Undergraduate Kelley School of Business vs. Stephen M. Ross School of Business

College Search & Lists
1

I am a Michigan resident that was offered direct admission to Kelley School of Business at Indiana University and admission to University of Michigan’s LSA. Due to scholarships from Indiana, the cost of attending the two universities is about equal. Which university will put me in a better position to succeed?

I know that I want to study business, but I am unaware of the specific area that I wish to study. This attracted me to the Kelley Compass and the Ross BBA that allow students to obtain a general understanding of business and apply this knowledge to numerous fields.

From my understanding, Ross has a slight advantage in networking and alumni; however, being denied preferred admission and not having a guaranteed spot in Ross worries me. If I were to be admitted to Ross, I know that I would be an average student compared to the rest of the students at Ross and, from what I have heard, Ross is very good at placing students and getting their students great starting salaries.

On the other hand, direct admission to Kelley is extremely appealing. With AP credits, I would be able to take almost exclusively business courses at my entire time at Kelley. I also love the idea of the Kelley Living Learning Center that is a great way to create a network during my freshman year. Another thing that I like about Kelley is their Business Honors program that would allow me to gain a step on other students in Kelley.

Is it better to be at the high end at Kelley or in the middle at Ross? Which school can provide the best understanding of business and allow me to find my passion? Does the Kelley Living Learning Center and Business Honors take me to a level above Ross or simply equal the playing field? Is it worth the risk of passing up a chance to understand business as a freshman at Kelley to eventually gain the better network at Ross?

Input on any of these questions would be much appreciated!

2

Kelley with Honors doesn’t level the playing field - Ross is in another category. It’s like comparing Yale and USC - USC is very, very good, but it’s not Yale.

The issue is that you’re not in at Ross yet - but 75-80% Rossstudents were admitted after a year of LSA. So, let’s review your odds:

  • Have you taken calculus in HS? How well are you doing/did you do? You’ll need to take Calculus 1 (and 2, preferably), and get a high grade - does that sound doable? (Don’t skip Calc 1 unless you got an A in AB or, preferably, 4-5 in BC.)
  • Have you taken AP Economics (both micro and macro) and how did you do?
  • Have you taken AP language and how well did you do?

Your answers will indicate whether your odds of success in LSA make a Ross application hopeful or risky.

3

If you are 100% you want to study business I’d probably go for the direct admit to Kelley. It is very competitive to get into Ross as a sophomore and if you don’t get in you’ll have to change majors or transfer. I know a few kids who when to UM and then did not get into Ross.

4

However, UMich without Ross is still pretty darn good. In terms of opportunities, on par with Kelley, IMO (unless you get in to Kelley’s IB workshop, but that is competitive), so unless you really want to major in accounting or something that you can only get in a b-school, it may still make more sense to go to UMich.

5

Note that Economics at UMich is likely to have the same opportunities as Kelley.

6

I would not attend Indiana if it were the same cost as Michigan.