Hi everyone! As an econ major (possibly adding poli sci major), which school would be a better choice for undergrad? I am pretty sure that I’ll go to grad school (law/business, haven’t decided yet), so money is a factor. WashU is giving me some aid, but not enough to make it equal to the UCs even with none from them (around a 10k difference). However, it isn’t nonnegotiable. For Berkeley I got in as a January admit if that makes any difference at all. I’m leaning towards WashU right now simply because of the comfortable atmosphere and great dorms and food, but I know that Berkeley’s Haas school is stellar and LA’s business econ is also good, so I don’t want to restrict my choices.
If you decide you’re interested in law school, then GPA and LSAT are truly all that matters (unless you have a major hook) and thus I would recommend going to wherever you feel most comfortable, which definitely seems to be WashU.
For business, WashU doesn’t have the best recruiting (though I know many from there go on to do very well simply because they are stellar students). Haas definitely has very good recruiting though I hear it’s quite tough to get into; of course, you could take econ but you would probably be competing with Haas students for the same jobs. UCLA econ can be a safe route but econ classes fill up fast and are very crowded and the reason that at UCLA it is considered a pain to get your degree within four years (making the addition of poli sci tough).
WashU’s recruiting is getting better and better every year. There has been a huge improvement in recruiting over the last 5 years, and now MBB, Goldman and many other prestigious firms and banks recruit on campus. I would go to WashU with Berkeley as a close second. It’s incredibly hard to get into certain classes at the UC’s. Also, Haas has it’s own admission’s process, and you have to apply again.