Which offers the best business program for undergrad? I’m an athlete with near guaranteed admission to Claremont, Penn, and Babson, and I was wondering how they stack up in all aspects, but for a business major and maybe CS minor?
From what little I know about Babson, it is supposed to be great in terms of recruiting, job placement, business, etc
But, Penn, Claremont, and Stanford are qualitatively different in that they are all near the top of the spectrum,
if you want a true education…i.e., “learning for learning’s sake,” access to the best professors in the country
in virtually every field…you know the drill.
I would suggest a visit if possible, in order to determine the best fit for you, since ,Stanford and Penn are both large universities while Claremont is a small liberal arts college,but it does have the resources of the other
Claremont Colleges available (Pomona, Harvey Mudd…perfect for CS Minor, Scripps, Pitzer).
One question: What exactly is meant by “…near .guaranteed admission” to Penn (Ivy League, one of most selective colleges in the country) and Claremont (with admit rate of 9.76%, tied w Pomona as the most selective LAC in the country)?.
i forgot to mention, at Stanford, Penn or Claremont, you can major in Economics, but i dont believe they offer a ‘business major.’
(To which “Claremont” college are you referring?
There are 5 of them. Do you mean Claremont McKenna college?)
These are 5 rather different schools. Babson is a small business school; it would not be a good choice if you want to minor in computer science (or if you are not 100% sure you want to focus on business). Claremont McKenna is a small liberal arts college whose programs emphasize economics, government, and public affairs. It does not offer majors or minors in either business or computer science. It does offer a financial economics “sequence” and a computer science “sequence” to complement other majors. It may be possible to arrange the equivalent of a CS minor through course work at Harvey Mudd or Pomona (two of the other Claremont colleges). I don’t know if any of the 5 Claremont colleges offer business majors or minors, per se.
UPenn and Stanford are mid-sized research universities. UPenn’s Wharton School is probably the most prestigious, and possibly the best, undergraduate business school in the USA. Penn also has a respectable CS department. However, business and CS at UPenn are taught in different undergraduate divisions. You should investigate how minors in Penn’s College of Arts and Sciences or School of Engineering & Applied Science might work (or not work) for Wharton students.
Stanford has one of the most prestigious CS departments in the world. However, Stanford has no undergraduate business programs.
For you to have “near guaranteed admission” to schools as selective as Claremont McKenna or UPenn, it must mean you are a recruited athlete. In that case, by now (late October) you must have a relationship with coaches at those schools. Have you worked with them to arrange campus visits? That would be a good way to investigate their athletic and academic programs first-hand.
As has been mentioned above, these schools are pretty different though you can certainly get a great education at all of them.
As has also been mentioned, Penn’s Wharton school is an undergraduate business school within the context of a mid-sized research University. Taking on coursework, minors, and majors outside of Wharton is also pretty easy as a consequence of Penn’s One University policy which allows students to take classes and do research across Penn’s other undergraduate and graduate/professional schools. In fact, 40% of the classes a Wharton student takes will be outside of their homeschool ensuring that Wharton students get a broad education beyond just the business curriculum.
If you wanted to major in Economics in the College (a more traditional economics major as compared to Wharton’s more specifically business focused major) you would be able to add a double major in CS from the engineering school without any administrative barriers and without having to fulfill the engineering school’s requirements because of a special program between the two schools. To that you could add business courses from Wharton that are specifically geared towards your business interests or you could even take on a University Minor that would combine the resources of two schools like Consumer Psychology (Wharton & College) or American Public Policy (College & Wharton).
Penn also has a ton of business extra curriculars open to all students regardless of their homeschool.
All of Penn’s undergraduate schools are heavily recruited by top wall street firms and Penn has an increasingly strong showing with tech firms as well. All penn students also share the same career services and recruiting opportunities so you will have a shot at interviewing with these companies no matter what you study.
