USC vs UCLA undergrad
I recently got off the waitlist for UCLA as an international student. Both schools are extremely comparable, but I am thinking of going into finance/IB. For reference, I will study finance at USC Marshall and Biz econ at UCLA.
UCLA pros:
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Great campus, nice location, food, social life, etc.
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Heard that competition for finance/ib is relatively lower, so it should be slightly easier to get into clubs
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Biz econ is highly quantitative
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UCLA's name recognition is slightly better than USC's (at least in my home country)
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Relatively cheaper
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Will be starting this year August (I'm starting next year spring for USC)
USC pros:
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Marshall business school, specific business + finance degree (ranked higher for undergrad)
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Alumni network + some banks in LA and beyond recruit heavily from USC
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Nice social life, more central
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Clubs specific to IB/finance
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Private school - closer connections to professors, students; slightly easier to get classes
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Easy to switch majors, get minors, etc.
I will be paying full price for both, but my parents are willing to help out significantly, so the cost shouldn't be too big of an issue. However, I would feel less guilty at UCLA, as it is cheaper. Also, both degrees grant eligibility for STEM OPT, allowing me to extend my stay in the US. Any opinions?
I went to both USC/UCLA and didn't break into finance in the US (but elsewhere). Eventually returned to the US through another job.
Your list of pros/cons are correct from my point of view.
Just one thing that was a bit unexpected: I tried living in LA without a car and it didn't work out. Had to get a car, insurance, maintain it DIY style, etc.. was fun, of course. But a significant cost factor if you are a student (parking permits, gas, ..)
Was in the same position and very glad I went to USC alumni connections are real and you will love it. Great placements and better name brand in LA (ucla heads won’t like this comment lol)
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Go to USC so you can network with Bronny to get rich.
For context, I did both investment banking and private equity in LA, so I've seen a lot of applicants from both USC and UCLA and also have seen how active both networks are in the IB / PE market in general. The TLDR is that UCLA tends to place much better into IB and as a result, PE, in both LA, SF and NYC. While USC has a business school, their finance extracurriculars (Trojan Investing Society & Marshall Finance Association) aren't as strong or tied into the finance community as those of UCLA (Bruin Asset Management, Undergraduate Business Society, Value Investing Concentration). While I do agree that in general the USC alumni network is pretty strong, I think UCLA's alumni network is very strong within the finance niche.
USC if you want to enjoy yourself, go trojans
UCLA alum here at an LA EB. Generally, I think the difference in recruiting at usc vs ucla is pretty marginal.
I think you should make this decision moreso on which school you like better holistically. Cultures deff vary a bit
Edit: also see you're a spring admit at USC… I personally would view that as a major consideration. A lot of core friendships and experiences are built in your first quarter / semester at college, and missing out on that is not great.
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