USC v. UVA

<p>Here is the issue.....</p>

<p>I have narrowed down my choices to these two schools. I am looking to major in business and I am from the northeast. From my point of view both schools are absolutely beautiful, UVA is ranked a bit higher in terms of academics and the business school, but the environments at the schools to me appear to be the same regarding school spirit and top notch athletics. Of course for me it would be hard to turn down 4 years on the west coast. As well as the fact you have the whole rural and urban debate with LA and Charlottesville. For me the fact that the business school at UVA requires an application sophomore year is somewhat of an issue considering I am already accepted at USC Marshall...tuition isn't really an issue but I received a 1/4 tuition scholarship at USC.....what do you guys think?</p>

<p>who has the edge in terms of (recruiting, social environment, fun, and atmosphere...etc</p>

<p>Unless you are in state tuition for Virginia, why pay out of state tuition for a state university? With few exceptions, I noticed last year that most of the high school students at my son's school either went in state public or to out of state private universities. I suggest trying to look at the big picture--where do you think you might want to end up after graduation? I know that internships can factor in and which city has the kind of opportunities which appeal to you?</p>

<p>I am OOS and of course that is a good point....i feel like the private schools do more for their student body as a whole rather than just offering the basic education....in terms of internships and location obviously LA is appealing but living within 30 minutes of NYC the most ideal location would be to receive job offers/ internships in New York regardless I have no idea at which school NY firms recruit more heavily but I would assume UVA McIntire would have that advantage.....but thanks a lot for you input! I really do appreciate it</p>

<p>hate to be a pain...but anybody else?</p>

<p>Barron,
Ratings of colleges are always subjective, but according to the August 27, 2007 issue of U.S. News the two undergraduate business programs were tied at 9th. Both were assessed at 4.1. Carnegie Mellon was one spot above and Indiana Univ. was one spot below. Your information the business undergraduate program at UVA was ranked above SC was incorrect. You can check this at your local public library.
Here is an opinion. If you are an easterner it might be a maturing experience to attend college in another section of the country. As I and others can attest the Trojan Family is not a myth. There are many SC graduates working in NYC. A large alumni group is active in NY. Find out more about the NY group at the SC website in the alumni club section.
If you check out the college visitation thread a student remarked about the beauty of UVA, but was surprised at the condition of the interiors of the buildings. Read that post for those observations.
SC is in an urban area. The campus is beautiful, but if you are a person who is most comfortable in a small country setting another choice might be better. However, SC is a short trip to the beach, an hour to Disneyland, 2 1/2 hours to winter skiing and about 1 1/2 hours to Palm Springs.<br>
Did you attend Explore SC? The posts here appear to be positive about the experience.<br>
As I mentioned before if you attend SC you will be part of the Trojan Family. It is more than a job network. This list of alumni clubs may indicate how extensive the "Family" is around the world. This is a partial list.
SC alumni active organizations can be found in Beijing, Hong Kong, Hsinchu, Kaohsiung, Pearl River Delta, Shanghai, Paris, Indonesia, Horoshima, Kansai, Nagoya, Tokyo, Malaysia, Mexico City, Singapore, Seoul,Taipei, Thailand and London.
You may wish to contact the NYC SC Alumni group. I realize your decision has to be made soon, but perhaps a NY alumnus may be able to answer your questions about job opportunities in NY coming from a California university.
The Georgia alumni club holds networking events which are separate from the social activities of the club. Perhaps the NYC group does this as well.
Write to TrojanChick99 in a PM. She is on campus and may be able to give you more specific answers regarding the business school.
Congratulations on your admittance! Best wishes to you in the future.</p>

<p>I appreciate your input and I am going to go on ahead with all of your suggestions.....of course rankings are subjective but I was referring to the BusinessWeek rankings which have UVA McIntire at #2 locked in a dead heat with the perennial undergraduate business powerhouse of Wharton (USC Marshall is ranked ~20) what I have gathered from these responses no matter what I do I can't go wrong...my heart says USC but my mind says UVA....</p>

<p>I posted on the UVA board.</p>

<p>Fight on!</p>

<p>Barron,
This may be something you should check. I think the BW ratings were for the graduate programs. Our undergraduate school is rated above SC's graduate school of business at this time.<br>
Go with your heart! Due to the cinema school, music school and other programs SC attracts some of the most creative students in the U.S. Also, keep in mind the international students are a large part of the student body. This adds quite a bit to your college experience.<br>
My Trojan brother is seen on TV and is well known in the field of finance. One of his good friends is a sheik from Saudi Arabia.<br>
You have heard about the Trojan Family. Did you notice how many alumni come to this board to answer your questions? This is something we do because of our strong feelings about the opportunities available to the incoming students.
You major is not science. Go to the thread about the honors science program. Read the list of special events and other activities offered to these students. Yes, it is an honors program. It is typical of the attention a private school can provide.</p>

<p>TheBarron12,
Please check your PM inbox. Thanks.
GG</p>

<p>for reference purposes for those who didn't believe me hahah jk..... well here it is the undergrad Bschool rankings by business week.....</p>

<p>Undergrad</a> - BSchools</p>

<p>Ignore the ranking and go with where you want to live after college. If it's LA choose USC. Eventhough UVA ranks #2, some or most people in the WestCoast never heard of it. I've heard that BYU has a very good undergraduate business school and it's #5.</p>

<p>It is my belief the media have not caught on to where is SC is placed now. Note the recruiters who do much of the selecting for top jobs placed SC at 3.</p>

<p>With the millions President Sample is pouring into Marshall the trend is definitely upward.</p>

<p>I also made a similar choice last year, except it was between USC and UNC. Ultimately, I chose UNC though both ended up costing around the same numbers. For me, the atmosphere at UNC just spoke more- for one, Chapel Hill is a GREAT college town and I really wanted to have a very college-y experience. Plus, I really like the whole east coast/Southern thing that UNC has going on as I wasn't sure if LA was my thing. I don't regret my decision at all.</p>

<p>I understand that UVA is more than 30 minutes to NY. Also, you might want to find out why a NY firm would recruit from UVA when Columbia and NYU are in Manhattan. Will UVA give you the attention that USC will provide?</p>

<p>President Sample is very smart. More funraising here news here. USC is on the move.</p>

<p>USC</a> President - Speeches and Articles - 2008 - Faculty Address</p>

<p>
[quote]
Ignore the ranking and go with where you want to live after college. If it's LA choose USC. Eventhough UVA ranks #2, some or most people in the WestCoast never heard of it. I've heard that BYU has a very good undergraduate business school and it's #5.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>This pretty much nails it. But I'd also visit both and choose based on what you feel.</p>

<p>USC has SUPER strong alumni network in the LA area, but beyond that, who knows. USC has been getting more and more selective and will continue to be more and more prestigious. It seems to be more and more well though of. This is owing to academics and management, but I think is because of noted alumna Annabel Chong as well:</p>

<p>Annabel</a> Chong - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</p>