Hello! I am having quite a bit of difficulty choosing between the World Bachelor of Business program at USC and the Wells Scholarship (full-ride) at Kelly School of Business. I am not looking for a definitive answer but just any advice, thoughts or information you have would be amazing! I was also accepted into UVA, UNC and Villanova out-of-state but have narrowed it down to these 2.
Here are the facts:
WBB - 1 year at USC, 1 year in Hong Kong, 1 year in Milan and 4th year I get to choose which college to go back to. I would receive 3 BA degrees recognized by all 3 universities. Amazing, life-changing experience, however, while I did receive a half scholarship, it is still very expensive but since the Hong Kong and Milan schools are so much cheaper than USC, it is not that bad.
https://www.marshall.usc.edu/programs/undergraduate-programs/world-bachelor-business
IU - The Kelly School of Business is amazing in merit and the Wells Scholarship cover full-tuition, room and board, food, etc. Plus, a huge stipend that covers internships. Also, I would receive a full year abroad fully covered at the London School of Business. Additionally, I would be in a program where in 6 years I could have my business degree and law degree (tuition covered). I am also in the ACE program at Kelly and am in the Honors College. Also with AP credits I would go into IU as a sophomore in standing.
WBB is an amazing experience but is the cost worth the extra year (maybe 2) of study abroad.
Wow - amazing choices - congrats! So are you saying you could go to school for 6 years, have a business and law degree for about the same price or less than 4 years in WBB, but the WBB enables you to study in 2 additional cities? Is that the net-net? I looooove USC, but Kelly is an outstanding school offering you an incredible opportunity at what appears to be very low cost. Add on the honors, whatever ACE is…ya that is sounding pretty awesome.
Of course, I am just looking at it from the few paragraphs you wrote, you have to decide what is important to you - where you attend and how much value that has to you personally, among other attributes of the program… like does a law degree actually mean anything to you or just sound good? Do you want to be in school 6 years? Do you want to be in London versus the other cities, do you want to be in Ind or LA? Only you can make those kind of calls and decide what within each program really has value. Did you bottom line out the costs of both programs? Or is it close enough that it is more of a feature/benefit analysis between the two?
Thank you so much for the reply! Going to IU is essentially free, plus my parents are buying me a new car if I choose to attend IU. My mom is a legacy so both of my parents are HEAVILY pushing Kelly (the recent scandals have really not helped me in trying to convince them that USC is still very much on the table). I, however, fell absolutely head over heels for USC granted I would probably only be there half my college experience.
USC would be approx. $42,660 (1st year), $15,000 (second year), $10,500 (3rd year) and the 4th year I choose which to go back to (which right not Milan has a strong pull)! The program would mean I could work anywhere in the world with degrees recognized on three different continents.
As for the law degree, I am very interested in their 3+3 program but I do have the choice to just get my Business degree.
I just have to figure out if the value of WBB is worth the cost more than the practically free cost of an education at Kelly. Giving up my dream of USC and WBB, however, is crushing. My dad would say the cost has no bearing on my decision, but, I know my mom believes otherwise and I think I do to.
What you said above is why I am asking this…
A question if I may - is the cost of the WBB easily affordable or a strain? We certainly chose more expensive options for ours, but it wasn’t a strain for us to do so (even strain is subjective). Also, some wouldn’t regret giving my kids the education of their dreams, no matter what it meant going forward, others don’t want to give up their new car or second home. Neither is wrong, everyone is different. So while we would all like to spend less, will it make a difference if you spend that amount? There are times the value of an education is way more than the bottom line costs, but it also depends on the family situation. I assume your parents didn’t expect you to get a free education - did they have a figure they hoped to spend on average per year?
Also, did you reach out on the WBB thread? There was a current student there posting offering to answer questions about it…
Oh and imo the scandal is irrelevant - a few cheaters just told you they were willing to spend zillions of dollars to go to certain schools. Do you think kids are gonna decline Stanford or Yale or Georgetown etc.(others involved) because of a couple bad apples? (I have stayed away from this conversation till now and sure hope I don’t get sucked into it!)
Couple more comments…obviously you will get an amazing education and experience at Kelly and for basically free is unbelievable. And you will be way closer to home which I am sure your parents like, truth be told, I’m guessing you may be more likely to stay in Indiana when done, but ya never know, maybe you would move to London! You will have a core group out of there because besides the year in London, you are in Bloomington for the next 4-6 years. I suppose the WBB requires a good degree of independence and fortitude to go through those new environments, did you go to Explore and find out a lot about WBB? Are you a person full of wanderlust? Have you traveled much up to now? Do other cultures just thrill the heck out of you?
You will get an amazing education at either, so the way I see it you what you would be paying for is a different life trajectory - living in LA, traveling the world vs staying with the more familiar (closer to home) most of the time, but also with great opportunities. And while it seems like Kelly should be a no brainer value/price wise, often times such big decisions are based on other things than simply cost, like your heart and your dreams. If you can afford to count those, lucky you. Wish you the best, just trying to give you things to think about - only you have the answer!
For an update! I found out today I was bumped up at USC and now have the Trustee Scholarship which is full-tuition!
@tkdqueen035 AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! ISo is the decision made? I think you heart says USC ???, but I know there is a pull back home for you too. But I have a feeling I know where you will be. Oh geez, so happy for you. Are you parents just crazy happy right now? Happy/scared probably, it’s a big deal! Please let me know what you do.
Congrats! @AggieMom68 just learned they got the Trustee too and in WBB also! Have you touched base with her, she has been super helpful sharing what she has learned about the WBB.
I have been swimming in questions, so trying to keep up! Sooo happy for you!
@CADREAMIN - Thank you for all your help. Yes! We got in touch and the girls are chatting with each other as well. They had the same host at the Explore USC. Isn’t that awesome? So proud of these 2 girls.
Sounds like it could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship! Lucky girls in so many ways. 