<p>Please help me decide.
I have been accepted into USC Marshall and Cornell Applied Econ and Management.
I am interested in Marketing and management. I am only above average in math so I don't think I will be very good in IB. I would like to be able to get some interesting jobs after UG so to set me up for a top tier MBA program, such as Tucks, Wharton, Stanford et. al.
I am also interested in global business opportunities. With the considerations of global reputation, academic standard, competitiveness of fellow students, network and job placement potentials, which one of these would prepare me better for future success?</p>
<p>Cornell hands down. Two of my profs at the college I'm at right now (I'm a GT) both went to USC and didn't have good things to say about the classmates. A lot less motivated. Remember the kids in the van in Borat? The ones who make fun of woman and say they will let a gerbil go up their -chrem-. They are from USC. I'd pick Cornell in the blink of an eye.</p>
<p>hahaha...love the Borat reference just soooo convincing lol hehe…
bioeng, Cornell is absolutely fantastic!!!</p>
<p>Take what Figgy's profs said with a grain of salt, especially if they are more than 35 years old. Undoubtedly the atmosphere is going to be different between a school in Gorges Ithaca and one in LA. But SC has come on really strong as an academic center in the past 10 or so years. It used to be cast as the University of Spoiled Children. But now the students there are much better than previously.</p>
<p>If you can, try to visit both. That could really be illuminating.</p>
<p>And anyway, Annabel Chong went to USC, so you could meet some interesting people and have some good times:</p>
<p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annabel_Chong%5B/url%5D">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annabel_Chong</a></p>
<p>ahh a porn star went to USC... so clearly that would be the right choice!</p>
<p>haha in all seriousnes, Cornell is way more prestigious and has significantly better recruiting and arguably education than USC. The location of USC's campus is also nothing to brag about- it's in a baddd area and the culture of the school isn't amazing either. Plus, Cornell's AEM program is getting so much attention lately and is verrrry hard to get into. If you got in, you should be very happy.</p>
<p>
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ahh a porn star went to USC... so clearly that would be the right choice!
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</p>
<p>Don't joke about it. One's a lot more likely to run into a porn star in LA than in Ithaca, and that should be taken into account.</p>
<p>Regarding the recruiting at Cornell, I am sure that it is probably better for the East Coast. But if the OP wants to stay in the LA area to get that first job before MBA, USC would arguably be much better.</p>
<p>I think Cornell is more prestigious, but I also think USC is growing in prestige. Above prestige, I would put fit.</p>
<p>For college, I would have chosen Cornell at the time I was given that choice because of its greater prestige and intellectual culture. But now with a little perspective realizing how important fit and happiness are to doing well, I'd definitely give USC a look. I think over 4 years in Ithaca could get very old. The only thing is I've never been to the USC campus though I used to live in LA and I've been to Cornell's several times; thus, I could be underestimating how bad the area and atmosphere of USC are. I have a friend who was a prof. at Cornell and grew to hate being there.</p>
<p>And then in LA there's the porn stars. You might be able to get an internship with a studio. It's a big business and it cums with a lot of perks.</p>
<p>Hey,</p>
<p>I'm currently in AEM at Cornell and it is a pretty well structured program. This year it broke into the top 10 on businessweek's best undergrad business programs, and when you consider that it has only been an accredited program since 2002 that is a significant achievement.</p>
<p>The most valuable aspect of being part of a top UG program is going to be the networking and on-campus recruiting. I am a second semester Junior now and have just gone through the crazy internship recruitment process for banking. Cornell has a <em>huge</em> alumni network in some of the biggest firms in every industry. These firms send teams of Cornell alumni to recruit on campus every fall and spring and really make an effort to single out your resume from the tens of thousands of applicants from other schools. If nothing else this alone should be a driving factor when you consider your choices. I never would've gotten the amount of interviews or landed my current job if I had gone to a less recognized institution. </p>
