Michigan LSA Econ vs Kelly IU

So I’ve narrowed down my list to these two schools, but I’m having trouble deciding between the two. I want to do finance but not necessarily IB. I didnt apply to Ross and plan on applying after my freshmen year. If I were to get rejected from Ross and also unable to get a minor from Ross would Kelley be the better choice? I know IU is the more direct path for business, but if I didn’t get into Ross and network well with good business clubs at Michigan would that look better than a finance degree at IU? Btw I’m just wondering right now about strictly career-wise and not factoring in cost, social life, etc. 

 

Current Kelley student here

Kelley is a good school, but I would go to Michigan if I got the choice. Michigan simply has a better network and is more prestigious compared to Kelley. I’m saying this assuming you would start now with establishing a network over at Michigan and figure out the process to get into Ross and set on studying finance.

If you are unsure what you really want to do but you know you want to pursue business, then I would suggest Kelley as a safer bet. Kelley has a lot of opportunities and the alumni network is good. However, if you want to break into high finance and work on wallstreet, Kelley is going to be a massive grind compared to Mich.

Some may disagree with what I said but end of the day, it’s all dependent on what you truly want to do.

If you have any more questions, feel free to DM.

 
Most Helpful

I think this is a good take. I will add that, though an outright Ross transfer is challenging (felt like a coin toss among my friends who tried), getting accepted to the Ross minor is very doable (basically everyone who tries gets in).

The minor is a nice way to take business classes, be a part of the "group" from a networking perspective (though this is more psychological than anything), and gain access to certain clubs.

But, most importantly, I agree that the Michigan brand is far superior to IU and have seen alums really go to bat for many of my friends (who they barely knew). Many more alums in high places and just a much larger network overall. Next time you're in an airport, anywhere in the US, throw a Michigan hoodie on and I bet you'll get a Go Blue. Outside of maybe ND, I can't think of a school that binds random strangers together more. This helps networking (you can pick any company and there are tons of Mich alums) but also just makes life more fun-you meet a lot of interesting people.

I wouldn't let Ross be the difference maker, personally. Given the career outcomes I've seen from Econ friends (some of which are immensely better than many Ross kids'), perhaps having to grind a smidge harder truly helped in the end, anyway.

 

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