<p>I am brand new to CC and if this question has already been asked, please excuse me. We live in Texas and our daughter is trying to make a decision between UT (BHP & PLAN II), Duke and Cornell. She is interested in the following programs:</p>
<ul>
<li>UT (Busines Honors and PLAN ii)</li>
<li>Duke (Economics and Computer Science)</li>
<li>Cornell (Economics and Computer Science)</li>
</ul>
<p>Her long term goal is to go to a top 10 grad MBA program. Based on my research a good MBA program requires at least 3 to 5 years of work experience. </p>
<p>I would appreciate any insight into the school that offers her best chance to acquire work experience right after graduation.</p>
<p>Any one of those would be a good choice. I’d go with UT BHP, especially since you’re in state. A lot of kids get great jobs from BHP, and they have incredible recruiting.</p>
<p>Is she in at these places…or trying to decide where to apply? </p>
<p>If the former then I’d suggest you pm bluedevilmike, a fairly recent Duke grad in economics and all-around great guy for Duke info . </p>
<p>As to Plan II , I’ll paraphrase what the Dean of an Honors College I think of highly told me “It’s the nuts.” </p>
<p>(Personal note - As a fellow Texan and hater of all things burnt orange except Plan II, I’d say it’s the only acre of that God-saken Forty that I’d spit on if it was on fire. ;))</p>
<p>If the latter, apply to all of them and make the decision later.</p>
<p>Like curmudgeon I am not the biggest fan of UT unless we’re talking about one of their honors programs and of course Plan II.</p>
<p>If you are paying full freight at Duke or Cornell, do BHP and Plan II and save you money for grad school where it will all be loans. She’ll appreciate the help with grad school and the UT BHP/Plan II will provide her with wonderful opportunities at a great price.</p>
<p>BTW, unlike the other two, Duke does not have an undergrad business school; she will get a “certificate” in Economics.</p>
<p>I have to pay full sticker price… UT : $20k/year compared Duke and Cornell: $54k. </p>
<p>I am a texan and will be paying in-state tution and hence the low cost at UT.</p>
<p>BHP and Plan II at UT are bot honors programs. </p>
<p>Per curmudgeon’s suggestion, I will be sending a private message to bluedevilmike.</p>
<p>Since you mentioned about “Certificate” in Econimics at Duke, let me ask you about it. I recall reading on Duke’s web site that they offer B.S. and B.A. with Economics major.<br>
Is “Certificate” same as major?</p>
<p>I am not familiar with U.S. schools and if I am asking silly questions, please bear with me.</p>
<p>I live in Dallas and am therefore very familiar with UT, BHP and Plan II.</p>
<p>Forget the $34K a year difference because it will likely be more with travel expense and tuition increases plus at Cornell she will need a significant winter wardrobe that she won’t need at all at UT and to a lesser extent at Duke than Cornell…that said though, it DOES get cold and snow in Durham.</p>
<p>If you use $39K as a “safe” annual average differential you are really talking about ** a $156K out of pocket difference over 4 years**…neither Duke nor Cornell are worth the differential over what she has as an alternative. If she did not have BHP and Plan II in her pocket I might be able to be convinced to at least consider the other two but it would be hard to justify it with BHP and Plan II as her “other” choice.</p>
<p>She is planning on grad school and will need it with an econ major…save your money for grad school.</p>
<p>Neither Cornell nor Duke have an actual undergrad business school like The McCombs School of Business at UT. Cornell’s Department of Applied Economics and Management (AEM) is home to the University’s * Undergraduate Business Program*. At Duke, econ is a Major course of study (like English, Math, or Poli Sci) offered toward either a BA or BS from the Trinity College of Arts and Sciences.</p>
<p>At UT she will have a broader base of business courses as part of her major and will graduate with a degree from the McCombs School of Business at UT.</p>
<p>While both Duke and Cornell are very fine schools, this really isn’t an apples to apples comparison. If you were comparing UT/McCombs to either Wharton at UPenn or Kellogg at Northwestern it would be a better/more appropriate comparison.</p>
<p>No. How she does in undergrad and on the GRE will be the two most important factors plus graduating from McCombs is certainly not going to hurt her.</p>
<p>There are business “clusters” at Duke that gather together a few courses on accounting or marketing. Duke is a pure Economics degree pathway. Many BMEs and engineers combine with Economics. Econ is the number one major at Duke (son has one of his majors in Duke econ.)<br>
The Cluster program…is also there to “help” those in the liberal arts package up some practical courses before graduation. Markets and Management come to mind as the name…you will have to peruse the T Reqs pages at Duke to find these clusters. There are many others.<br>
Duke is not a straight out business school. You can get a job immediately with an accounting degree from Wake Forest for instance where they specialize in undergrad accounting and business.<br>
Keep in mind that MBA programs are usually sans any underwriting and cost plenty. At UVA for instance–our instate flagship MBA…, Instate for their MBA is something over 60 grand a year…cash. Son is now working in a different state and is no longer “instate here” so I think he has to shell out close to 70 grand a year to go to MBA in Old Virginia.
Plus you must have been employed in the Real World for a while to get into many MBA programs. </p>
<p>If you are looking at the 150 grand that many MBAs cost with some fear and trepidation, then hesitate if Duke will put you in a deep hole for undergrad.
my son has the BS in Economics…this path takes much more calculus</p>