Choosing among various undergrad universities... NEED HELP

[thirstyice]

Hi,
As of right now, I've narrowed down my list to 3 universities (of which I got accepted to)

Emory (major: finance) <Dream school since freshman year>
University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign (undeclared biz) <Wanted to get out of Texas> <Nationally well-known> <Acceptance to biz program hard to come by>
Villanova (finance) <Known for extensive finance recruitments>

Of course, these colleges are my top 3, but there are others that I'm also considering to some extent.

University of Texas at Austin (Texas resident)(major: yet unknown) <Lots of friends there> <Well-known nationally>
Loyola University at Chicago (Biz) <love the location>
Texas A&M (Finance) <Great alumni network>
Fordham (Finance) <New York City>

I plan on majoring in Finance to have my options open for the future since I'm not fully sure if I'd like to go to Law school.
Career-wise, Emory would be my best option since its undergrad business school is currently ranked 4th in the nation, but if I do decide to attend, I'm going to be facing intense competition, and might not be able to acheive high GPA as I could get in other universities.

What would you do if you are in my situation? Would you choose a college that is somewhat reputable but where you are sure to get a high GPA? or throw yourself into the fire and see yourself bringing a 6-pack of Red Bulls into the library? Should location be seriously put into consideration, as in the same plateau as the prestige of a school? (I really want to be able to land a good job should I not decide to go to Law school). Is GPA that important of a factor in law school admission that may make someone give up his acceptance to prestigious colleges?

What about state universities? Will it be harder to get an A since there's alot of people?

Thank you

[siski]

GPA is a very important factor. You should definitely enjoy your undergrad years and go to a school you'd be happy at and major in a field that interests you. That said, do everything you can to keep your GPA as high as possible. Never underestimate the power of a 3.9. Which undergrad you go to is not as important as your GPA.

[doos13]

Hi,
As of right now, I've narrowed down my list to 3 universities (of which I got accepted to)

Emory (major: finance) <Dream school since freshman year>
University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign (undeclared biz) <Wanted to get out of Texas> <Nationally well-known> <Acceptance to biz program hard to come by>
Villanova (finance) <Known for extensive finance recruitments>

Of course, these colleges are my top 3, but there are others that I'm also considering to some extent.

University of Texas at Austin (Texas resident)(major: yet unknown) <Lots of friends there> <Well-known nationally>
Loyola University at Chicago (Biz) <love the location>
Texas A&M (Finance) <Great alumni network>
Fordham (Finance) <New York City>

I plan on majoring in Finance to have my options open for the future since I'm not fully sure if I'd like to go to Law school.
Career-wise, Emory would be my best option since its undergrad business school is currently ranked 4th in the nation, but if I do decide to attend, I'm going to be facing intense competition, and might not be able to acheive high GPA as I could get in other universities.

What would you do if you are in my situation? Would you choose a college that is somewhat reputable but where you are sure to get a high GPA? or throw yourself into the fire and see yourself bringing a 6-pack of Red Bulls into the library? Should location be seriously put into consideration, as in the same plateau as the prestige of a school? (I really want to be able to land a good job should I not decide to go to Law school). Is GPA that important of a factor in law school admission that may make someone give up his acceptance to prestigious colleges?

What about state universities? Will it be harder to get an A since there's alot of people?

Thank you

You're setting yourself up for nerd-dom/unhappiness. Have fun, whether that means joining a frat or majoring in art history. Worry about professional aspirations when you're our age.

[thirstyice]

wait, so law school admission officers would rather choose a student from, say, Loyola Chicago with 3.8 GPA than a student from Emory with lower GPA?
Then what's really the point of trying to get into good undergrad?

Interesting...

[doos13]

wait, so law school admission officers would rather choose a student from, say, Loyola Chicago with 3.8 GPA than a student from Emory with lower GPA?
Then what's really the point of trying to get into good undergrad?

Interesting...

Stop. Just, stop. Let's say you're 18. You finish school at 22 and male private part around for a year. You're 23 and apply to school. You matriculate at 23 or 24, and are employed at 26 or 27. That is ten years from now! Relax, enjoy school, and if you want to become interested in something weird, let it be philosophy or math or physics or something like that. Don't get so bogged down in angst over your profession. Not now, at least! Oh, and go to Emory over Loyola.

I really really HTH

[Captain]

Hi,
As of right now, I've narrowed down my list to 3 universities (of which I got accepted to)

Emory (major: finance) <Dream school since freshman year>
University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign (undeclared biz) <Wanted to get out of Texas> <Nationally well-known> <Acceptance to biz program hard to come by>
Villanova (finance) <Known for extensive finance recruitments>

Of course, these colleges are my top 3, but there are others that I'm also considering to some extent.

If you are interested in finance, go to Villanova.

In thanks for this advice, I expect to receive free basketball tix.

[Captain]

But seriously, the correct answer from that top-3 is Villanova.

Emory is ranked well, but Villanova gets respect from the New York market... which is the biggest, best, highest-paying market for finance. ;-)

[thirstyice]

ah...
wow I never thought UT gets so much rep even from non-Texan people.
Thank y'all for the thoughtful responses, I'll be sure to consider all these before I make a decision.

[jalex519]

If going to Emory will require you to take any debt or work like a dog so you don't have any debt, don't do it, if not I would say go for it. And yes, a 3.8 GPA at UT would be better than a 3.4 at Emory.

[JSMnyny]

I think the "point of trying to get into a good undergrad" is that you may very well decide that law school is not for you at some point down the road.  Say in your finance classes, you develop a real interest in private equity.  Well, when you graduate and go to get a job, potential employers will care very much about what school you went to.  I'm saying this as a fund of hedge fund analyst and finance major who went to a moderately ranked school (American) on an academic scholarship.  I routinely made it to the last round of interviews at investment banks and hedge funds before being told that I had lost out to the other remaining candidate, a Columbia or NYU grad with a significantly lower GPA.  But to answer your original question, yes, law school admissions offices will probably prefer the opposite result, a 3.8 at a lower ranked school vs. low 3's from Emory. 

Speaking of Emory, I think its a very good school, but you should be aware that the #4 ranking has made it MUCH harder to get into the business school.  Its not a sure thing.  My younger brother is a junior there and he wound up going econ because it became impossible to get in to the B school. 

If you're interested in working in NY (in finance) I would also give more serious consideration to UT and Fordham.  In NY UT, and not A&M, has a VERY strong alumni base, although I could understand if you want a change of scenery for a while.  Also, my personal opinion is that Fordham has a stronger presense and better recruitment potential than Villanova, although its not in the greatest part of NY. 

Hope this helps.