Leaving GPA for prestige. What would you do?
Hello!
I am new to WSO and have been reading up on similar topics but feel as if these forums are dated. Any thoughts/opinions would be great!
I just completed my freshman year at UNCG studying Economics. While this coming fall will be considered the start of my second year in college, I already have earned 6o credit hours. I finished the year with a 4.0 and planned on transferring to UNC-Chapel Hill. I originally enrolled at Greensboro with the goal of saving some money (taking advantage of a full-tuition scholarship) and eventually transferring to UNC. I applied and was accepted as an Economics major at UNC but now am having second thoughts given COVID, my performance so far at UNCG and the general cost of attending another college. In terms of graduate school acceptance and gaining admission to an elite MBA program, is transferring worth it? How about job placement in banking or related fields?
What would you do? Anything helps.
Thanks in advance.
Deciding what college you go to (or I guess transfer to vs stay at) is a personal decision and there are many factors you may weigh that I don’t have insight into (as you said cost being a big one, but how comfortable you feel at each, etc). My opinion on the opportunities are:
UNC Chapel Hill has a much stronger reputation and network than UNCG. The opportunities out of chapel hill will be significantly better if you are interested in a career in finance or consulting; while it may not be a target for all banks you will definitely see opportunities and the on campus interviewing will actually be there as opposed to UNCG which won’t have this. With business school it is a similar story, while your job will play a larger role in getting into an mba program, the school you go to does matter and the national reputation of chapel hill is much better (one of the top public schools, top 30 overall university) - it is a “brand name” that will be recognized by employers and mba admissions.
Basically from a pure opportunities and brand perspective it is a much better opportunity and if you feel comfortable (socially, financially, academically - as in you think you can do well there) I would make that move.
Thanks for your insight. I really appreciate it. I do have a lot to consider.
Definitely transfer if you’re comfortable leaving the free tuition at UNCG. If you have a 4.0 at UNCG you’re smart enough to get a good GPA at UNC CH. Several banks recruit on campus at UNC CH, and there are multiple finance programs and student funds that you can join to boost your resume. Then, you also have an extensive network of undergraduate and MBA alumni for you to network with. I’m not 100% sure, but I doubt UNCG has many/any high level finance programs/clubs on campus, and I know for a fact that they have few, If any, alumni in Investment Banking or Consulting.
The MBA programs that you get accepted to will be based on your job out of college. If you want to go to a top MBA program, it may be necessary for you to transfer to a better school to land a better job out of undergrad.
STAY at UNCG to graduate debt free! That is such a blessing you will have next to no debt when you graduate.
Do you want to have a $200,000 student loans or do you want to have a mortgage?
I have to disagree with this, but it depends on what roles you are talking about. As I originally said it is a personal decision and finances definitely come into play (how much you feel you can afford, how much debt you’ll take on, what you want to do after school).
If the OP wants a job in finance (or consulting or similar) the opportunities out of chapel hill are much better than out of UNCG. Additionally, admission to an mba program will be boosted by this (both the job you end up at and your undergrad institution) so you can’t just say “go to a great business school” without factoring in how difficult that is to do (and that the better undergrad -> better job -> higher chance of top mba program).
Now if the OP isn’t interested in IB or similar then that changes things. But getting a job in a good/top firm in IB or similar will be incredibly difficult out of UNCG, while it is possible out of chapel hill. The earning potential will be higher.
You can do this out of UNCG, but you are putting yourself at a serious disadvantage.
More opportunity/better job prospects in IB or consulting upon graduating would be the primary reason I would be transferring. The big IF in my "opportunities" argument is admission to Kenan Flagler. While I agree that a degree from UNC on its own provides the name brand of a more prestigious school, what if we were just comparing Econ degrees/opportunities in the College of Arts/Sciences?
Even though I have high hopes of getting into KF, from what I have read admission into b-school as a transfer student (application in Sept.) is EXTREMELY competitive, if not nearly impossible. I have seen a few threads on here from years past where a former Dartmouth student discussed his rejection from KF when trying to transfer to UNC. No doubt KF vs UNCG is worth it but I do not know if I will be admitted to KF. With that in mind, I really have to make my decision based on what is certain. Right now that is Econ at UNC (potentially getting into KF Junior year) or Econ at UNCG.
Also, just to further stir the pot, I could potentially pursue an advanced degree program at UNCG which would allow me to graduate by 2023 with a Masters in Applied Economics (all for free/actually getting paid 2k a year). Not sure the real value of that extra degree and I would still be pursuing an MBA but I look at graduating with some kind of masters at 22 as a way of 'offsetting' the lack of name brand from UNCG and something that potentially increases job opportunities.
I did not disclose everything in the original post because it starts to get considerably more complex as you break down each aspect of my specific situation. Regardless, I appreciate your thoughts, consideration, and debate. Let me know what you think.
These are all great points and I agree with you. Minimizing debt on the front end at UNCG would allow me to maximize the amount I would could/be willing to put towards an MBA in the future. My caveats to this more conservative approach are the amount of "value-added"/experiences achieved by going to a top 30 school (see my reply above to kachow), job placement/quality of work upon graduation, and the possibility that a more prestigious UG aids in selective MBA admissions. What do you think?
Qui rerum quo et nisi. Iste impedit natus qui consequuntur ullam eum provident. Commodi voluptatem et fugiat quo.
Odio ratione enim laborum dolores ipsa dolor repellendus. Labore et voluptas ut ea delectus minus vero sint.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...