If you’re gonna go for MBA, pick UMich Econ. I reckon the academics are better at UMich (lots of rich international kids at USC and they don’t study). All the IB internships with the major banks are after your junior year, but they usually require previous internship experience. Go to UMich, get a high GPA (think 3.8+), join a fraternity (preferably with business connections- the larger ones generally will have connections that you can use) and network hard (use linkedin to contact UMich alumni, speak to company reps when they come on campus to recruit). International students who are in the banks may be more sympathetic to your cause because they’ve experienced the whole struggle themselves, so see if you can reach out to them. Good luck.
by the way, asking this question on this forum may be a better idea: http://www.wallstreetoasis.com/
You can read past threads regarding IB recruitment at all the different schools on here.
@blu5959 thank you very much!!! Cannot appreciate more!! The only thing I am worried about is that I am afraid that I cannot find a decent job after Umich econ, then I cannot have a good work experience and then cannot get good MBA… What do you say?
If you work hard, I think getting a job at a bank back in China wouldn’t be too hard. Let’s say that you do manage to do all/most of the things above that I mentioned and can’t find an internship offer in America, you might have a shot at a bulge bracket banking position in London/Hong Kong/Beijing/Shanghai/Singapore whatever. Even if you don’t manage to get a job at a western bank, you’ll have a job as a graduate from UMich. Work there for a few years (2-3 years at least), prepare for the graduate level entrance exams and you can apply to top MBA programs (IB’s recruit from the top schools like Harvard, Stanford, Columbia). Also, don’t forget about Consulting as a short term plan as well (you can always switch to IB after a few years in a major consulting company- McKinsey, Boston). That will also be a good work experience for MBA and you will be doing something finance related. Lesser hours and the pay isn’t too bad as well.
@drgoogle yeah, this is a little bit late, because I just got my transfer credits report from USC. I start to reconsider this. Does your daughter go to Umich?
Dude, you’re not going to get hired by any company in the U.S. after graduating because you won’t get an H-1B. You have a better shot going to India and working for Tata International, which sucks up most of the visas and then working for sub par wages as an outsourced contractor. If you decide to attend either school, then you’ll need to return home where your prospects are better. As an aside, both schools are equivalent academically, and their respective alumni associations are very strong (I have degrees from both) though USC is in the sunshine and the winters in A2 are wicked cold and long. Good luck.
Post #24, neither of my kids attended Michigan. I have one graduated from USC but the Cinema program.
Hi everyone! I’m also in the exact same situation and am deciding between the two schools but would ideally love to go to Michigan, but I am afraid I won’t be able to get a decent job as a LSA Econ major. Would Marshall at USC be a safer bet than Econ at UMich or is there not a huge difference? I also will attend grad school for a MBA so does majoring in business adm at USC give me a better edge than Econ at Michigan at getting into top b-schools for my MBA or does it not really make that big of a difference? Because if that is the case I I would prefer Michigan over USC. Thanks!
@spalak3, if anything, it’s tougher for BBA’s to get in to MBA programs because b-schools figure you already have taken business classes, so you need a compelling reason.
Unless you want to become an accountant (in which case, pick the b-school) or have a specific geographical preference, go with fit and what you want to study. Your individual talents will matter more than which of these 2 options that you choose.
@spalak3, I once thought you were identical twin to OP.
@PurpleTitan thanks so much for your input it helps a ton! Job wise, do you think it will be easier for me to land a decent job graduating from Marshall with a BBA or Econ at UMich or around the same? I don’t have a preference to where geographically I work. Thanks again!
Here are top feeder schools to Wharton:
http://poetsandquants.com/2011/08/07/top-feeder-schools-to-whartons-mba-program/
@spalak3, the message doesn’t seem to be getting through. Job-wise, landing a decent job will depend far more on your qualities and what you do than it will which of these 2 options you choose.
USC has strong business program and I’m not surprised. On CC USC is often ridicule as the school for rick kids in the ghetto areas but the list in post #31 speaks for itself. I like both schools but I don’t like these misinformation. It even beats UCLA, gasp!
@DrGoogle no I completely agree that USC is a great school I think that personally I would get more out of attending Michigan because it would be a different experience than going to USC. I’m from Southern California and I’ve only ever lived here so I think it would be a great experience for me.
@PurpleTitan sorry I completely understand what you’re trying to get through to me, I guess I’m just very paranoid because as I mentioned I’m from Southern California and a lot of people here have been trying to tell me I’m basically an idiot if I choose Michigan over Marshall at USC. So apparently it’s starting to get in my head.
You have a good reason, it’s good for a change of scenery. Four seasons and all.
@spalak3, for working in SoCal, that’s probably true, and I’m going to guess that that is the perspective of a lot of the people over there.
@spalak3 Glad to meet you again. Haha, I am still deciding, how about you ?
@spalak3 I am just so surprised that we are getting into the same situation. And even many of our thoughts are very same.