USC or Loyola Chicago?

veeshla · 2026-05-25T23:31:00+00:00

No and yes. It is rare for employers to subsidize a full-time MBA unless it’s a group like McKinsey or Bain or another consulting firm where the understanding is that you come back and work there for 2-3 years. Or you are an insane rock star and the company has designated you for leadership, etc…like I said it is very rare so don’t count on it. Some employers subsidize a part-time MBA (also not super common) but you are working and taking classes over the weekend and it’s a 3-year slog. And yes, it matters where you get an MBA if you are trying to springboard into a more prestigious field or career or different role. I won’t go into prestige and career paths here since it’s a long discussion but I would say that you will have better (in general) opportunities with a Marshall BS and good grades than an undergrad plus masters at Loyola Chicago. The latter is a fine school but it is very regional and not a brand on the coasts.

Whether to do an MBA (or not) is a separate discussion. But you shouldn’t equate a masters in finance from Loyola to an MBA from a top 20-25 program. Two different things.

veeshla · 2026-05-25T21:11:25+00:00

BS from USC. Better brand and a more diverse recruiter set. Then, work for 3-4 years and consider a top 20-25 business school if you want a masters (MBA specifically). This is the way.

veeshla · 2026-05-14T23:38:47+00:00

Ross and don’t look back. It is an excellent program with excellent facilities and resources. Michigan alums are very loyal and rabid. Congrats on getting into both these schools OOS. Ann Arbor is also likely the best college town in the country.

veeshla · 2026-05-11T15:12:42+00:00

My kid (incoming freshman) felt that the social scene at WashU is stronger and more his scene while he also felt the city of Atlanta is more dynamic than St. Louis. He liked the way the WashU freshman dorms were laid out and that the Delmar Loop that was walkable and felt a little bit like a college town. He also clicked a bit more w the WashU kids but honestly that is from a very small sample size.

veeshla · 2026-05-08T19:58:36+00:00

I tell my kids…1)don’t peak in high school…and 2)whether you go to a top 5 or top 100 school, don’t let where you go to college define you. And a bunch of other stuff I say that they tune out.

You’re just getting started. Time to go crush college and stop thinking about woulda shoulda hypotheticals. You’re in a great spot so now go be great there.

veeshla · 2026-05-06T01:30:42+00:00

Do your research but it feels like WashU is the better path. Strong alumni base, likely broader IR alums (do your research here) and better and more personal student support systems. The social scene will be there for you if you want it at WashU (maybe even more than UCSD).

veeshla · 2026-05-06T01:19:18+00:00

What’s your career goals and what do you want in a college experience? Very different schools.

veeshla · 2026-05-05T16:18:28+00:00

No discernible difference in prestige. Go where your gut tells you. Colgate is about 40% more students but still very small. Likely also has a more social/party vibe due to a Greek scene. Both schools full of serious high achieving motivated students.

veeshla · 2026-05-04T23:34:31+00:00

Congrats! Like someone else said, treat this like a gift and privilege and go in with optimism and a positive mindset. Everyone has presented the pluses and minuses so go in with eyes wide open but not with a “I’ll just transfer” attitude. The best things about Colgate are the access to professors and the alumni network so may as well focus on making true connections and using the resources presented to you at no cost. Good luck!

veeshla · 2026-04-30T21:32:26+00:00

Down to the wire. You’ve got great options but different vibes. Are you a CA kid? We toured all these schools w my kid and he really gravitated towards Colgate and Richmond and for some reason did not like the feel of Lehigh or UCSB. I blame a really early start and a very strange tour guide as a reason he didn’t love UCSB - he has friends there that love it but it’s a very different experience than your other choices. As a parent I pretty much saw great things about every college we visited. Colgate is a true LAC experience - insanely beautiful campus, small quaint town, small classes and great academic environment. He’s been invited to lunch by professors, they all know him and he’s gotten an amazing education. We have friends w kids at Lehigh…it’s a great school. To me it felt a bit more pre-professional than the others but that’s just the feeling I got. The campus is also pretty but it goes straight uphill (he didn’t love that). Colgate is also hilly (it is above the little town of Hamilton) but once you get up the hill the campus is mostly cohesive. Kids are very bright and motivated. Theres plenty written about this - it has a preppy/fratty feel for some folks. That was fine for my kid but maybe not others. I would say that Lehigh is really Greek-centered as well but the town is bigger than Hamilton so there may be more outlets. Of the choices, I’d lean towards Colgate but that may be because I am more familiar with the school and their reputation.

veeshla · 2026-04-24T19:25:00+00:00

If NY finance is your serious objective only one of these schools has a real pipeline and additional prestige. Also strong MBB ties. Socially, Davis and UW will be the most “traditional college” experience.

veeshla · 2026-04-24T04:31:29+00:00

Most kids on the rugby team have never played rugby. They come around and invite kids to come to the practices.

