<p>Hi! </p>
<p>I am studying for my master degree in finance in Europe. I would like to do an exchange semester in the U.S. this winter. All of the three universities--Wake Forest University, Indiana University Bloomington and Tulane University--are partners of my university. </p>
<p>Although I have already got information online related to the above universities, it is hard for me to choose one of them. Therefore, I would like to ask for some advice here. No doubt people in America know better than me about their graduate schools.</p>
<p>Which one is better in the field of finance?</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>I think all three are great and will give you a great “American” experience. Of the three, Indiana has the best business school, but I would focus on intangibles if I were you. For example:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Indiana is a much larger university. IU has 32,000 undergrads and over 40,000 students in total once you factor in graduate students. Wake Forest has 5,000 undergrads and Tulane has 8,500 undergrads. Clearly, Indiana is much larger.</p></li>
<li><p>IU has a much larger international student population, and not just in absolute terms, but also in relative terms. Only 100 (2%) of Wake Forest’s undergraduate student body is international. At Tulane only 300 (2%) are international. At Indiana, an whopping 3,500 (11%) undergraduate students are international. There is no comparison here. From an global and international perspective, Indiana is in a different league.</p></li>
<li><p>Wake Forest is located in Winston Salem, a mid-sized city with a population of 230,000 (over 500,000 when you include suburbs). Tulane is located in New Orleans, a largish city with a population of 400,000 (over 1 million with you include suburbs). Indiana is located in Bloomington, a small city with a population of 80,000. All three towns have much to offer. Some may prefer a larger city, in which case, Winston Salem or New Orleans may have more to offer, while others will prefer a college town where the city revolves around the students, in which case you won’t find a nicer and more </p></li>
<li><p>Weather. New Orleans (Tulane) is warm most of the year. Winston Salem has mild winters, while Bloomington has cold (but reasonably so, like Boston) winters.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Personally, I like IU/Bloomington’s liberal, international and intellectual vibe, but you cannot go wrong with any of those schools. For example, if you prefer a larger urban area, a smaller campus/student body or warmer weather, Wake Forest or Tulane may suit you better. I assume cost of attendance will be the same for you.</p>
<p>I would add that, if this is your first experience living in the US, consider the different communities each school is located in. </p>
<p>Bloomington is a small college town – lots of students, not much town. It has lots of neat restaurants and small shops, and a top rate music school which brings in vibrant music performances. You are less than an hour from Indianapolis which is a midwest city, strong professional sports teams etc., wonderful museums, but not a cultural destination the way, say, Chicago is.</p>
<p>New Orleans is one of the uniquely American cities (and many would say, the most European of American cities), along with New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, etc. Strong local culture, with incredible music and food. A city like no other in this country. </p>
<p>Winston Salem is a mid-sized city, though I don’t know it beyond that. </p>
<p>As the other poster noted, you can’t really go wrong with any of these experiences so question is really what matters most to you. </p>
<p>Good luck.</p>