My niece has full ride - Shipman scholarship to University of Michigan for Computer Science Engineering and also acceptance from U Penn for M&T Program. Unfortunately she did not get into Ross for preferred admission. U Penn does not offer any merit based scholarship so the cost comes to almost $80K per year. My niece wants to launch up a startup ( atleast aspires to). Is it worth the cost and staying far from home (as they live very close to University of Michigan)? Does University of Michigan have equivalent offering in terms of entrepreneurship, launching startups and business mindset with engineering? Does University of Michigan education opens up same level of opportunities in job market? Appreciate any help.
U Michigan has a very well regarded CS program, ranked higher than Penn. I can’t see see spending more money for Penn, let alone giving up a full ride! I can’t speak to entrepreneurship specifically but Michigan has an amazingly engaged alumni network. Perhaps your niece could reach out to the Michigan Center for Entrepreneurship if she has concerns.
UM
Thanks. I agree.
BePostive, you should also post this on the Michigan and Penn forums as you will get more responses from students currently enrolled at both universities.
“Does University of Michigan education opens up same level of opportunities in job market?”
To answer your question, there are very few universities that open up the same level of opportunities as Wharton, especially the Jerome Fisher progam. Michigan holds its own, and it is certainly one of those universities, even if Wharton admittedly has the edge.
That being said, unless your niece’s parents are doing very well financially, that edge is not going to be worth anywhere close to $300k, assuming your niece’s scholarship to Michigan includes room and board. Even they have to pay for the room and board, Michigan is still going to cost well over $200k less than Penn.
Most Michigan CSE majors find jobs with the likes of Google, Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Epic, Facebook, Oracle, Intel, Cisco, BCG, Bain, McKinsey, JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs. Last year, roughly half of Michigan’s CSE majors joined those companies.
http://career.engin.umich.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2017/02/guideforrecruiters.pdf
Below are a couple of programs for your niece to consider at Michigan:
https://honors.engin.umich.edu/egl/
Here are some links your niece may find interesting:
https://www.bestcolleges.com/features/top-colleges-for-startups/
Post this on Wall Street Oasis. I imagine you’ll generally be told M&T. If you can afford it then it’s a much better opportunity.
Here’s a similar thread: https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forums/is-wharton-undergrad-worth-30000-more-per-year-than-usc#comment-1672497
@Alexandre, very much appreciated the lengths and detailed information who often bring to threads concerning Michigan. Thanks and Go Blue!
“Post this on Wall Street Oasis. I imagine you’ll generally be told M&T. If you can afford it then it’s a much better opportunity.”
There is no such thing as a much better opportunity than Michigan. Michigan and Penn are peer institutions. Admittedly, the M&T program is very interesting, but it is not “a much better opportunity”, and unless one is extremely wealthy, spending and extra $300k on a Penn education is not a good investment.
Every student decision regarding ivies always has the same exact echo chamber. But look at the investment banking recruiting… The poster mentioned entrepreneurship and start ups. The IB jobs available wouldn’t even be enough for the posters here the last three days. Good grief. It’s um and 300k.
Wharton is the best business school in the US and students in M&T specifically meet with VC people early on. It’s basically a startup incubator with access to fundraising right in college, completely different from doing CS or Cse even at a top-ranked engineering program like Michigan (for the record I’d even place Michigan above Penn for straight CS but M&T is totally different m, especially for startups.)
But @MYOS1634 didn’t you just remind me of the cost consideration on another thread.
I went to Wharton albeit not undergrad. It’s been useful from an educational level and an awesome experience but it’s not like you’ve described. Thats not really how Vcs make their connections. It can happen but not really. Maybe angels but not serious Vc/pe Money. People make friends at Wharton that are super useful for connections but that happens at all the top schools and more useful at MBA level. If this where Wharton mba I would agree more with you. But ug. Not the way I see it op
But everyone is entitled to an opinion Um and 300k is mine
This is M&T (Jerome Fisher). It’s fairly unique (only Berkeley might be able to claim something similar in terms of what it means. IBE is similar but doesn’t mean the same power.) Btw Wharton bachelor’s makes MBA un necessary although it’s often pursued generally at top BS - but a top MBA can be had after a strong engineering degree from Michigan and a few years working.
Yes costs matter as here they’re really really high. However the two programs aren’t comparable.
In addition, a kid from Central Philadelphia with a 3k EFC (other thread) isnt quite in the same situation as an Ivy full pay family.
Ok. Sounds good. OP. See it’s even hard for us to decide.
Michigan can be a good school and M&T can still be much better. For someone pursuing entrepreneurship it provides incredible opportunities. No one mentioned investment banking even.
lmao, either you underestimate Michigan, or you overestimate M&T. There is no doubt that the M&T program is special, and that graduates of the program are often presented with great opportunities. But there is no such thing as an opportunity that is $300k better than Michigan. Even MIT or Stanford are not worth paying $300k over Michigan…unless one comes from a very wealthy family. Just because one can afford $300k does not mean one should. Not when Michigan comes for free anyway. BePositive’s family must be exceptionally wealthy to turn down a free ride to Michigan. As for Investment Banking, the OP did not mention it, so I assume that is not one of his niece’s intend career tracks.
Many of the M&T students turned down MIT or Stanford to attend. If $300k isn’t a massive burden, then it’s simply an investment. You think more highly of Michigan and less highly of M&T than I do. We both have our own biases though.
“Many of the M&T students turned down MIT or Stanford to attend.”
I do not doubt that. The M&T program is unique, exceptional and very specialized. Those who seek such a program cannot ask for better. That being said, I would recommend Stanford over any university on the planet for those who hope to go down the tech entrepreneurship path. Stanford alumni have gone on to found more successful startups than alumni from any other university, and it isn’t even close. I was merely pointing that that there isn’t a university or program in the US that is $300,000 better than Michigan.
“You think more highly of Michigan and less highly of M&T than I do. We both have our own biases though.”
I think very highly of the M&T program. If there weren’t such an imposing cost gap, I would have recommended M&T. But $300,000 is just too much to justify. Again, there isn’t a university or program out there that is $300,000 better than Michigan. Like I said, you underestimate Michigan.
“If $300k isn’t a massive burden, then it’s simply an investment.”
Define “massive burden”. Even upper middle income families would define $300k as a massive burden. Speaking of investments, if someone puts $300 in a moderate risk investment (7% annually over the long term), at the age of 18, how much will it be worth at retirement (say at the age of 65)? On average, does the average M&T alumnus save that much money over a lifetime over the average Michigan CSE alumnus?
Oh Thank you so much for sharing your insights and the resources and info on the programs available at Michigan. M&T is exceptional no doubt, but to pay $300K means make $500K post tax which is definitely burdensome. Michigan seems a logical choice.