I am having a tough time coming to a conclusion (I know I have plenty of time), but I would appreciate the thoughts of others on this. Thanks!
If you get into Ross UM is a better option but I can see why going to school in your back yard may not be a great adventure. Live on campus and treat it like you are far away. Good luck.
The University of South Carolina Darla Moore International School of Business is rated number one by all accounts. It is NOT an easy school to get into. Having said that, my best friend son graduated from this school last year. He did an internship at Google in Ann Arbor (yes Google is in Ann Arbor) and was offered employment once he graduated. He was super driven and he did a few abroad studies in Spain, Denmark, and I believe even in Brazil. The school IB department is fabulous and competitive. Having said that, his only REGRET was that he did not go to a higher ranked or overall better named school . The overall Business School is good but not like the IB department and not as selective. At the time he was applying to colleges,USC was the most affordable option and that is where he ended up going. He knows that the fact that he graduated for USC did NOT affect internship or job opportunities. He has done quite well for a 23 year old.
Overall Michigan is the better school. The IB department might be very good as well. Both schools have a lot of spirit. but the student bodies are much much different. If weather is an issue, you know your answer. USC is also much generous with their OOS scholarships than Michigan, but this might not be an issue for you. Based on his experience, he excelled at USC but for whatever reason, he only has that one regret.
Name has value to those who value it. There are some doors that may be open from attending a bigger named school. If you think you may go to grad school that is the na,e that will ultimately really matter.
You need to make the best of the opportunities that are available U SC has highly ranked programs and a very strong reputation on the East coast. In Michigan, name recognition won’t be as high. You need to be happy where ever you wind up. It’s a really important and fun time of your life. But 10 years down the road people are goi g to care about what you have done, and less about where you went to school. Visit both campuses. Talk to professors and students. Get to know the people. Good luck. My son is in a similar predicament this year.
Michigan is much better recognized. Throughout much of the country there is still much bias against “southern” schools. If you plan to work in California, the Midwest, the Northeast - go Michigan is my advice.
There are legitimate reasons to choose University of South Carolina for you. If South Carolina will make you happier and more excited for college, it is perhaps the better choice.
However, posters saying that Michigan will have less name recognition than South Carolina are either very clueless or lying. Non-Ross and Ross UMich will both afford far greater name recognition and career opportunities than South Carolina Business, ceteris paribus.
BTW, when most people say “USC”, they mean University of Southern California, not University of South Carolina.
Michigan has been considered an elite state school for many many years. On par with UVA, UCB, UNC-CH. That doesn’t mean it’s actual specific program of interest is better than S. Carolina (ditto on the USC = Univ. of SoCal - everywhere other than perhaps S. Carolina). It does mean, however, its reputation will carry nationally. Another poster brought up a good point. Where do you want to live post college? It will be easier with a degree from Michigan. Not that it can’t be done otherwise, just easier (better on campus recruiting, deeper alumni reach). If you choose SC, you may just have to be more creative in securing those internships and first job. After that, where you go will have little importance compared to what you do.
Thanks to everyone who has contributed to this conversation. I am aware that Michigan’s overall reputation is better. Both of my parents went to Umich, my sister is there now, and I live about 20 minutes away from campus so I have grown up with it. During my college search, I have been completely against Michigan because I have really wanted to get away and do something different than my family. I found USC (yes I do call it that) when looking at international business as they have the top school for that major. I have visited USC and loved it. Another big draw to the school was the scholarships, and I have received instate tuition at least as of now. I feel as though I will have regrets either way. USC has been my top school for the last year and a half. I love the campus, the city, the IB major, and the school spirit. That being said, I feel as though I will regret not attending Umich because of the rankings and job opportunities that can come from it. Ann Arbor is also a very cool place, but it’s close to home for me and I want to branch out.
It is very difficult to bypass U Michigan if you are able to get in and you are able to pay the lower In State tuition. So many people would love to be in your position, especially all those OOS applicants either willing to pay the steep $48K tuition or the ones that do not apply because they can not make that kind of payment…
South Carolina is a very fine school, especially the IB department. However, ROSS is ELITE and so is Michigan when it comes to public universities. I can see you choosing UNC , UF, and Texas over Michigan due to say weather and wanting to go away. As I mentioned before, my friend’s son was able to do so well at USC that he even got an internship and a job at Google. Assuming he moves on from Google to another job, that might be the only thing that matters. USC would be a fine choice.
And I will note that I have been accepted to both, and USC will be a few thousand dollars cheaper at this point.
Is that including travel costs?
@yikesyikesyikes Well right now, Michigan is around 29k and USC is about 24k. I should get a few thousand more from USC getting it to around 21k. That does not include travel costs, but I do know that I will often travel by car (besides winter break) to get to USC.
By the end of the day, you are the only one who can make this decision. But for a few thousand dollars MORE ( are we taking $2000, $5000, or $20,000?) , I take the University of Michigan any day… This is coming from someone was accepted and is strongly considering The Ohio State University :))
@1917souci USC could offer anywhere from $2000 to $8000 more making it between $16,000-$22,000 per year. Michigan would be $29,000. I applied to Osu too… yikes
No no yikes…All good here. LOL! Based on your initial posting, it does not sound like you have heard from Ross yet so technically you are still in the waiting mode. Same with the complete financial numbers from USC. You probably should wait and see once you have a complete picture. If your COA at USC is close to to $16K, then that would be very close to full Tuition… and full Tuition is just an awesome place to be at one of the top IB schools in the country.
@1917souci yeah I am definitely going to wait because I am waiting to hear from Ross and USC honors/capstone
Good luck to you…Oh one more thing. At UM you might be a small fish in a big frozen pond, but at USC, you might end up being a big fish in a small warm pond and closer to the beautiful city of Charleston and the beaches…
Clearly you can do well from either place. As parents posting on this site, we typically take the perspective of wanting the best for our kids. Objectively, that would lean heavily towards UM. That said, there is nothing objective about the college admissions process. So much of it comes down to not best, but rather, best for you. Only you can determine that. We look at rankings, history, reputation, etc. and it seems like a slam dunk. We, however, haven’t walked in your shoes. You need to decide what feels better. I’m sure you’ll consider all relevant data and make a great choice. Good luck and all the best!
From a pure opportunity standpoint, it’s not even close. U of Michigan is a top ranked university and Ross is one of the top ranked undergrad business programs in the U.S. U of South Carolina is way, way down the food chain. It is risky to go to a school that is middle of the road but had a single well ranked program. Even more risky is to go to a school that you won’t be happy at and a culture in which you won’t thrive. And only you can make that choice.
We know someone who attended a South Carolina university in recent years. Her fellow students nicknamed her “Yankee Girl.” She was born and raised in Virginia, which is home to Richmond, the Confederate capital.