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As an undergraduate student, the realm of possibilities you’re presented with during your four years can seem incredibly daunting. Still, taking the time to connect with others and participate in opportunities presented to you can be incredibly rewarding.
Choosing the Right University
Undoubtedly, where you choose to go to school is an integral part of your undergraduate experience. Choosing the right university for you and your business goals can be intimidating, but there are essential aspects you must consider, including the institution’s reputation, the location, what it offers, and the career outcomes of its graduates.
Reputation and Accreditation
It’s important to note that not all business programs will offer the same experience, and you should look for a strong academic reputation and accreditation. For business schools across the globe, the key accreditation to look for is AACSB, or the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, because their accreditation ensures that the school offers a high-quality education and a strong faculty.
Additionally, it cannot be ignored that ranking is imperative. For example, schools such as Wharton, Harvard, or Michigan Ross are very highly ranked, and their grads have connections that could be incredibly valuable to you. While this level of prestige is important, so are specializations. Depending on what type of business degree you’re planning to pursue, this can significantly impact your choice. Different schools offer different specialties, such as finance at NYU Stern or marketing at USC Marshall.
Location and Access to Industry
The location of the business program of your choice will also have a drastic impact on your undergraduate experience, and this is because different institutions have different advantages for industry connections. Universities in large cities such as New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Boston, and Los Angeles provide undergraduate students with access to nearby corporate headquarters, start-ups, and events to jumpstart networking.
Proximity to your target business area is also essential when choosing a school. If you’re interested in finance, a New York City school could prove valuable due to its proximity to Wall Street. Likewise, if your target industry is tech, it would be wise to heavily prioritize schools near Silicon Valley, such as Stanford and Berkeley.
Career Outcomes and Return on Investment
College is an investment, so choosing a program should be treated as one. Career outcomes and return on investment are critical when considering different schools, and you should consider aspects such as job placement and rates, salaries, and career services offered by the institution to ensure the best possible return on your investment. To evaluate average salary and job placement, it’s effective to check employment records and see where graduates of that institution are landing positions. Are they working at top firms you wish to be at one day, such as Goldman Sachs or Google?
Before you can land a job, though, you need to gain experience through internships, so it’s also important to research different schools’ career centers. A strong career center means that the school is advocating for students and helping them secure internships, often a pipeline to full-time offers. One final piece to evaluate when looking at career outcomes is the alumni network of an institution. Alumni can provide information about their careers, and an involved alumni network can open doors for students in otherwise inaccessible or exclusive competitive industries.
Gaining Experience and Utilizing Your Network
While not easy, once you’ve chosen an undergraduate business school to attend, far more work lies ahead. Maximizing your experience and network during your undergraduate years is the key to a successful career and landing top internships, job offers, and entrepreneurial opportunities. To effectively do this, it’s important to gain experience early on in your undergraduate studies, build your network, and strive for the best outcome.
Building Experience
To gain experience, seeking opportunities such as internships and co-ops, case competitions, business clubs, side hustles, and even participating in undergrad research is important. Any of these opportunities will allow you to build up your experience, contributing to your resume.
Building Your Network
While building your experience is essential, building your network is equally important. This can be done in various ways, and when doing so, you must utilize what your business program and institution offer you. This is leveraging alumni through LinkedIn and career services to connect with grads of your institution who work in areas of business you might be interested in. Reaching out to graduates and asking for informational interviews can be incredibly effective. Most people will be willing to help students.
Additionally, attend networking events and conferences held at your university. Most universities will bring in speakers who could be helpful to you, some even from top firms. While you might think it’s only useful to network with people higher up in business than you vertically, it’s equally as important to network with your peers horizontally. Building solid connections with your peers could mean mutually beneficial business connections in the future.
Seek the Best Outcome
While at university, your goal is to strive for the best professional outcome. While it can seem intimidating sometimes, it’s important to remember that you must stay proactive and constantly search for opportunities. When you find opportunities, apply early (most large firms hire a year in advance).
Conclusion
Choosing the right undergraduate school for business is not easy. It can significantly impact your career trajectory, but making the most of your experience once you attend this institution is just as crucial. Evaluating a school on various factors such as reputation, location, and career outcomes sets the foundation for your success in undergrad. Then you must apply yourself and allow yourself to grow by actively seeking out opportunities and networking as much as possible. Putting in effort in your undergraduate years will shape your professional trajectory and open doors for you in the future.
