Hi, so I have been very conflicted these past few months as my top two college choices are Penn and Berkeley for business yet I cannot seem to be able to make a decision. I wanted to know how both undergraduate business programs compare to each other in terms of job and internship opportunities outside of college. I definitely want to pursue a career in business but I am not sure what part of business at the moment. I love Berkeley’s campus and location. I am from Delaware and have always wanted to go to California. However, I like Penn for its flexible academics and its prestige. I also have a few doubts about Berkeley: I know you cannot apply to Haas until your Sophomore year and even then you aren’t guaranteed admission. Would this put me at a disadvantage if I cannot study business until my junior year of college? I cannot make a decision and need help!
@Eksned3 Unless there is a financial advantage for Berkeley, Penn is the clear choice here. Wharton is definitely stronger than Haas and as a Penn undergrad you will get a more well-rounded and personalized college education and experience compared to Berkeley. Plus the fact that you are not guaranteed admission to Haas is an extra risk.
You seem to be leaning towards Penn anyway. Is there anything else you prefer about Berkeley apart from location?
Also if you are from Delaware, Berkeley is likely to be very expensive and offer you very little financial aid. Is your family wealthy enough to pay nearly full price for Berkeley?
If you want to go to California you can move there after you get your Wharton degree!
Have you been admitted to both? If not, don’t worry about choosing one yet. Apply to both and wait!
There’s no disadvantage if you “cannot study business until junior year” but regardless, Wharton > Haas if you can get into Wharton.
Wharton.
The issue isn’t that you won’t study business till junior year. The issue is that you may not get into Haas at all. If you were from California, attending UCB regardless of major would be worth it. However as an oos applicant, you’d be paying 65k a year (private school price) for a public university, with no guarantee you would rank high enough among your classmates to get into your major.
Apply to Penn ED, and plan on applying to a good variety of colleges, including UDel.
Look into colleges such as Lehigh, Bucknell, perhaps Dickinson and Denison if you lije trh wharton concept of mixing a broad education with business classes; USC Columbia international business is another one (if you speak a foreign language, the “cohorts” programs are excellent) but the merit scholarship deadlines are very very soon.
USNWR ranks Wharton as #1 and Haas and MIT tied for #2 in undergrad business education. You can’t go wrong at either. Both are hard to get into. I’d apply to both. If you don’t get into Wharton, but get into Cal, it’s still not a done deal. It used to be about 40% of the applicants from Cal get into Haas so 60% do not. Good Luck! Haas just added a third building. You can’t get a more beautiful setting or a better education. Recent fires in Sonoma has created some smokiness in the Bay Area, but when it clears, it will be as beautiful as ever, and Wharton well no comparison, it’s in grimy Philly.
If you get direct admission to business at Penn, that is more desirable from the point of view of getting your major than going to UCB to have to face another competitive admission process to get into the business major.
A relevant question to ask yourself would be whether you would consider UCB desirable (considering all other aspects including price) if you did not get into the business major.