Sponsored by U.S. News:
The 2014 Best Colleges ranking from U.S. News has been released, giving you an easy way to compare colleges as you look to continue your own education or help your children continue their educations.
The complete Best Colleges 2014 guidebook offers over 300 pages of rankings and informative articles. Want to know the best colleges in your state? There’s a section for that. Want to know the best online degree programs? There’s a section for that, too. And for those interested in pursuing a career in business, there’s a section for that as well.
Best in Undergraduate Business
According to the 2014 Best Colleges ranking, the top ten undergraduate business programs (there were some ties, so the top ten actually includes 12 colleges) are offered at:
- University of Pennsylvania (Wharton)
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Sloan)
- University of California-Berkeley (Haas)
- University of Michigan-Ann Arbor (Ross)
- New York University (Stern)
- University of Virginia (McIntire)
- U. of N.C. – Chapel Hill (Kenan-Flagler)
- Carnegie Mellon University (Tepper)
- University of Texas – Austin (McCombs)
- Cornell University (Dyson)
- Indiana University – Bloomington (Kelley)
- University of Notre Dame
A total of 57 undergraduate business programs are included in the ranking as well as the top five business programs in a variety of business disciplines: accounting, entrepreneurship, finance, insurance and risk management, international business, management, management information systems, marketing, production and operations management, quantitative analysis and methods, real estate, and supply chain management and logistics. You can quickly flip to the index to find schools by name and learn all of the details about application deadlines, undergraduate student body, expenses, financial aid, and more.
5 Tips to Choose the Right College
Choosing a college for undergraduate studies is a very big decision and one that you want to make correctly the first time. Here are five tips to help you or your child choose the right college:
1. Do your research
Use resources like the Best Colleges 2014 guidebook, college websites, alumni websites, and more to get a complete picture of each college you’re considering.
2. Visit the Campus
Don’t rely on pictures and hearsay. You should visit any college you’re seriously considering to see what life is really like on campus.
3. Talk to Students
Take the time to seek out and speak with current students or very recent graduates. The campus life experience can change significantly from one year to the next, and you need current information to make the right choice.
4. Aim High
Yes, you should apply to a safety school, but you should also apply to schools that are a stretch. You never know what a school is looking for in its future student body. Your grades might be a bit low but your experience in another area might be just what they’re looking for. In other words, don’t take yourself out of the running without at least giving yourself a chance.
5. Put Your Needs First
Don’t worry about where other people you know are going to college or what they’re studying. You need to choose the college that will position you for your own career success and help you reach your goals, but you also need to pick a college that fits your personality and lifestyle. You’ll be in the school’s environment for years. Make sure you’ll be happy there on a daily basis or your success will be tempered by your discomfort.
If you’d like to pick up a copy of the Best Colleges 2014, use the discount code for Women on Business readers: SCHOOL25.
Susan Gunelius
Susan Gunelius is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Women on Business. She is a 30-year veteran of the marketing field and has authored a dozen books about marketing, branding, and social media, including the highly popular Ultimate Guide to Email Marketing, 30-Minute Social Media Marketing, Content Marketing for Dummies, Blogging All-in-One for Dummies and Kick-ass Copywriting in 10 Easy Steps. Susan’s marketing-related content can be found on Entrepreneur.com, Forbes.com, MSNBC.com, BusinessWeek.com, and more. Susan is President & CEO of KeySplash Creative, Inc., a marketing communications company. She has worked in corporate marketing roles and through client relationships with AT&T, HSBC, Citibank, Intuit, The New York Times, Cox Communications, and many more large and small companies around the world. Susan also speaks about marketing, branding and social media at events around the world and is frequently interviewed by television, online, radio, and print media organizations about these topics. She holds an MBA in Management and Strategy and a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing and is a Certified Professional Career Coach (CPCC).
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