<p>Hello I am a current sophomore at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, New York. I was recently admitted as a transfer student to the University of Southern California (USC) and the University of Michigan. My intended major is economics, however, my main dilemma is deciding which school I should attend. I am originally from Southern California--although proximity to home is not an issue--and tuition price is not an issue. I am hoping to pick the school that will give me the best opportunities post graduation. Which school would be a better choice and why? Thank you for your time and your assistance. I greatly appreciate it!</p>
<p>Post graduate for what? Work? Graduate School? If you are going to look for work, the State of Michigan may not be the best place at this time.</p>
<p>Actually tsdad, Michigan is picking up. Ford and GM are reporting profits and other industries are emerging. Besides, Michigan is recruited nationally. </p>
<p>This said, I think USC offers similar opportunities.</p>
<p>I would go for fit. Michigan and USC offer significantly different experiences.</p>
<p>As the purchaser of a new Ford Explorer that took several months to produce I am aware of Ford’s growth. As an aside though, the Explorer is produced in Chicago not Michigan. You need an engineering degree to drive the darn thing. The MyFordTouch is a lot of technology.</p>
<p>I think your opportunities will be very similar coming from those two schools. I would choose based on atmosphere and location.</p>
<p>Wow! This is my first time using the college confidential resource, and I am impressed! Thank you for all of your insight, I am sorry for being so terse and limited on the amount of information I gave in my first post. I am an undergraduate transfer and I am looking for the school that would best suite me post graduation. One detail I left out, however, is that I am still waiting to hear from Notre Dame and NYU. Assuming I received admission into these two additional schools, which do you believe would give me the best opportunities. I hear so much about the “Trojan Family” and the networking the school offers, however, I am sure that all of those schools have a somewhat decent alumni base. Thank you for your input!</p>
<p>Depends what are you looking to do when you graduate?</p>
<p>Upon graduation I hope to work for a consulting firm or anything in financial sector.</p>
<p>geographic preference…</p>
<p>“additional schools, which do you believe would give me the best opportunities. I hear so much about the “Trojan Family” and the networking the school offers, however, I am sure that all of those schools have a somewhat decent alumni base”</p>
<p>The “Trojan Family” is wonderful in Southern California. Michigan and Notre Dame graduates are everywhere.</p>
<p>Why the trojan network is only in Southern California when the school has the most international students who came from everywhere in the world?</p>
<p>^ </p>
<p>One school is in Southern California, the other two are in the midwest, much less one in Northern Indiana. </p>
<p>/disgruntled midwesterner haha</p>
<p>All three are good schools and I would kill to be in your spot, USC and Michigan were both in my top 5…couldn’t afford them though. </p>
<p>Good luck</p>
<p>Generally speaking, opportunities increase with proximity. Michigan will be strongest in the upper Mid-west particularly Chicago (where Notre Dame is also strong). USC will be strongest in Southern California though it’s reasonable to assume that it’s alumni network will be stronger in San Francisco than any of your other schools. Conversely, NYU will win in NYC, but there will be a decent Michigan presence.</p>
<p>As was asked before, where do you want to live and work? It’s not that alumni networks don’t exist in all major cities, it’s just they are normally stronger/bigger the closer they are to the “mothership”.</p>
<p>^^^You also have to remember also that Michigan graduates end up all over the country and world, not just mostly in one state like California. A full 85% of Michigan graduates leave the state to pursue careers elsewhere. I guarantee you that is not the case for USC. Michigan also has the largest number of living alumni of any university in this country. They are everywhere!</p>
<p>^^ Please do not guarantee something you don’t fully know.</p>
<p>Targetbest, just because you’re from a part of the world where USC is revered, does not make it a revered school in the US. It’s a fine school, but as like any other school, its reputation and alumni network is going to be centered more in California. That’s neither good or bad, it just is. Please stop pretending that what the people in your country of origin know or believe is representative of truth in the US.</p>
<p>OP, I don’t think that you can just make a judgement based on fit. Consulting and finance are very competitive and it will be to your advantage to go to the school that is the most heavily recruited and that sends the most people to finance/consulting (there are some schools like CalTech that don’t send many people into finance but are still very well respected, but that isn’t what we’re dealing with here). Even if the firm you like doesn’t recruit at USC/UMich, you’ll be at an advantage if your school has alumni there. Look at the recruiting schedules of McKinsey, Bain, and BCG for consulting. Also check out Accenture and Deloitte. For finance, look at where BB recruits and if you can get info on if either school has a super day.</p>
<p>if you can get into Ross, it will be much better than USC. otherwise, UMich is only slightly better than USC academically.</p>
<p>Well, al, IF the student is interested in those fields. There are plenty of opportunities outside those fields – they aren’t the be all end all of employment or business.</p>
<p>@hd1990:</p>
<p>I encountered same problem but I got into engineering school.</p>
<p>Would Umich college of engineering better than USC?</p>