I’m a Norwegian high school student. I want to study in the US.
I have taken the SAT 1 (new version) and got 1400 out of 1600, and 5/8 on all parts of the optional essay. Haven’t taken any subject tests.
I have 5.97/6 in Norwegian GPA (weighed, still very good). I have done a very rigorous program.
I want to study business/management/economics for undergraduate.
If I could afford anything, what's the most prestigious place I would have a good shot at? I think my recommendation letters, ECs, personal statement and CV are really good.
In reality a university that would cost 50k a year is what I can afford. Any places you'd recommend then?
Miami University (Ohio), U of Florida, University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Pittsburgh, Indiana University at Bloomington, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, University of Iowa.
The most prestigious private universities cost more (about $60K-$70K).
Without knowing more about your family finances, one cannot tell if you would qualify for need-based financial aid. Run the online net price calculators for any college that interests you.
These 5 are respected universities that have undergraduate business programs and are relatively generous with need-based aid (for qualifying US citizens, anyway.)
@moooop@tk21769
Thank you! I won’t qualify for any financial aid. What if I could afford anything, what do you think is the best (most prestigious) place I’d have a good chance of getting into?
Generally speaking, as an international applicant who will not need financial aid, what would be a safetyfor a US applicant will be a match for you, and what would be a match for a US applicant would be a reach for you. That makes the US applicant’s reaches, your super reaches.
What is your possible major, and what are your career goals?
There are hundreds of schools in the US you could get into if you have $50,000/year.
Most good schools will have good economics departments – but not all of them have business.
Below are a couple of lists of top undergraduate business programs. Many will be too expensive for you (costing $60,000+) but others will fit your criteria. Please note, that the tuition amount listed is just part of the costs – you need to go online and check COST OF ATTENDANCE for a more accurate estimate.
As you explore schools, ask yourself: what kind of a campus do I want - urban/suburban/rural? Big research university of smaller Liberal Arts College? Which part of the US?
I’m not an expert in business College, but in open houses, my son and I loved Northeastern, he was accepted but unfortunately we can afford this College.
Check Northeastern, the Liberal arts program and Co-ops is amazing.
In response to post #3: Wisconsin & Indiana. Also, Georgia Tech. More expensive but roughly as prestigious: Boston College, Boston University, Wake Forest.
Thank you so much everyone!
Northeastern will be too expensive.
@katliamom@moooop
What do you think of these places:
Georgia Tech
UT Austin
UNC Chapel Hill
Which one is better (probably hard to tell)? And do you think I’d be admitted?
Maybe I could get into an honors program at an affordable university?
How much of an advantage are honors programs really? (compared to going to a top school non-honors)
@PurpleTitan The reason I’m asking for what’s most prestigious is because if I could get into a brand name school, my career later could make up for the debts.
I’ve also looked into studying in the UK or Canada. UK looks good, but I wouldn’t experience the American campus. Canada is much cheaper than the US, and I’d get some sort of “US campus feel”, but the acceptance rates are like 50%, so I feel like I would waste my good high school grades. Optionally, I could try to get into an honors program there.
@happymomof1 I’m not 100% sure what I want to do later in life. Maybe IB, starting my own company or something that will require me to travel a lot (sounds silly maybe haha).
I understand the prestige part. But spending a ton more money for the American campus experience seems. . . profligate. Especially when study-abroad exists. For example, UCL’s “econ with year abroad” course.
And using admit rate to judge a school is absolutely the wrong way to look at things. Anyway, of the 3 you listed, UT-Austin and UNC-CH would have the more prestigious b-schools. Though all 3 would be tough for non-in-state applicants to get in to.
@Daniel0 the schools you list – yes, excellent – may be too expensive if your maximum is $50,000 per year. And as PurpleTitan points out, it may be hard to get into their business schools.
Your better bet is to look at private universities more likely to give you some merit aid so that you’re within budget, or slightly less known public schools listed in post #1.
As katliamom said, you need to be aware that it is often much harder to get in a university’s business school than to get into it to study economics or history or something else. Also, be aware that some of these universities don’t admit you directly to their business school…You have to attend for a year or two and then apply to the business school.
@PurpleTitan@katliamom@moooop
Thank you for all the advice!
I’ll probably be better off going to the UK for undergrad, and maybe do masters in the US (if it will be useful/necessary). This will leave me with a lot less debts. Also, my understanding is that in the UK my grades will be seen as excellent, while in the US my stats aren’t that great. @PurpleTitan That program looks interesting! But does UCL have a name in the US if I decide to do a master later? Guess work experience after UG for at least an MBA will be almost or even more important. I want to experience living in the US at some point in my life.
Do you know anything about UCL’s Management Science?
And if you’d compare UCL to a US university, which would it be in terms of prestige?
In the US, UCL would be almost unknown outside of academia and global prestige industries like consulting and banking, but if you’re applying for a masters, that’s academia, where they certainly know of UCL.
Search for other programs like that as well.
I’d say that UCL is a peer of UMich. Like UMich, UCL is strong in almost everything and not quite Ivy/Oxbridge level but Near-Ivy/Oxbridge. Like UMich, they send grads to the City/Street. Both take in about 5-6K first year students each year.
For MBA admissions, your work experience matters a lot more than the name of the university that you attended as an undergrad. Also, the MBA programs that are worth attending are familiar with the UK universities. Don’t worry about that.