GMU (Cyber/IT) vs GWU (International Business) for tech sales / consulting career?
I’m trying to decide between George Mason University and George Washington University and could really use some honest advice.
At GMU, I applied for cybersecurity/IT type path, and at GWU I got into international business. Cost is not something I need to worry about so I’m trying to focus on career outcomes rather than money. The thing is, I’m not sure how technical I want to be. I know I don’t want to be a hardcore engineer or coding all day, but I DO want to work in tech because it’s something i’m extremely passionate about and have always loved learning about. Ideally something like tech sales, solutions consulting, risk assessment or cyber/AI-related business roles.
Here’s what I’m stuck on
GMU seems way stronger for cybersecurity, IT, and AI, which could give me a technical edge
GWU seems stronger for business, networking, and overall social environment. But I would also be commuting there which i’m scared would affect internships and networking opportunities..as well as social life. So I guess the other factor that’s making it hard to choose is I don’t know if it’s worth the time to commute just to be at a disadvantage at the end. I want to have a fun experience and not be stressed about commuting.
I’m worried if I go GWU, I might lack technical depth But if I go GMU, I’m worried I’ll be stuck in something too technical that I don’t enjoy
Also:
GMU commute for me would be about 15ish minutes but since i’m commuting to GWU it would be an 1 using the metro
To be honest, I just know I have heavy passion for both tech and business but I don’t know how technical I want to be and I feel like both schools are great at very different things. I’ve heard internships and networks in GMU are strong for engineering which is not as technical as I want to be but GWU is more politics and accounting.
Which path would set me up better? Is a technical degree (IT/cyber) worth it if I don’t want to code long-term? Or is it better to go full business and learn tech on the side? And is it worth the commute?