All of that being said, the colleges you listed are pretty different. You will do best at a university that fits your personality and interests both inside the classroom and outside of it. If you want a very small undergraduate environment or you want to be in the suburbs for college, Penn might not be the right fit. On the other hand, if you are looking for a city, a school like Stanford or the Claremont schools may not be as appealing. It’s important to find a place where you will be happy for four years-- especially when you are considering schools that will all provide you with an outstanding education.
Stanford has economics with a quantitative* and liberal arts emphasis, but some business-related courses like The Modern Firm in Theory and Practice, The Cardinal Fund, and Introduction to Financial Accounting. Penn offers a quantitative* and liberal arts based BA in economics in its Arts and Sciences division, and a BS in economics whose curriculum is more of that of a business curriculum in its Wharton division. Claremont McKenna offers an economics major, but with substantial business-related courses such as accounting, finance, and managerial economics.
https://economics.stanford.edu/courses
http://undergrad.wharton.upenn.edu/academics/bs-versus-ba/
http://catalog.claremontmckenna.edu/content.php?filter[27]=ECON&filter[29]=&filter[course_type]=-1&filter[keyword]=&filter[32]=1&filter[cpage]=1&cur_cat_oid=10&expand=&navoid=334&search_database=Filter&filter[exact_match]=1#acalog_template_course_filter
*meaning multivariable calculus or higher math is used
My stats are fairly high and I’m definitely being recruited by all the schools (except Stanford) to run track. Regardless, let us not factor in admission prospects and focus on the advantages each school confers.
I’ve visited both Penn and Claremont McKenna (Official Visits) but not Babson nor Stanford.
Penn:
I visited Penn right after Midterms, so my view of the scene may have been slightly skewed. I found Penn people nice, but there did seem to be a distance between people that may be the effect of a larger school (though they do somehow have a 6:1 faculty ratio). The only social scene I really experienced was of drinking, but I hope there is more than that. Academically, I was not fortunate enough to sit in on a Wharton class, so I cannot really compare teaching styles beyond just the name. The track team seemed alright. Mostly, what drives this school for me is the vast alumni network, world name recognition, vast resources under its control for both academics and D1 Track. I do believe they offer a business major though. It should not be difficult to take classes for CS in its department.
Claremont McKenna:
The unique culture of the place really impressed me. As one of the most fit campuses in the U.S., everyone seems healthy and energetic, as well as friendly. Their goal to cultivate one as a leader and challenge beliefs through open discussion impressed me. I sat in on a Macroeconomics class, and the teaching impressed me. There were only about 20 students and the teacher was very friendly and actively answered questions. She actually asked me one as well. The Athenaeum was impressive (with guest speakers most every day of the week) as well as the dining hall. My only reservations are the lack of seriousness in Track (though they aren’t bad in D1), smaller alumni network, the name recognition and resources commandeered by them as compared to a bigger university (Penn/Stanford). It should not be difficult to take CS classes at Mudd.
Babson:
I have not visited it yet, but it’s ranked very well for entrepreneurs. I’m not sure how well its other business related fields are but some of my reservations are the same with McKenna. It’s alumni network is smaller, the resources, etc. However, they do have the Olin School of Engineering nearby, which the coach assures I can take classes at.
Stanford:
I have very little information regarding Stanford beyond its prestige. It definitely has one of the best track programs in the U.S. How is are it’s graduates seen by employers against the other schools (Wharton, etc)?
MIT:
Actually, I’m also curious about MIT and it’s Sloan School of Business. Are there any advantages/disadvantages of attending MIT?
My main criteria I’m viewing these schools through are (not necessarily in that order):
- Academics
- Track
- Employment
4)Social
Also, how much should the amount of student debt factor into my decision?
Thank you for answering my questions stagulm, tk21769, PennCA S2014, ucbalumnus, as well as anyone who gives me future assistance!
Claremont McKenna is DIII, not DI.
Yes, I apologize. I forgot the two more II’s