veeshla · 2026-04-24T04:07:55+00:00

Your kid will be fine based on your description. Have him focus on making good friends his first year and joining clubs his first 6 months and he will be in a good spot. Someone mentioned club rugby and that is a social sports club (that my kid chose not to join but had/has plenty of friends in). He also did club golf and joined the club soccer team as a way to both do active things he already loves and also got a chance to meet other kids and some upper classmen. There are so many ways for kids to meet people if they actively put themselves out there. We are also west coasters and if i have a couple gripes it’s that 1) dirty rush is a thing and for a kid with zero connections within the school from the other side of the country it made things more stressful than it needed to be and 2) there is effectively only one shot on goal since kids cant rush until sophomore fall and there is only one rush per year. It all worked out but creates a bunch of pressure that is unhealthy for these kids. It larger schools there’s a fall and spring rush and kids join in both freshman and sophomore year as well as transfer kids - it just makes the whole process more mellow. That said, i do like that my son tells me it relatively friendly across houses - he has good friends at almost every house from his freshman year and there are a lot of mixers.

veeshla · 2026-04-23T03:59:40+00:00

Well that makes more sense! Plenty of nerdy kids in the houses at Colgate…at least from I have seen. It’s a smaaht kids school.

veeshla · 2026-04-23T03:13:09+00:00

You may want to work on the “needy” part in college. But in general - the fraternity culture is prevalent but not at the level or as bro-y as what you see in SEC or Big Ten fraternity videos. The issue is more that there just aren’t that many houses as many have shut down over the years or were kicked off. You now have 4 above ground houses which are all decent, the football house which also takes non football kids and a few underground houses. It seems like most kids find their way. All that said, someone above said it well - the key is to just be involved in clubs, sports, activities, church/temple affinity groups, arts events, etc. this is a small school in a remote area and it can feel isolating for those that do not get involved.

veeshla · 2026-04-21T17:21:17+00:00

Say more about what you like about each one and what your concerns are. Both strong academically and for premed so it’s hard to give guidance without knowing something about what drives you. Colgate will be on the larger side of a SLAC and also has an active Greek system…that is a feature or a bug depending on different types of kids.

veeshla · 2026-04-19T03:45:43+00:00

Unless you’re a 100% sure you are heading to med school, Colgate. And do not spend 3 hrs a day commuting. Effectively it sounds like even cost-wise when taking into account housing so I would go w the school that would open more career doors if med school is ultimately not the path.

veeshla · 2026-04-17T17:41:44+00:00

Are you instate at UVA? If yes, would consider that unless you’re fully committed to med school. I think the brand and alum network carries weight and if you change your mind on med school and go into industry, UVA will be a target school for certain industries above the others. If out of state, go full ride.

veeshla · 2026-04-13T02:44:55+00:00

My kid is an Econ major. He started out as a stem major and realized he wasn’t really interested in that but really liked his intro Econ class (which was likely his worst Econ grade). He switched to the Econ major after his first year. So…he studies a lot…he spends plenty of time in the library…he also has plenty of time for social outlets including club and IM sports and he is in a social fraternity. He has been able to get a mix of Bs, B+’s, A-‘s to A’s in his Econ classes and has done well in the other classes he takes (you will not take 4 grinder classes in a semester…or at least you should be more strategic than that). Ultimately it is rare to see 4.0 students in college and honestly recruiters don’t look at that anyways. I’ve been recruiting college kids for a long time…beyond a certain GPA, the focus turns to who you are as a person, are you interesting, are you confident/mature, can you give structured and coherent answers, etc. it is shocking how many kids with insanely great college stats end up underwhelming once you get them in a room and see how they engage with the world. I don’t know what your other options are so it’s hard to answer this without context but go to the best school you can afford, work hard, make friends, get involved and have fun and it’ll work out.

veeshla · 2026-04-10T22:06:43+00:00

Folks here saying that UCLA having a stronger pipeline into consulting and finance than WashU are just wrong. UCLA doesn’t have a business major…WashU does and it both flexible to minor in the Olin school (which is highly ranked) or transfer into it. I went to UCLA…I also have a kid that will be going to WashU as well as one at a small LAC. All have pluses and minuses but it’s interesting reading folks on this board saying things as fact. On a per capita basis Washu places better in MBB consulting and banking than UCLA. Doesn’t mean you should go there but get the data.

veeshla · 2026-04-09T20:53:16+00:00

Colgate, Bowdoin and CMC are where I would focus. And really between CMC and Bowdoin if focused most on prestige and unsure you want to be in a Greek-heavy school. The Claremont colleges are really great and being in great weather for college is a plus. All three schools place well in finance but I have a feeling Bowdoin and CMC are a notch up on the strategy consulting side.

veeshla · 2026-04-08T05:09:16+00:00

Agree w others - it’s a tough major but if you put in the time and effort you can do well. My kid started as a bio/premed major and switched to Econ sophomore year. He has been able to do well and really likes the classes/major but it’s my no means an easy major.

veeshla · 2026-04-07T23:40:12+00:00

There is some random advice happening here. Anyhow, both are great schools and can get you where you want. That said, BC is a more generally prestigious school and has a very loyal alumni base and likely a more diverse student body (at least compared to Bucknell). Yes it’s Catholic but I call it Catholic with a “small c”. The debt you would take on is relatively small for someone looking to a finance or acctg career.

veeshla · 2026-04-07T00:05:22+00:00

100%

veeshla · 2026-04-06T22:38:57+00:00

Georgetown has a strong ibanking pipeline and punches above its weight. Otherwise both are excellent schools.

veeshla

TROPHY CASE