<p>Marshall may have a similarly competent system so try to get a few opinions of the undergrads enrolled there.</p>
<p>In regard to marketing I think that aside from IB/finance marketing is the most popular career track for AEM students. Proctor & Gamble and S.C. Johnson both recruit heavily from Cornell each year, as well as dozens of other big names. If you work hard a double major to go along with AEM is perfectly manageable, and you will also have great opportunities to study abroad (I would advise doing so before junior year so you are on campus for the recruitment season).</p>
<p>Hope this is helpful and best of luck with your decision</p>
<p>Figgy, those frat boys were from the University of South Carolina; the Marshall School of Business is at the University of Southern California. Both "USC"s but very different places.</p>
<p>
yeah, they did go to USC...</p>
<p>the University of South Carolina.</p>
<p>"Take what Figgy's profs said with a grain of salt, especially if they are more than 35 years old." </p>
<p>My Philosophy prof graduated last year...</p>
<p>But ya my bad, I thought u meant Southern Carolina. My baddd :) sry</p>
<p>im still waiting to here from both Marshall and Cornell! From what I've read and heard, Marshall kids tend to be more competitive than the average USC student. I believe that Marshall also outranks Cornell's AEM program in u.s. news although given the rate at which cornell's program is being lauded, that soon may change. Also, there is a strict curve for Marshall students (i believe the median gpa was something like 2.9), whereas at Cornell, AEM is something around 3.4. If your future employer understands how the Marshall system works, then thats great. But most graduates tend to stay in CA and perhaps silicon valley folks get it..I'm not sure you can say the same about the east coast.</p>
<p>Good luck, Biggyboy. Hope to meet you someday.</p>
<p>haha ditto. and i basically applied to USC b/c i figured it was something different and I could use a little warm weather. but honestly, if i got into both, i'd choose cornell.</p>
<p>i'm having some trouble when telling people about me getting into USC Marshall and overcoming the stereotype (USC in general)...</p>
<p>Screw the stereotype. USC is getting better and better.</p>
<p>yeah I'm having a similar problem..
I've gotten into USC for broadcast journalism with a little over $20,000 renewable scholarship.
I've gotten into Cornell for communication (don't know finaid yet, but prob. not much if any since it doens't do merit aid)
and I am having the toughest time deciding.
I really don't like cold weather, but Cornell has the apparel and textile management program that I might be interested in switching to or perhaps and hopefully double majoring in or minoring in.
Yet I ultimately want to live in California, and I love the entertainment industry.
But I felt like I worked so hard to get Cornell, and now that I finally have, I don't want to just throw it away.
I am so torn...
I am visiting both in the next couple of weeks, but am afraid that I still won't be able to decide.</p>
<p>a word of advice...</p>
<p>Cornell weather in mid April is <em>not</em> representative of the weather you'll be experiencing during most of your 4 years here... </p>
<p>It is cold, usually in single digits with wind chills well below zero from december through march and once it starts snowing (around thanksgiving) it doesnt really stop until spring break.</p>
<p>Just bear that in mind if weather is a major concern for your decision.</p>
<p>whats the stereotype? USC is a great school.</p>
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I've gotten into USC for broadcast journalism with a little over $20,000 renewable scholarship.
I've gotten into Cornell for communication (don't know finaid yet, but prob. not much if any since it doens't do merit aid)
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</p>
<p>For the OP, I think this is a legitimate toss-up which will come down to where the OP feels more at home. For you, given your goals, I would really think twice about not going to LA in order to study communications at Cornell -- particularly given the financial situation. I think of Cornell as being prestigious, but communications is a field where connections matter as much as anything, at least according to my impression.</p>
<p>Oh I don't have a problem at all with USC. With regards to the "stereotype", it's my friends and some of my family. Every year, it seems USC keeps getting better and better in ratings, etc. Very impressive.</p>
<p>But since I am a GT for ILR, I'm beginning to wonder if I should transfer from USC Marshall to Cornell ILR...</p>