u/ReleaseTheKraken98

I am very grateful to have been admitted to all of the above universities however, I now have to pick one. Let me tell you a bit about myself and my goals and lay out the offers on the table.

I applied mostly to MSBA programs at these schools but I was accepted to UW for their msim (information management) program. I have a 3.52 undergrad gpa in finance and was a member of my universities investment fund which directed me towards consulting/ finance for my final goals.

Now for the schools:

Cal Poly: I like the curriculum for cal poly slo and that it includes classes like econometrics but cal poly places much better for tech roles and tech consulting (not necessarily a bad thing) but I want to try to do something more aligned with finance. It is also a very cheap option in California which I like.

ASU: This was my first admit. I like the school and Phoenix but it is mostly still in consideration because it has a big enough brand for Arizona and it is cheaper than some other options. I do like that it dominates Phoenix recruiting.

UCSD: I received a 30k scholarship for here. I love San Diego as a city but I’ve heard that San Diego is kind of a bubble for recruiting and that it’s harder to go back to LA from San Diego. I like that this program is as technical as UCLA’s MSBA and that they have a summer quarter for catchup classes, but they also lean more tech than finance and consulting.

USC: This is by far the most expensive school on this list but it is also probably the best for consulting and finance placement. It also carries an elite alumni network. This would be the biggest “take a chance on yourself” option here.

UW: I just got off the waitlist for UW msim. I am in state for this program and the tuition wouldn’t be too bad. I think this program also leans more tech but it has a good balance of business + tech at the same time. This might be one of the strongest middle ground options I have.

Also of note: I am ok waitlists for the UW MSBA and UCLA MSBA right now. Either of those would be huge decisions if I were to land them.

Given what’s on the table right now, which do you think is the best option? Thank you for your help!

Hi everyone! I have been admitted to the above schools for an MSBA. My ultimate goal is to work in finance post-grad, as my undergraduate degree was finance. All of these are in California which has strong ties to consulting and finance roles (I hear it’s not too hard to start in consulting and pivot to finance). That being said, here are the details for each school:

UCSD: I got a $30,000 scholarship for UCSD. I have heard that UCSD is mainly tech driven and that San Diego is a bit of a bubble in terms of recruiting and that it’s harder to go back to LA from there. I do like that the campus is in San Diego and I like that the program puts a focus on technical skills (stats, SQL, python etc.).

Cal Poly: I don’t have any scholarship here but it’s by far the cheapest option of these 4 that I’ve been admitted to. I think San Luis Obispo would be a nice landing spot for school as it’s far enough from LA to not feel the traffic and such. I also like that it’s a smaller program and school in general which should mean more focused and concentrated help. I don’t think cal poly places quite as well as some of my other options for jobs though.

USC: I currently have no financial aid to USC, however, I am using my UCSD scholarship to appeal and see if I can get some aid. USC is insanely expensive to attend which scares me because I’d be far in debt if I went here. USC also offers maybe the best chance of landing a finance or consulting role of any of my options. I also think the Trojan network will be huge as a Marshall student and business professional.

Chapman: I got an $8,000 scholarship from Chapman. Similar to cal poly, I like that it would be a smaller campus with more focused help and recruiting for jobs. The issue is that it just doesn’t have access to as many big jobs as some of my other options. Everyone here was super nice during my interviews.

Ultimately, I want to try to find a balance between prestige and the school that offers me the best chance of placing into a job that’s at least marginally related to what I want to do. I think the worst thing that could happen is I go to one of these programs and don’t get a job and just end up in even more debt. So I think my main metric is whoever places best. Im open to any insight or advice you may have about any of these! Thanks for the help!