Was this ED or EA?
It looks like 2608 of 6947 get merit aid (but no need aid).
2041 get need aid.
So if I’m reading right about a third of the student body gets neither.
I’m going by the CDS section H.
This was EA. Any idea if need aid will be forthcoming? Appreciate you chiming in. Thank you!
My kid was in the business direct. From what I understand, there are only two major differences: 1) BBA gets $5000 more scholarship and 2) BBA can start taking some Cox classes in the freshman year. (I heard there might be some BBA-only seminars in the 1st year, not 100% sure though). From my experience, there is not much difference from the recruitment perspective.
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That’s funny— we got one asking my DS to apply to the Hunt! But only the Hunt!
There is little to no difference from BBA scholars to Business Direct besides the little bit of extra scholarship.
There is a separate BLI course taken the first semester, however it is the exact same as the business direct students course. Past the first semester, if that, no one cares and it does not make a difference.
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Son was accepted and we will only get one chance to go out and visit prior to decision. Looking for feedback on which admitted student event / option is the best and what differences are between Destination SMU and a Admitted Student Tour. Thanks in advance for any feedback.
D25 just got into university honors program!!! (Not business). Also a second email asking her to apply to Presidential scholarship - do people only apply to Presidential or Hunts or can they do both?
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I think if you get both invitations you can apply for both programs
Did she apply for the university honors program?
No, they get automatically considered with their application to the university
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Apply for both and you will get selected into which you fit best. If you get selected for both in the review process, the presidential scholarship process will take precedence as typically you only are interviewed for one of the programs.
Destination SMU is most comprehensive, however if you’ve done a lot of tours you may find it repetitive. Either can suffice, and I’d recommend setting meets/tours up with professors/students over the program.
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BBA scholars also have the option to apply to the Career Accelerator Program which prioritizes getting first year BBA students internships the summer after freshman year. CAP is a program just for BBA scholars (application required).
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My son’s roommate and most of his friends are in Cox and most of them are NOT BBA scholars. There are some definite advantages/perks to BBA scholarships but definitely Cox itself is “worth it”. The BLI course, for example, is for everyone in Cox and they start the kids working on their resumes the first week of school. There are a TON of opportunities in Cox in terms of seminars, business development, etc. that are open to Cox students, not just BBA scholars. There are definitely some perks to the BBA Scholars program including CAP (Career Accelerator Program) for BBA scholars which help first year students secure internships during their freshman summer. A LOT of those internships are international which is important because it’s very hard to study abroad if you are in Cox.
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Also, everyone says this but it’s really true - the experience (in Cox, at SMU, at college in general) is really what you make it. There are a LOT of opportunities for professional development, etc. but if your kid opts not to take advantage of those … my son goes to something almost every week if not twice a week - we’ve spent a lot of money on dry cleaning suits/shirts, etc. for that reason! - and that has translated in to lots of “coffee chats” (big thing at SMU) and lots of learning/exploration in terms of majors, careers, etc. My son’s roommate - not a BBA scholar - similarly takes advantage of a lot of these opportunities (they have slightly different interests/long term goals but still within Cox) so it’s really all about what your student takes advantage of. My son, for example, did two different “pitch contests” this fall and gained a ton of knowledge and experience but those were run by business clubs/groups/fraternities, not specifically Cox - so there are definitely things that can really help students if they opt to take advantage of them. The school is small enough where that kind of participation is possible. My son ended up selecting SMU over UCLA in some part because he felt like he would hav more opportunities for this kind of experience at SMU and, so far, he’s very happy with his experience and the opportunities (and he has a job for this summer in his hoped for field which doesn’t hurt)
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I’ve not seen this kind of positive parent experiences shared for many other great b-schools. Cox is definitely doing something right.
I’m really waiting for the EA decisions for Cox, and hoping my D25 gets in.
For some odd reason, my D25’s admission counselor hadn’t been very upbeat about SMU in general - in her own words my D25 may find it hard to fit in, and hence my kiddo doesn’t yet see it as one of her top choices. I really hope that changes after a visit.
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My son is at Cox, and I concur with all your statements. I have a happy college kid. Although, he does say his advanced business courses are hard. He spends a lot of time in the library during the week.
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yes, same. Everything is about GPA, especially GPA the first few years (opposite of high school) and an A- isn’t the same as an A so studying and office hours are key.
At this point a year ago SMU/Cox was definitely not one of my son’s top choices either - SMU was a back up school. My son spent quite a bit of time “interviewing” students at different schools about their experiences as well as some recent graduates and he got a lot of (positive) feedback about the “practical” nature of the undergrad business experience with Cox. Like many other things at SMU this year, the alumni are really invested/involved in making SMU into a “name” and that shows in the networking/learning opportunities that are brought to Cox. The new business school itself (facilities) are amazing and my son studies there quite a bit. Definitely a TON of wealth at SMU so that could be something that could make it “hard to fit in” (we are not uber-wealthy) but my son has used that to his advantage in terms of making connections, etc. That has actually been a positive thing for my son as there are lots of opportunities to network, even with the parents of friends/classmates. Everything is what you make it though.
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Everyone should read this. More kids should do this instead of but this school is ranked higher. Well done by your son !!
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