<p>Okay, so I want to go into business, and have been accepted into both UCLA and USC.</p>
<p>USC Pros:
Closer to home (only by 20 min)
Better spirit
better tradition
better connections</p>
<p>USC Cons:
Location - it doesn't affect me AT ALL!
COST*** see below</p>
<p>***I wrote an appeal to the USC Fin Aid office discussing my income, along with expense sheets, and why with my father's terminal illness, mounting medical bills, and two siblings who will be going to college when I go to grad school, that I cannot afford a USC education. It was a very good letter that seemed persuasive, so I'm hoping I can knock down the cost to 32-35k.</p>
<p>UCLA Pros:
Location
Well Known</p>
<p>UCLA Cons:
lacking spirit
etc...</p>
<p>I visited both, and I experienced that "moment" at USC, that moment where you say to yourself, "I belong". </p>
<p>I am so torn, I am praying that USC can come through with aid, but its up in the air and I won't have a response till thursday or friday, the day before I must decide.</p>
<p>Does anyone have any suggestions or comments regarding where to attend?</p>
<p>Sorry to hear about your fathers condition. I also agree with the above poster that you should go with the cheaper school. You might feel like USC is the place to be, but graduating with great traditions and four years worth of memories does not overshadow the +$80,000 in loans that you will take out to attend USC.</p>
<p>binks09 I was in a very similar situation to the one you are in now. I was also deciding between USC (Marshall) and UCLA (Pre-Bus Econ) as well as NYU (Stern) and Berkeley. My ultimate decision is to attend USC Marshall for the fall of 2009… Here is my reasoning and what I have found out about USC v UCLA…</p>
<p>UCLA Pre-Bus Econ is regarded as Economics with a business “flare”… When I first heard this I must admit I was turned away from UCLA (but I was still wasn’t 100 percent sure as it is an amazing school and hard to turn down)… So I continued my research and contacted a family friend who had just graduated from UCLA with a major in Business and Economics… This is what he told me… He confirmed the rumor that I had heard that the major was Economics with a Business “flare” and went on to tell me that it has been a huge struggle for him as well as his fellow classmates to find a job in the business world with this major (he is still unemployed) and that his friends from Marshall were all already hired before they graduated… He told me that he loved UCLA but he doesn’t think UCLA is that good if you want to go into Business as an Undergrad (He raved to me about Andersen as a Grad Student tho)… In addition I heard that UCLA does not have the “connections” that USC has after graduating…</p>
<p>USC… After attending both Explore, speaking with the Dean of Admissions and the Dean of the Marshall school this is what I have found out… Marshall is first off ranked as the tenth best undergrad program in the United States for Business (UCLA is not in the top 10)… In addition the opportunities at Marshall are amazing and unparalleled (my brother attended Harvard (Business) and even he was surprised at what they offer and do for you compared to Harvard)… I am not sure if you were admitted to the Global Leadership Program (GLP) but if you did that definitely should be a huge factor in your decision… The GLP is basically a Business honors program in which you study international business your freshman year and then attend/intern in Hong Kong with a large company for the entire summer… In addition each week you will attend sessions with USC alums’ who are all CEO’s of large companies (Disney, Motorolla etc) and they will share with you there experiences as well as answer your questions. What an experience!? Where else will you be interning in a foreign country your freshman year!? Not even at Harvard!!! If you were not admitted to GLP there is also LINC which is pretty much the same but instead you will spend your spring break interning instead of your summer… Also, after speaking with the Dean of the school I found out that USC has shifted its attention to undergrad students (unlike UCLA) meaning undergrad classes are taught by those “famous, renowned” professors that at other schools will only teach at the graduate level… This means that you wont be taught by TA’s(UCLA) but rather by the professors who are writing the books you are reading!! Furthermore, USC’s average class size is 28… in stark contrast to UCLA where you will be in classes of hundreds lost among the students… In addition USC is known for the "trojan family’…aka connections after you graduate… The USC alumni will not only help you land those jobs after you graduate but also will help you get internships while you are at USC (Business students I know there had 4-7 internships by the time they graduated)… In addition USC has the big school/big sports atmosphere with the Ivy League education and individual attention… USC is on the rise academically and many predict it to pass up UCLA in the next couple years…</p>
<p>As you can see I could go on and on… but this is the reasoning behind my decision and I hope that it helps you out in your ultimate decision!!</p>
<p>“The GLP is basically a Business honors program in which you study international business your freshman year and then attend/intern in Hong Kong with a large company for the entire summer…”</p>
<p>really? i thought that it was just a trip to china during spring break…i dont remember reading about a summer internship (although if true, that would be awesome)</p>