<p>What should I do? I'm so flustered and I can't make a decision between the two. I'm going to be studying undergraduate business. At USC, I'm in the Marshall school of business and at Berkeley I would have to apply sophomore year for a spot in Haas. I liked the kids and location at USC better. I know USC has a really good alumni connection, but Berkeley has a very high prestigous repuation. USC would cost me twice as much as Berkeley to attend. I'm having so much trouble choosing. Any input?</p>
<p>USC!!!! Isn't Marshall buisness ranked higher? correct me if I'm wrong... there are probably more internship opportunities in LA and you can't beat the Trojan network! It also depends what kind of buisness you are into but if its anything to do with entertainment buisness then you should totally pick USC. USC is awesome and if you can afford I'd go just for the people/location. If its too expensive then go to Cal which is VERY prestigious and a lot of people probably would rather go there anyways. Congrats on your choices!</p>
<p>How big a factor is financial assistance?</p>
<p>I'm planning on studying business management. I guess that keeps it general enough. We'll see where that takes me and how I decide to narrow it down. I know USC is way more personal and easier to deal with. Financial assistance is what is holding me back from going to USC. I pretty much am set on USC except for the money issue. Berkeley is under $20,000 a year and USC is $47,000. If they were the same cost, I'd be going to USC. So, I guess that brings another questions, is the $27,000 a year worth going to USC over Cal? It's hard to choose because Cal has so much of a higher reputation in general, but yes the Marshall school of business is ranked very high. Thanks for your input and hope to hear some more.</p>
<p>I would go to USC only IF you can financially afford it.</p>
<p>Dont attempt to strain yourself if your family cant afford the extra 20k.</p>
<p>Cal is a great school.</p>
<p>I would go with Cal. USC simply isn't worth the extra 27K a year over CAL of all places, and I can't imagine it's impossible to get into the business school as a junior. As long as you do well in all your prerequisite classes, I can't see how Cal would have a reason to deny you a spot in the business school. I think the social atmosphere seems nicer at USC than at Cal, but cmon, 27k???</p>
<p>Visited Berkeley last weekend (my son was accepted and was deciding whether to attend) and had general tour. Tour guide, who seemed to be very knowledgeable, said that Haas Business School is excellent but their acceptance rate is roughly only 50%. Those who don't make it remain in Letters & Sci, often as Economics majors. He also mentioned that 1st and 2nd year economics courses can be difficult to get into. I vaguely recall hearing that approximately 1/3 of all L&S students at Cal are economics or pre-business majors. You might check the "Letters & Sciences" and the "Schedule of Classes" websites at Berkeley to see which majors and classes are "impacted" - in other words, in high demand.</p>
<p>Bottom line: if you are a strong student and not afraid of competition, or if $ is an issue, Cal would be a good choice - the top Wall Street firms recruit from Cal, and it is one of the top B schools in the nation. If not, USC would probably be a safer bet, especially since you seem to like it more. USC does pride itself on networking, so the opportunities after college will be there, too. Good luck with your decision.</p>
<p>USC Marshall Undergrad is impacted also...but it's not a problem getting in as long as you have like a 3.0 in prerequisites. I went to SC Marshall and then switched into economics mainly because there were way to many people in the program. Upper division classes have like 300+ people in them, which is just way too many people for the amount of money you pay in tuition.</p>
<p>I say go to CAL and work your but off. if you can get into berkeley that accepts liek 1 quarter of its applicants you shouldn't have a trouble getting into Haas who accepts half of the pre business majors. Just work hard, because in reality if you can't afford Marshall it really isn't worth it when youc an go somewhere else that is equally as great.</p>
<p>I personally love USC for Business, but in your situation with financial concerns, just stick with berkeley.</p>
<p>I haven't seen a ranking that ranks Haas undergrad below Marshall.</p>
<p>And about half of those that apply get in.</p>
<p>I think I'm just going to take out HUGE loans (in the hundred grand) to go with SC. I just like it so much better there and couldn't see myself at Berkeley. I like the people better, the private school feel better. I don't like how I always hear about "red tape" at Cal. I think it matters most where I feel best, regardless of prestige. I'd really like to go to USC, and hopefully I can pull it off financially. Thanks for your help guys.</p>
<p>People hear about a lot of things. Some of them have some truth in them. Hopefully you end up at USC if you think you'd be happier there. Best of luck.</p>
<p>definately cal, esp for HAAS (if you get in) i think its ranked third in the nation for business if i'm not mistaken.</p>
<p>Some say that. there's no absolute ranking, so to put things in context, I think that US News says that.</p>
<p>rickt - Sounds like money IS a real issue for you. A 6 figure debt is considerable and will affect your decision-making for years to come after you graduate. You will be tempted to take a job that pays well rather than the one you love. How will it affect your ability to attend graduate school (if you so choose), or buy a home later? The debt alone might be enough to tip the scales in favor of Berkeley. Why don't you call up the Haas admissions office and ask them personally about the acceptance rate and the profile of students accepted to their program? Then make another call to Letters & Science to find out how difficult it is to get enrolled in your required courses and other "red-tape" concerns. Also, look at the GPA and SATs of admitted students at Berkeley - if you're at or above the 50% percentile, shouldn't that suggest that your chances of getting into Haas are better than average? At the minimum, if you wind up going to USC, at least you can point to specific facts and well-informed reasons for doing so, so at least you won't have any regrets when it comes time to start paying back all those loans.</p>
<p>What is CAL?</p>
<p>In Berkeley, California, near Oakland and San Francisco.</p>
<p>You can get most of that online.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.haas.berkeley.edu/Undergrad/%5B/url%5D">http://www.haas.berkeley.edu/Undergrad/</a></p>
<p>Well, the financial office at USC is expecting me to pay $33,000. At, Berkeley, the cost would be about $20,000. However, at USC, another $11,000 is loans that the school is giving me. So, although USC is a bit more expensive, it's not as much of a difference than I thought. I'm from San Diego, so I also have to calculate in costs of flying home when I want to come home, etc. I think it might be worth the difference to go to SC. I want to be happy, but as you all said, repaying loans for many years might not be the happy way to go. That is my ultimate problem - is it worth it to go to the place I want to go for that much money? And is USC even a prestigious college in the least sense? Thanks for all your help everyone.</p>
<p>Well, you make it sound like the difference will be about 40k. The plane rides over the years aren't going to cost thousands, maybe a few thousand over your entire time if you were to come here.</p>
<p>USC is somewhat prestigious. People still associate it with their image of yore (sort of like Berkeley), but USC's was more party oriented. They've spent a lot of money on faculty in academic disciplines lately. If you're going to be happier there, who cares "what people think?"</p>
<p>I'd go with Cal. I just can see how one can justify paying $180,000 to attend a school, any school, when Cal is availlable for $80,000. Even if you get a kick@ss job when you graduate, it will take you a decade to pay back your debts. Besides, Haas is better than Marshall...assuming you get in.</p>