<p>I am a business major. I got accepted to marshall BA and UCLA biz econ. I plan to get a MBA degree in the future. I am really concerned about my chances of getting to the top business schools for master degree. So I would like to know, which school is better over one another? If I switch major to accounting in USC, does it help me in applying those MBA schools, since USC accounting is ranked top5 in the nation. I don't really care about which undergrad school I go to, as long as it helps bring a higher chance of accepting to a top business school.</p>
<p>both are really great schools. Have you visited them? You should go to whichever one you liked the most… you can get into a top business school with a degree from either one. UCLA is ranked higher overall than USC by US News, but both are very close. Both are very well-regarded. UCLA is in a better area of LA… it’s near Westwood, while USC is near downtown LA. If you get a 4.0 at either school, I would guess that you would have a good chance of getting into a top grad program.</p>
<p>consider the fact that ucla’s anderson school is geared for graduates while usc’s marshall has private school benefits and is ranked in the top 10 in us new’s best undergrad business programs ([Best</a> Undergraduate Business Programs - Best Colleges - Education - US News and World Report](<a href=“http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/spec-business]Best”>http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/spec-business))</p>
<p>*sorry for quoting us news; i usually don’t like bringing up rankings because they are too arbitrary in my opinion, but the poster above me brought them up so i felt like i should too</p>
<p>Use the search engine to help you find long threads on this board about the differences between SC and UCLA. Also, keep in mind the California budget cuts have not left UCLA untouched. </p>
<p>Since it has been mentioned, here are rankings from the latest issue on specialties within the Marshall School of Business, undergraduate.</p>
<p>Accounting
5th</p>
<p>International Business
5th</p>
<p>Entrepreneurship
3rd</p>
<p>Real Estate
6th</p>
<p>Marketing
10th</p>
<p>Marshall also has three special programs:</p>
<p>Business and Cinematic Arts
B.S. in Bus.Ad with emphasis in cinematic arts</p>
<p>Business and International Relations
B.S. in Bus.Ad with emphasis in international relations</p>
<p>Business and Computer Science
Dual degree from Marshall and Viterbi</p>
<p>…I’m a UCLA student and had the same dilema, so I’ll give you my advice…</p>
<p>USC tuition in 2007, 16657 per semester, 33314 per year, just for tuition, no fees
USC tution in 2010, 19285 per semester, 38543 per year, just for tuition, no fees</p>
<p>UCLA tution in 2007, 2482 per quarter, 7446 for the year, includes tuition and fees
UCLA tution in 2010, 3033 per quarter, 9099 per year, includes tution and fees AND is accounting for the 32% increase</p>
<p>So, USC had a 15.7% increase in fees over this time, and UCLA had a 22.2% increase. YES, UCLA increased fees more on a percentage basis, but note something. UCLA’s data includes tution and fees (mainly because I couldn’t find data for UCLA from 2007 that didn’t give a breakdown, where I did with USC), but on an overall fiscal basis, USC has increased more. Oh and something else - USC has recieved less private donations over the past few years, why? BECAUSE THE FINANCIAL CRISIS HAS AFFECTED THEIR DONORS, therefore the crisis “has not left USC or UCLA untouched.” </p>
<ol>
<li><p>Realize that BizEcon at UCLA is NOT BUSINESS. This is the number one mistake and reason why people drop the major to regular econ or switch out. It is Econ with Accoutning, not Business and Economics.</p></li>
<li><p>USC v. UCLA in terms of name and prestige for grad school? Don’t kid yourself into thinking one is better than the other. I guarantee they will say this about two candidates from each school, “Oh look he went to a great school, T25” and not “Oh look, one went here where the rank is 24 and the other where the rank is 25, CLEARLY the one from school 24 is MUCHMUCHMUCH better”. You business school admission will be based on 3 key things and an extra anomaly.</p>
<ol>
<li>GMAT score</li>
<li>GPA</li>
<li>Work experience, both years and quality</li>
<li>The anomaly, school presitge, which you have taken care of</li>
</ol></li>
</ol>
<p>Why I chose UCLA?</p>
<p>I felt liked I really belonged there, but I’ll tell you something, I couldn’t turn down UCLA for USC based on that. Plus, plenty of people I know were very impressed with my UCLA admission, I felt like, at least in their eyes, UCLA was greater than USC (something I told you not to do and still advise not to). My neighbor, an accountant for a tax firm making upwards of 250k, said “You got into UCLA!!! You want to do accounting or businss right? Make sure you take some classes at Anderson and get involved there, you will be so thankful”. --I’m sure that is true of Marshall too. And from my boss, making upwards of 1.2 million per year whose kid GOES TO USC for business, “Damn, UCLA!!! How the hell did you beat out all of those asians? My kid got rejected, make sure you make the most of this opportunity”</p>
<p>Oh and then the big thing was money - I don’t think you can justify choosing spending double the money for not getting double the education, or at least something close, especially for an undergrad degree when your goal is an MBA, as is mine. </p>
<p>Bottom line, if you are in-state chose UCLA. Out of state choose USC, whose financial aid will be much better.</p>
<p>To summarize what binks09 said, they are ranked so similar it does not make a big difference and you should consider financial aid(total cost) and feel of the school when deciding :)</p>
<p>When rankings and academic quality are so similar, it will usually come down to cost and feel between two schools and I’m guessing that is usually the case for usc/ucla.</p>
