My son applied to in-state schools first, pretty much as soon as the app opened. Got them out of the way. One of them was rolling so he was admitted pretty quickly. Then applied to all schools that had EA because most of those dates were also cutoffs for school merit scholarships. Then focused on honors colleges and scholarships. I don’t think he had any RD schools.
Public vs private merit scholarships and FA is hit or miss. Some public schools like the UC schools don’t offer merit scholarships to OOS kids. They don’t have to. Some public schools like Alabama or South Carolina offer nice merit to OOS kids to attract them. Some of the merit scholarships are posted on the websites. If your SAT score is X this is your merit. Other schools don’t publish. You’ll have to ask questions about specific schools on CC to get input on merit possibilities.
Most schools offer a few full-tuition scholarships above and beyond their normal merit scholarships. The are very competitive. To get invited to compete typically they’re looking for a high GPA and 1500 SAT plus EC’s or a hook…which you have with NHRP.
That said, private schools can offer a lot of FA and scholarships…if they want you. Don’t be afraid to negotiate and ask for more money…it doesn’t always work but it never hurts to ask. Some of the private schools like NYU or CMU aren’t known for being generous. Some are generous. Look for schools that meet full need. Also, ask people on CC about specific schools.
Honestly, looking at your list you should have very nice options at UA or ASU. You need to figure out an exact budget with your parents. Most schools expect you to at least pay for room and board even with nice scholarships. I think South Carolina, Notre Dame, SMU, LMU, Miami FL and Fordham might be a possibilities.
Currently, MBA’s are out-of-favor. Undergrad business schools are very good now so MBA programs aren’t as popular. Focus on a good undergrad school and doing well.
@chmcnm Thank you for all of that information. I definitely will work hard to bring my SAT up to that score. Notre Dame is an incredible school, though I do not believe I am a candidate for their full ride scholarship and will probably receive 25k or less. SMU has a President’s scholarship, or so they did in 2019, and I am not sure if they still offer that. The website is a little unclear. LMU has merit available but not super high as well and I spoke with previous alumni who mentioned they are not very generous. UMiami was on the top of my list, but I attended an information session and it didn’t seem like a university for me as they, in my perspective, are expensive and do not value individual students. Fordham is a great possibility and South Carolina is definitely on my list.
Oh, really? I thought you had to have an MBA to be successful in the business field. I will definitely ask around to confirm that and thank you for the useful comment. I don’t just want the ranking, but also a quality program that will set me up for success and that will allow me to grow within a diverse and inclusive community.
I think for Notre Dame I was thinking Financial Aid more than merit depending on your EFC. They’ve been generous with people I know. Even people probably considered middle-class.
SMU and Miami offer some full-tuition scholarships above their normal awards. They’re competitive and you have to be invited. They’re long shots. It seemed like the cutoff to be invited this year was a 1500+ SAT. But that’s the rub of applying to schools you need FA or merit to attend. The odds are low but you have to apply to have a chance. That said, someone has to get them…why not you? That’s why you apply to a few safeties/matches.
As for the MBA it’s not as important as it used to be. Of course if you go to Harvard or Stanford it’s very useful. That said, it’s not the golden ticket it used to be.
@aixagca , if USNews undergrad business rankings are any indication, the general program at UNL is in the same reputation ballpark as Miami Ohio (both in the 40’s, whereas ASU is mid-30’s). If you weren’t accepted to the Honors Business Academy cohort program or the Raikes program (which is business + computer science - very cool program but doesn’t sound like that’s your thing), I wouldn’t see choosing UNL over ASU Barrett + Carey, especially if the latter is more affordable. But the honors program is on another level and deserves a look IMHO.
I can’t speak firsthand about life in Nebraska, but everything I’ve heard is that Lincoln is a great city for students. The school is definitely not off in a corn field somewhere; there’s really good access to both recreational and career-related opportunities in the city. Warren Buffett, the school’s most famous alum and donor, has done a lot to elevate the quality and reputation of the program.
As I mentioned earlier in the thread, I have an MBA (Minnesota). For me, it was great with turbocharging my career, and it exposed me to lots of different areas of business that I never learned before as a history major (surprise!). But it is not the be all, end all. I just really enjoyed the experience and to this day, my classmates are great friends. And I like the Thunderbird program, especially for international business.
If you are going in to finance, an MBA might help with your first job, but after that, they will look primarily at your job experience. Some investment banks on Wall Street will look only at top schools, such as Ivies. If you want to work in Finance, unless it’s a hedge fund, investment bank, private equity, etc, you should be fine at a school that is not as highly ranked, and you will save a ton of money.
As for scholarships, I just learned that tuition is not taxable, but room and board is, so be careful. You might want to ask an accountant or research this further. You could end up owing the government money.
@chmcnm Okay, will definitely check Notre Dame and do the net price calculator. Definitely love what you said about SMU and Miami. That was much appreciated!
So, about the MBA, you’re saying that the school you go for undergraduate matters more now? Is it about the ranking? Or, honestly, is it just about how good of a student you are which gets you the position and then, after securing the position, it is more about you as a person?
@aquapt Will definitely take a look at UNL. Thanks for the advice, had never thought of it before! @sbdad12 I was looking into the Thunderbird program and do you think that, if I want to go into Finance but potentially pursue a career as an International Financial Analyst or something of the sort, would an MBA in Global Business be useful? Or should I pursue an MBA in Finance? I’m more into the analysis/financial management aspect, possibly the public sector; however, I do not have a clear vision of what career I want to pursue. Just trying to think of the long-term future costs. What do you mean by how room and board is taxable? I have looked this up and understand to a basic level. Would you be able to expand on what this means?
Also, does anyone know of (preferably business/finance) organizations, internships, or programs for rising seniors or even for the summer after high school
As for Thunderbird, the degree is a Master in Global Management vs an MBA. If you want to be in International Finance, then a degree in Global Management should be just as valuable.
I wouldn’t spend the extra money for an MBA over a Masters from Thunderbird. I went to school in the early 90s and got my MBA from Minnesota, which is a Top 30 program then and now. I left with $20,000 in debt. You would now leave from the same program with likely $130,000-$140,000.
On the other hand, with the New American Scholarship from ASU and Thunderbird, in a 4+1 program, the first year of Thunderbird is covered in your senior year (you take 12 credits, which go towards your bachelors degree) and then the 5th year costs $25K in tuition, and they told me that they have a lot of scholarships.
So you could leave with a Bachelors Degree and a Masters Degree for at the most $25K in tuition, and quite possibly $0. (there are fees of $1800/year at WP Carey though)
Your degree from Thunderbird will be as equal, and maybe better than my MBA, for International Finance. For A LOT less money.