Picking a School: UMich LSA Econ vs. Vanderbilt Econ/HOD
Hello everyone,
I have been accepted to UMich LSA for Econ and Vanderbilt for Econ (might switch/add HOD, which is the closest thing they have to a business major) and need to make a decision on where to go in the fall. I am a first-year transfer and so an internal Ross transfer is not an option because I can't spend a 5th year for my undergrad. As of now I am extremely interested in management consulting and hope to get into MBB or at least the Big 4 out of undergrad. IB/finance is in the back of my mind as well but honestly I can't see myself in that work, especially as an IB analyst. So I guess, overall, what would be the best choice for management consulting recruitment, as well as potentially later on for MBA admissions? Also, I think that if I do the HOD major at Vanderbilt instead of Econ at UMich I will also be able to maintain a noticeably higher GPA (perhaps a 3.9+ vs. a 3.6). Please let me know; thank you so much!
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Thanks for your input! I heard about the clubs as well and how they are an enormous difference maker. Because of this it also kinda seems like a riskier path without much (if any) upside. I like both schools equally, just in different ways, and so stuff like this is gonna be the deciding factor for me.
I attend Vanderbilt currently and if you're looking to go into consulting, I would definitely chose Vandy. HOD is literally a major to prep you for consulting, and it is almost too easy to switch from Econ to HOD (so many people do it). You are correct to assume your GPA will be higher in HOD, and HOD makes it easier to complete any minors you are interested in due to differs in policy between A&S and Peabody. Vandy is also notoriously known as a great environment for transfers, and in most cases get preferential treatment over other sophomores in exclusive clubs (we mainly have business frats). I'm not sure the different between management consulting and regular consulting, but Big 4 heavily recruit out of Vandy and our alumni are very helpful as they want Vandy to become more of a target.
Good to know! I didn't know about the HOD major when applying but learned more about it after getting in and it's honestly much more interesting to me. I'll definitely want to complete a minor (if I don't double Econ/HOD). Would you recommend combining the HOD major with the Business minor, or is there wasteful overlap between the two? I wouldn't just minor in it solely to gain a professional edge, because I also genuinely enjoy the material. Thanks for your input!
Definitely complete the minor– it's the most popular minor on campus. I'm an econ major/ business minor and there's not too much overlap, it honestly enhances my learning in both topics. HOD focuses on more psychological or like the soft topics of business so almost every HOD major uses the business minor to gain more quantitative skills and learn more about the markets and basic financial concepts!
The reason A&S makes it harder to complete minors is that 15 hours of your minor must be solely for that topic (so in a lot of cases you can't double count a class towards your major towards your minor as well). Peabody does not have this rule, along with other benefits like more hours allowed from AP credit and no terrible liberal arts requirements to fulfill (AXLE), so if you can try to switch into the school, not just add the major!
Vandy student here. In my experience, Vandy seems to be pretty good w/ consulting recruitment. I’d also say Vandy is more of a target for consulting than IB, in case you’re considering both career paths. Happy to answer any other questions abt Vandy as well!
Overall, if you could go back in time, would you pick Vanderbilt again?
Sorry for the late reply, but yeah I would. Biggest factor for me was the financial package offered by the school. From that standpoint, it was pretty easy to narrow down my choices. Only one other school would’ve been cheaper (it was free) but Vandy was a better school and made the small price premium worth it.
Also, AXLE can be a pain to complete if you’re hyper-focused on a specific pathway, but it helps to view it as an opportunity to expand your interests. I’ve had interviews in which I’ve cited classes that I took only because of AXLE requirements, and it can help you to seem like a more well-rounded person with interests beyond consulting/finance.
If you’re leaning toward Vandy, feel free to reach out w/ more questions re: majors, classes, etc. Cheers!
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PM me if you want to talk. Think I can be helpful here
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