<p>^^^ Precisely, oh and in my little paragraph about my I chose UCLA, I meant that I felt more at home at USC rather than UCLA.</p>
<p>binks09 your insulting reference to GerogiaGirl is an embarrassment to yourself.</p>
<p>This thread clearly sums up the different levels of maturity you can find at each school. :D</p>
<p>@binks09
Insulting someone who was just trying to help isn’t really going to help bring up your school name.</p>
<p>But seriously, if you take binks09 out of the equation, both USC and UCLA are really good schools. Pick the one that makes you happier!</p>
<p>An opinion by a UCLA graduate (received a Masters from USC): </p>
<p>The University of California built its reputation in the 60 and 70’s based on its focus on research. It recruited top research oriented faculty and built top notch graduate programs. Undergraduate education was never the focus of the UC system - this was reserved for the Cal State system. However, the reputation built over the years in the research arena spilled over to the undergraduate program. The assumption being that there was a trickle down effect where high profile faculty working in cutting edge fields would provide a rich environment for undergraduates. This never happened. The “publish or perish” model prevalent at the UC"s prevented faculty from spending time with undergraduates. For many years, most undergraduate classes were taught by graduate students. Now large lectures are taught by faculty (though the high profile faculty remain in their research labs tucked away from undergraduates), and smaller labs are taught by graduate assistants.</p>
<p>As rankings began to make their appearance, a major factor in the ranking was the schools reputation. In academic circles, the UC’s were enjoying a very high rating due to its history in the research arenas (though this has slipped over the years), which helped in the perceived value of the undergraduate programs (again the assumption that the top research and graduate programs trickled down to the undergraduate programs). This perception (along with the low cost relative to private schools) drove record numbers of California students to apply to the UC’s, while at-the same time, the UC system began reducing the total number of slots for in state students. This created a misleadingly high selectivity ratio - further enhancing the perception of the UC system as an “elite school system.”</p>
<p>The hard reality is that the UC’s provide a good, but not great undergraduate education. The essential elements that create an environment for true transformational education - personal attention by top notch faculty, intensive and extended focus on subject areas, interdisciplinary immersion, mentor based, hands on personal research and investigation - that you can get at USC, are not possible across the majority of the student body at a UC.</p>
<p>
I love GeorgiaGirl’s posts. It seems many others do too, because her thread “SC is the kind of university where…” was recommended so much the moderators moved it to the “featured discussions” section at the top of the forum. I have NEVER had a featured discussion… even though I blatantly asked everyone to recommend my Fin Aid FAQ thread… no one did… 
hence I am consumed with envy about GeorgiaGirl’s popularity on the USC forum. 
Uh… ya think???
Yes, rankings are weird, but USC just keeps climbing in 'em, so we love 'em (well, unless USC falls in them in which case we don’t care in the least about them and you can’t prove we ever did).
Wonderful! You are off to a great start as GeorgiaGirl’s apprentice! Thanks!!!</p>
<p>***Everyone did see where I blatantly asked, once again, for people to recommend my little FAQ for Fin Aid thread, didn’t they? I want new applicants to see it but it keeps dropping down. Then I have to try to think of something to post to bring it back up. OH! I know! binks09, when you unleash your fury on me, can you do it on the FAQ for Fin Aid thread so it pops back up? (And if you could recommend it while you were there… that would be fabulous… 
)</p>
<p>Oops! I was so focused on my self-promotion of the <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-southern-california/839970-faq-usc-financial-aid-2010-a.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-southern-california/839970-faq-usc-financial-aid-2010-a.html</a> ;), I forgot to try to post something helpful for the OP! </p>
<p>kasssz, is money a consideration? What are the costs for YOU at each of the two universities? Their published costs are not as important as what you actually have to pull out of your pocket to attend. </p>
<p>And if anyone has questions about financial aid… they could post them on the <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-southern-california/839970-faq-usc-financial-aid-2010-a.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-southern-california/839970-faq-usc-financial-aid-2010-a.html</a> … and recommend it while they were there… (ahhh… I can just see “alamemom” up there in *Featured Discussions *next to GeorgiaGirl… )</p>
<p>My son was facing that exact dilemma last year. He chose USC because he thought it was a better fit – but it was close. A year later, he couldn’t be happier with his decision. The opportunities at Marshall, especially beyond the classroom, are mind boggling.</p>
<p>We do know kids who did UCLA Business Econ and went on to be accepted to top grad schools. Visit both. Look at finances. You have great options to choose from! I heard Anderson School of Business at UCLA tends to recruit mostly outside of UCLA’s undergrads, but do know of at least one Biz Econ grad who went straight away (or maybe after a year?) into Anderson.</p>
<p>As a side note, I too find binks’s presence – as well as growing hostility – here on the USC forum sad. I’ve always found USC’s forum on this board to be supportive and informative, even if the student’s end decision is not USC.</p>