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isa
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3 yr undergrad? 26 Jun 2008, 23:33
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hi folks,
so was reading some older threads from last year and several people commented on how their 3 year undergrad wasn't accepted by the schools they were looking at. (for a sample, see page 2 or 3 of the 2008 Ross thread)

In that context, does 3 year undergrad reference programs that are designed to be three years? OR does it also include folks who went to 4 year programs but finished early?

Asking because I fall in the latter bucket...don't know if I should be worried by it!

Thanks!
ac.
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3 yr undergrad? 26 Jun 2008, 23:45
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ac8706
hi folks,
so was reading some older threads from last year and several people commented on how their 3 year undergrad wasn't accepted by the schools they were looking at. (for a sample, see page 2 or 3 of the 2008 Ross thread)

In that context, does 3 year undergrad reference programs that are designed to be three years? OR does it also include folks who went to 4 year programs but finished early?

Asking because I fall in the latter bucket...don't know if I should be worried by it!

Thanks!
ac.
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you are fine. it isn't that uncommon to graduate in 3 years at a 4yr college. although, adcoms may wonder why you rushed through college. it's the most fun time of your life :-D
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3 yr undergrad? 26 Jun 2008, 23:59
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Don't worry if you graduated early.
I graduated 1 semester early (in 3.5 years) and still had no problem getting in Ross with a scholarship :)
When I asked the school about this, they told me that graduating early is fine as long as the degree is considered a 4 year degree. Since I have a bachelor's degree from the US which is quite clear that is a 4 year degree I had no problems. But if you graduated from some country abroad you might have to explain that your degree was 4 year, but at the end you are going to be fine.
Also, the admissions office told me that they have poeple who graduated early apply quite a bit and it is notnig unusual in their eyes.


Cheers!!

ac8706
hi folks,
so was reading some older threads from last year and several people commented on how their 3 year undergrad wasn't accepted by the schools they were looking at. (for a sample, see page 2 or 3 of the 2008 Ross thread)

In that context, does 3 year undergrad reference programs that are designed to be three years? OR does it also include folks who went to 4 year programs but finished early?

Asking because I fall in the latter bucket...don't know if I should be worried by it!

Thanks!
ac.
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3 yr undergrad? 27 Jun 2008, 06:20
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I also graduated early. No problems.
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3 yr undergrad? 27 Jun 2008, 08:06
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The important thing to note is that you completed what is considered a 4 yr degree ... doesnt matter if you raced through it in 2.5 yrs. However, there are many places in the world where Bachelor's degrees are designed at 3 yr programs (India comes to mind) - those degrees are usually not considered sufficient

rhyme
I also graduated early. No problems.
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3 yr undergrad? 27 Jun 2008, 11:03
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thank you all very much for clarifying - I figured I should find out sooner than later if it was going to be a problem :roll:
thanks again!
ac.
PS I finished early because it was getting very $$ and I figured that was better than a loan....long story for another time, another day :)
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3 yr undergrad? 27 Jun 2008, 11:13
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Can someone explain to me the sentiment against student loans that I've found in so many places.

Let say you have the cast for school $50,000 total for all 4 years (picking number for easier math ;-) ).

If you get federal loans for your education, the APR will be very low because they're federal loans. I think my federal loans for undergrad are at about 3.75%. My wife consolidated hers to like 3%.

So you have loans for all 4 years of school, and at the start of your college, you take that $50k and diversify it properly in the stock market (ETF on the DJIA or something). Historically, your return on this would be between 8 - 12%. So lets say 8% even. If you get a 5 or 6% student loan, you're still ahead 2% (less any accrued interest).

I can understand the private loans, etc, but I just don't understand some people's views that all debt is bad debt. There is certainly some bad debt, but there is also some very good debt too.
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3 yr undergrad? 27 Jun 2008, 11:29
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jallenmorris
Can someone explain to me the sentiment against student loans that I've found in so many places.

