<p>I'm enrolled at Cal Poly for business administration, and just got accepted off an appeal to USC for Marshall. Marshall is a more highly-ranked business school and I've decided that if both schools were the same price, I'd probably be at USC. However, USC is 3x as expensive as Cal Poly ($20,000 vs. $60,000). My parents can afford to send me to USC but is Marshall really worth the extra $40,000 over Cal Poly's Orfalea for an undergraduate degree?</p>
<p>Why did you appeal if you weren’t going to attend anyway? If your parents can afford it, I’d go with USC because prestige can go a long way in the business world. $160,000 is a lot of money though.</p>
<p>I still don’t know if I’m not going to attend, it’s a possibility. Like I said, USC is my first choice but it’s a question of money and I couldn’t see my financial aid package unless I’m accepted, obviously - but they didn’t give me anything.</p>
<p>By “afford it” I mean that they won’t complain about sending me there but I feel like I do need to be considerate of the fact that I have another sibling to send to college in a few years and I might also want to go to graduate school afterwards, which just means more money. My parents are well-off but not really rich enough where 60k here and there is not a big deal, because it is.</p>
<p>I am an international businessman with an MBA from a top ranked B school. Make the first good business of your life. Go to Cal Poly. I’ve taught business at USC and I have a son enrolled at Cal Poly. USC is a good program, but it will not give you $160,000 of additional value in the long run. Cal Poly has what is most important, a hands on learn by doing business education that will give you the skills you need to succeed in the real business world. The Who’s Who of the business and accounting world recruit from Cal Poly. Let your parents off the hook and allow them to prepare for their own retirement. Later, after you get the business skills you need, get an MBA if you feel it is that necessary. I know people who have gone from Cal Poly to get MBA’s at Harvard if that is really important to you. However, do not forget that Cal Poly in many circles is a “brand name” and the Cal Poly brand projects work ethic, team spirit, problem solving and great business fundamentals. If you truly consider yourself a business major – do the math. Starting salaries for new grads from USC are in the $50k to $55k range and those for Cal Poly are virtually identical. Cal Poly business majors get internships, co-ops and many other perks.</p>
<p>Go to Cal Poly.</p>
<p>Recognize that you are fortunate to have parents who seem to be able to pay cash to send you to USC and take advantage of that. It’s not only the prestige of USC that will help you, but your actual experience at Marshall will probably better prepare you for a career than Cal-Poly. A lot of the criticism directed towards business majors has merit, but it doesn’t apply to programs like Marshall.</p>
<p>Something to think about: <a href=“http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/13/business/student-loans-weighing-down-a-generation-with-heavy-debt.html[/url]”>http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/13/business/student-loans-weighing-down-a-generation-with-heavy-debt.html</a></p>
<p>Again. Here is an opportunity to make your first good business decision. Do the math.</p>
<p>Cal Poly 4 years at $20k to $25k a year = $80k to $100k cost with the end result being a job in the $60k range (median adjusted for inflation); or</p>
<p>USC 4 years at $60k a year = $240k cost with the end result being a job in the $60k range (median adjusted for inflation)</p>
<p>Your folks could send your sibling to college or add to their retirement savings with this money. Or send you to an MBA program. You were very lucky to get into Cal Poly. Many did not that we very qualified to do so. What changed?</p>
<p>Or something no one has mentioned is you can go to CC for 2 years for virtually nothing (Maybe $1000)</p>
<p>Transfer to USC your junior year and finish your last 2 years there.</p>
<p>$60k x 2 = $120,000</p>
<p>If 4 Years at Cal Poly Pomona ~ $100k
I’d pay that extra $20,000 for the extra prestige of USC plus the opportunity to be in the city with the trade off of two years of college experience.</p>
<p>Or you can just transfer to CPP for the last 2 years and spend only 50k :p</p>
<p>I would choose Cal Poly SLO over USC in a heart beat. Even if Cal Poly cost more I would still pick it. Both schools are always ranked very high for business but the setting & culture of USC just can’t compete with SLO.</p>
<p>^^ He said “Orfalea” which means San Luis Obispo, not Pomona. Pomona is a nice campus too though, but not nearly as reputable for business.</p>
<p>Cal Poly > USC
Engineering nerds and central coast > LA and football meatheads</p>