<p>Hi guys, I am a high school student from Vietnam. I have been admitted to both schools, UMN and TCU, and I am going to major in Finance. UMN gave me a scholarship worth 5k, leaving 24k in EFC; TCU gave me one worth its full tuition, leaving 17k in EFC. The difference (7k) is significant. Both schools have pros and cons, but as far as I know, their schools of business, namely Carlson and Neeley, are both highly-ranked. I have been hesitating between the two, so which one of them do you guys think is a better investment for a Finance major, regarding all aspects (student life, academics, internship & job opportunities...)? Thank you, all opinions are appreciated.</p>
<p>I don’t know much about TCU but the University of Minnesota is more ethnically diverse and in a large urban environment so there are probably more Vietnamese people and cultural activities in the Twin Cities than at TCU if that matters to you. Although I doubt either are well known in Vietnam, UMN is probably considerably better known there than TCU because it’s a large research university.</p>
<p>U.S. News ranks the University of Minnesota undergraduate business program #14 in the United States. They rank TCU’s undergrad business program #69. That’s a big difference.</p>
<p>There’s a very active Vietnamese students group at the University of Minnesota. It might help with the adjustment to spend some time with students from a similar cultural background who are going through (or have recently gone through) the same experience.</p>
<p>[Vietnamese</a> Student Association of Minnesota | to promote an understanding of Vietnamese culture](<a href=“http://www.vsaminnesota.org/]Vietnamese”>http://www.vsaminnesota.org/)</p>
<p>TCU is a smaller school, relatively speaking. In terms of ethnic diversity, TCU is 74% white, UMN is 72%. UMN has more Asians, TCU more Hispanics. Both campuses are located in/near the downtown areas. The Twins cities is 3.6 million and ranks as the 13th largest metropolitan area. DFW is over 6 million and ranks somewhere between 4th and 7th depending on which definition. US News (for what it’s worth) ranks UNM 68 and TCU 97. As far as cities, the two areas are pretty evenly ranked for Fortune 500 companies. I know that an amazing number of corporations have relocated to the DFW area in the last 20 years. </p>
<p>Just given the size of UMN I would think it would have a lot more variety in classes. Minnesota would be a lot colder and Texas a lot hotter. You would probably have better transportation access out of DFW which is why so many business are locating there. I don’t think there is that much difference in terms of the Asian population in the two areas. I suspect they are going to be very different in terms of what country they come from so that might be something you look into a bit more. </p>
<p>I really can’t tell you anything about the quality of the finance programs. That’s something you’ll need to look at it in terms of which companies are recruiting and what classes are offered. I don’t know much about Minnesota but I can tell you that you won’t be lacking for cultural activities in the DFW area. You name it, they have it. </p>
<p>See if the admissions office will put you in contact with students at the schools so that you can ask them questions yourself.</p>
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<p>A cursory search on [KAYAK</a> - Cheap Flights, Hotels, Airline Tickets, Cheap Tickets, Cheap Travel Deals - Compare Hundreds of Travel Sites At Once](<a href=“http://www.kayak.com%5DKAYAK”>http://www.kayak.com) indicates that MSP<->HAN requires two stops, while MSP<->SGN, DFW<->HAN, and DFW<->SGN require one stop, although the one stop flights are sometimes much more expensive than the two stop flights.</p>
<p>MSP = Minneapolis
DFW = Dallas - Fort Worth
HAN = Hanoi
SGN = Ho Chi Minh City</p>
<p>Thank you for your comments! I am more inclined towards Minnesota, but I wonder if a difference of 28k in EFC over four years will pay off after graduation. I don’t want my going to the US to put a financial burden on my parents, but if the quality (reputation, academic quality and internship/job opportunities) is significantly better in Minnesota, maybe we will consider affording it.</p>
<p>Bump for more opinions!</p>
<p>If weather is a factor for you it is a heck of a lot colder in Minnesota…</p>
<p>Are you planning to return to Vietnam? In the U.S., Minnesota definitely has a better reputation than Texas Christian, but it’s unlikely to net you an almost $30K higher salary.</p>
<p>Well if Minnesota costs $30,000 more over 4 years even at 7% interest the OP would only need to make $2,500/(1-marginal tax rate) or so per year to break even instead of having to earn it all back in 1 year.</p>
<p>Thanks, guys. I do plan to return to Vietnam after earning a master’s degree, so I think it’d be 8-9 years from now? Also, I have learned that UMN provides a BSB degree in finance, while TCU provides a BBA. Will that make any differences in my process of applying for well-paid jobs? To be honest, I am interested in a place in a Big 4 company, especially PwC.</p>
<p>It is extremely difficult for internationals to find longterm employment in the US. Do not count on being able to find a job here after your OPT expires. There are a number of threads on that topic in the International Students Forum.</p>
<p>The $30,000 you might save your family by choosing TCU could help pay for the graduate school you hope to attend. </p>
<p>BBA and BSB do not matter. What matters is the specific courses you take. Read the course list for each program, and see if there is a difference or not. Then see if you can make up that difference at the other place by taking elective courses. I bet that you can.</p>
<p>You’ve probably figured out by now that the comparison of the two schools is apples and oranges in many respects. But academically both are sufficiently rigorous to make any distinction probably meaningless for your purposes. There’s a significant ethnic Vietnamese population in Texas, so you may want to investigate whether or not there’s a Vietnamese student club at Texas Christian University.</p>
<p>U Minnesota-Minneapolis (Twin Cities) is a great place, but its strength is mostly in its graduate programs.</p>
<p>Thank you very much, I really appreciate your comments. I know UMN and TCU are both great schools; what I feel concerned about is internship & job opportunities. Although going to TCU can save my family a good amount of money, I have heard from insiders that TCU’s career services are not much efficient. Also, in Texas there are UT-Austin and Texas A&M, which are hunting grounds for big companies. Therefore, a TCU student may be faced with certain difficulties finding a good place to intern, am I right? Meanwhile in Minnesota, UMN definitely has the best connections, which would open doors for their students after they graduate.</p>
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<p>I agree with this as a general characterization, but in this context it’s misleading. UMN’s undergraduate business program is outstanding. So is its undergraduate engineering program. Other programs may be hit or miss at the undergrad level, but since the OP is looking at undergrad business, I think that’s the most relevant information.</p>
<p>Overall internship and job placement figures are meaningless for you. You need to know the numbers for international students. Because of your status. many internships and job offers will not be open to you.</p>
<p>@happymomof1 I may not be knowledgeable about this subject, but why are internship and job placement meaningless for me? Doesn’t getting internship from a Big 4 company (or a well-known financial advisory company in general) help me get a job in one back home more easily?</p>
<p>The rates for US candidates are meaningless for you. You are an International Student. You need to know whether or not International Students get good internship placements, and whether they get job offers for that year of OPT after graduation. Some businesses will not offer internships to International Students. Period. Some businesses will not take on International Students for that one year of post-college OPT. Period. </p>
<p>You need to specifically ask UMN and TCU about internship and OPT placement for International Students. The department and the career center should be able to tell you where their International Students go.</p>
<p>I can’t answer your question about a good internship in the US will help you get a better job back home. You need to ask the people who do the hiring at companies in your home country about that one.</p>
<p>Thank you for your informative post!</p>