Choosing among various undergrad universities... NEED HELP

[...........]

I'd probably pick Emory.

UIUC close second.  You'll feel like an outsider there.  90% of the students are from Illinois and the first question you get asked when meeting someone new is what suburb your from.

[turkfish]

One thing I would really stress is cost of undergraduate institution, especially if you plan on attending law school.  UT's in-state tuition is an excellent deal, and if you want business/finance the McCombs school has a great reputation that would be respected by both law school admissions committees and potential employers (if you did not decide to go to law school) alike.

I understand your desire to get out of Texas, but if you are a Texas resident UT's tuition is most likely the best deal you can get.  What I would recommend is going to Texas and save money, that way you won't have to work during the school semesters, freeing up time to study for the LSAT if you so desire.  The extra savings definitely won't hurt if you decide not to go to law school as well.  If you get scholarships schools higher on your list though, this advice becomes less relevant.

Choosing any of these undergrads will allow you to go to a prestigious law school with the right GPA/LSAT combo, so if you can wait to escape from TX for another four years it might pay off.  I personally have friends who shelled out big bucks for MIT over UT for engineering/science, and they have significantly more debt out of UG and their starting salaries might be 70k compared to 65k if they would have gone to UT.

Good luck with your decision!

[Captain]

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.

Your opinion is trumped by my KNOWLEDGE. As a Villanova alumnus, I don't actually know ANYONE from our finance program who isn't currently working on Wall Street. All of the big prestigious firms come to Villanova to recruit and the Villanova School of Business' undergraduate program is highly respected in NY.

Am I biased? Perhaps, but I am not just guessing based on geography. Villanova is every bit as much a "New York" school as Fordham in terms of footprint, it is more highly respected, and has a reputation that extends much further.

I can't comment on UT.

As far as Law School admissions is concerned: Where you go to undergrad doesn't matter so much as your GPA and LSAT, so don't let that factor in at all.

[bt]

Texas resident here that now goes to Wesleyan in CT.

If you want Finance, I can't see much of a reason not to pick UT and internally transfer to McCombs.  Villanova and Emory might be good, but by nearly every undergrad business ranking, UT is one of the top 5/10 and excels particularly in Finance. 

BUT, you're pre-law?  Why do you want to do Finance undergrad?  I'm pretty sure that top law schools look down on pre-professional majors.  Anyways, if you want the best deal, UT by far: cheapest, best college town, best Finance program.  But, be warned that McCombs is really competitive because it is so good, and keep in mind that GPA is more important than any difference in quality that you're gonna see between Villanova, UT, or Emory.

[Captain]

If you want Finance, I can't see much of a reason not to pick UT and internally transfer to McCombs.  Villanova and Emory might be good, but by nearly every undergrad business ranking, UT is one of the top 5/10 and excels particularly in Finance.

Villanova Business School has a higher median starting salary than UT. ;-)

BUT, you're pre-law?  Why do you want to do Finance undergrad?  I'm pretty sure that top law schools look down on pre-professional majors. 

Discredited. This is untrue. In fact, depending on your legal specialty, a finance degree could be very helpful.

That said, I think you'll be a more well-rounded person if you get a liberal arts degree.

[bt]

The average salary for a McCombs Finance major is $50,583.  http://fcc.mccombs.utexas.edu/bba/bba07_salary.asp

The average salary for a Villanova Business major is $50,000  http://www.villanova.edu/business/undergrad/

So, no, I wouldn't be so certain that Villanova business undergrads make more than McCombs undergrads.  But this is a moot point.  I was saying that McCombs is a very highly ranked business school, and it is.

Businessweek - #10
US News Overall - #5
US News Finance - #6

Regarding pre-professional majors, obviously Finance could be helpful to certain people (depending on what area of law they would like to go into).  However, the general consensus that I have heard (after several years of being involved in this) is that the best law schools would nearly always prefer a liberal arts major to a pre-professional major. 

[Captain]

FWIW, Business Week lists UT's Median Salary at $49,500 and Villanova's at $50,000. UT places 48% of it's grads in finance and/or accounting positions, while Villanova places 66% in those positions. 19% of UT grads accepted jobs in the Financial Services industry, while 34% of Villanova grads accepted those jobs.

And the big difference: UT grads overwhelmingly ended up in the Southwest (almost 80%). Villanova grads overwhelmingly ended up in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic.

Villanova is the better pick for Wall Street.

Regarding pre-professional majors, obviously Finance could be helpful to certain people (depending on what area of law they would like to go into).  However, the general consensus that I have heard (after several years of being involved in this) is that the best law schools would nearly always prefer a liberal arts major to a pre-professional major. 

And I am telling you, as someone in law school that that is one of the biggest myths on the pre-law board. Your major doesn't matter for admissions purposes. What matters is your GPA. One exception is that if you study certain subjects (engineering, particularly) they will usually forgive a lower GPA.

[bt]

And I am telling you, as someone in law school that that is one of the biggest myths on the pre-law board. Your major doesn't matter for admissions purposes. What matters is your GPA. One exception is that if you study certain subjects (engineering, particularly) they will usually forgive a lower GPA.

I don't see how you being a law school student gives your statement any more weight than my own.  As I have heard that top law schools (and I mean, T14) prefer liberal arts majors, both from discussion boards and from several law schools themselves, I will continue to believe it.  I'm sure there are many pre-professional majors in law school, though that does not detract from the idea that law schools would prefer a liberal arts major to a pre-professional major.

[nicole1220]

If you are going to be taking out loans to pay for school, you may want to also consider attending one of your less expensive options. It will be a lot easier to decide to take out loans for law school if you don't have 80K in debt from undergrad hanging over your head.

[Captain]

Finance might be a great program for you, but you might also find that it's bad for your GPA and/or not really where your heart is.  It's worth giving a try, and some people love it, but I would just recommend being careful not to get into the mindset of "Well, I need to stay in finance/accounting/etc because it will be a good backup plan"... or, worse, get caught up in the superiority complex of undergrad b-school students.  Many people get liberal arts degrees and, in the end, do great things after graduation, having spent four years studying what they were really interested in.

Correct.

Honestly though, just make sure you have fun in undergrad. You'll never have a better time to do so. Go to a school with a good basketball team (...one that made the sweet 16 three out of the last four years).