UVA, Vandy, Notre Dame or IU-Kelley for undergrad (IBD)

I am a direct admit at IU-Kelley and it would cost me around $40k a year total to attend (out-of-state), which is the most I can spend a year without acquiring debt. Vandy, UVA, and Notre Dame (Mendoza) may be as high as $70k a year (I haven't heard back from their financial aid offices yet). What is the best choice? I want to be in a frat, be in/near a big city or at a big college, and have the highest chance of front office placement in NYC or another major city.

14 Comments
 

Direct admit to Kelley is good enough that it's not worth an extra $20K - $30K/year to go to any of those schools. If your financial aid makes it close I'd probably rank it UVA, Notre Dame/IU, then Vandy.

MM IB -> Corporate Development -> Strategic Finance
 

I may be able to get UVA down to $35-50k with financial aid. So Notre Dame would be less of a target than UVA? And if I would end up deciding to go into another area of business, would UVA still be the strongest option?

 
"xby90"

I may be able to get UVA down to $35-50k with financial aid. So Notre Dame would be less of a target than UVA? And if I would end up deciding to go into another area of business, would UVA still be the strongest option?

My personal opinion is that UVA is a stronger school for NYC than Notre Dame is, but they are both good schools. Notre Dame places strong in Chicago as well.

MM IB -> Corporate Development -> Strategic Finance
 

did you get any merit from IU? considering the fact that you got into those other schools i'm surprised they didn't toss you the 11k

"Truth is like poetry. And most people fucking hate poetry."
 

They did toss me the $11k, but that's all they offer for out-of-state kids. IU is about $40k after the $11k scholarship!

 

ND undergrad (chose over Vandy with $$) and Vandy MBA here. As others have said, location/$$ are important factors. Vandy's frat life is more traditional, but ND's dorms effectively act as frats given that you're with the same guys for 3-4 years.

Plenty of friends from both schools going to NYC, but Nashville is obviously more of a city than South Bend, if that's important to you. One potentially offsetting factor: ND has much more of a community feel, whereas Vandy just feels like a bunch of people doing their own thing.

Feel free to PM me if you have other questions.

 
Best Response

High Level

UVA > ND > Vanderbilt > IU

I'd ask all schools for money and see what you get back. I've said this a lot, but my opinion is that IU is only really good if you get into the IBD workshop, otherwise its a fairly weak non-target.

All the other schools are very good schools. I'd try and make an argument between them, but they all place into good jobs and will all be a lot of fun. I'd try and visit them if you can, talk to people on campus and go to whichever gives you the best feel.

 

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