Is Wharton undergrad worth $30,000 more per year than USC?
My high school senior is choosing between the Huntsman dual degree at Penn (Wharton undergrad econ degree + International Studies degree + Chinese/Japanese proficiency) vs at USC she'd get an International Relations degree with a business minor (same languages proficiency). At USC she's been offered their Trustee Scholarship (100% free tuition) . She wants to work internationally some day, particularly in East Asia. If she goes to Penn/Wharton, she'd shoot for top tier consulting. We currently live in CA. While she'd be willing to work in S. CA for a few years immediately after graduation to take advantage of the Trojan network, she eventually wants to work out of state. She loves the snow. She visited and loved both schools. She particularly loved the small cohort nature of the Huntsman program (only 50 students per class with a strong emphasis on community). Wharton would cost about $120,000 - $140,000 more than USC for our family (which is steep but we could swing it without taking on any debt) -- half of which she would reimburse us once she starts working after graduation. At USC, she'd graduate with no debt.
1) I assume that if she went to USC, it would be very difficult for her to break into MBB consulting as USC does not appear to be a target?
2) Would being a Trustee full tuition scholar (at USC) help her get an MBB interview?
3) Is Wharton worth $130,000 more than USC for undergrad?
4) Is Wharton undergrad worth taking on $70,000 of school debt when she thinks that she may eventually want a more advanced degree (MBA, law, international relation masters)?
5) With a Wharton undergrad, is she likely to need an MBA?
1.) Wharton in general feeds into MBB around the same as HYS. Huntsman students have a strong network at the consulting firms, lots of access to prep materials, a tight community that helps them get into the top consulting clubs on-campus, and they are generally viewed as having great interpersonal skills. This all makes getting into MBB slightly easier for Huntsman kids. I'm sure the ability/interest to work internationally also boost their potential value.
2.) The peoples screening resumes and conducting the interviewing at Penn for MBB are generally Penn alums anyway. Regardless, Huntsman will help get the interviews through networking, and then also provide resources to help with the interviews. A high GPA also helps a lot.
3 is tough to answer. I know people (US citizens) who went abroad immediately, but I'm not sure about this.
Huntsman is a fantastic program, but it isn't a guarantee that you'll get into MBB. It certainly helps position you for success though (in consulting and almost any other field).