Let say you have the cast for school $50,000 total for all 4 years (picking number for easier math ;-) ).

If you get federal loans for your education, the APR will be very low because they're federal loans. I think my federal loans for undergrad are at about 3.75%. My wife consolidated hers to like 3%.

So you have loans for all 4 years of school, and at the start of your college, you take that $50k and diversify it properly in the stock market (ETF on the DJIA or something). Historically, your return on this would be between 8 - 12%. So lets say 8% even. If you get a 5 or 6% student loan, you're still ahead 2% (less any accrued interest).

I can understand the private loans, etc, but I just don't understand some people's views that all debt is bad debt. There is certainly some bad debt, but there is also some very good debt too.
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Don't know about others but for me, I was nervous about the concept of taking on any loans at all. My first two years of college were covered by an academic scholarship, the third year the parents covered (<- lucky me!). I didn't quite understand how loans worked, how I'd pay them back, etc - I just saw many friends who had graduated but were having a hard time paying back the loans and make ends meet. So I figured it would be easier to finish early and avoid that tension altogether :)
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3 yr undergrad? 27 Jun 2008, 11:46
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Debt isn't always bad. Just look at the WACC equation and benefits of debt there.
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3 yr undergrad? 27 Jun 2008, 11:55
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jallenmorris
Can someone explain to me the sentiment against student loans that I've found in so many places.

Let say you have the cast for school $50,000 total for all 4 years (picking number for easier math ;-) ).

If you get federal loans for your education, the APR will be very low because they're federal loans. I think my federal loans for undergrad are at about 3.75%. My wife consolidated hers to like 3%.

So you have loans for all 4 years of school, and at the start of your college, you take that $50k and diversify it properly in the stock market (ETF on the DJIA or something). Historically, your return on this would be between 8 - 12%. So lets say 8% even. If you get a 5 or 6% student loan, you're still ahead 2% (less any accrued interest).

I can understand the private loans, etc, but I just don't understand some people's views that all debt is bad debt. There is certainly some bad debt, but there is also some very good debt too.
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the last 10 years the dow has returned like 2.4%
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3 yr undergrad? 27 Jun 2008, 15:33
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sm332
The important thing to note is that you completed what is considered a 4 yr degree ... doesnt matter if you raced through it in 2.5 yrs. However, there are many places in the world where Bachelor's degrees are designed at 3 yr programs (India comes to mind) - those degrees are usually not considered sufficient

rhyme
I also graduated early. No problems.
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Sorry but this is patently not true. Many commonwealth countries (including the UK) have degrees with take only 3 years, and if you look at the applications FAQ in all b-schools, it is usually acceptable. If you have a bachelors degree with honours, it doesn`t matter how long it took as long as you have it.

I graduated when I was 20.
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3 yr undergrad? 28 Jun 2008, 02:03
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togafoot

Sorry but this is patently not true. Many commonwealth countries (including the UK) have degrees with take only 3 years, and if you look at the applications FAQ in all b-schools, it is usually acceptable. If you have a bachelors degree with honours, it doesn`t matter how long it took as long as you have it.

I graduated when I was 20.
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Nope toga, not all of them accept 3 yr degrees, and people that have such degrees are advised to finish some 1 year program to be eleigable. So the treatment of 3yr degrees depends on the schools, but people who graduated early from a 4 year degree are fine.

For example here is what the University of Michigan - Ross says about it

Q: Is a 3 year undergraduate degree from India acceptable to apply?
A. No. These are not considered equivalent to a U.S. Bachelor's degree. If you have a 3 year degree, it must be accompanied by a Master's degree program/post-graduate diploma or a Chartered Accountancy. For non-U.S. Master's degrees, the degree must be greater than one year. For U.S. Master's degrees, a one-year Master's degree/post-graduate diploma is fine.
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3 yr undergrad? 28 Jun 2008, 02:38
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togafoot

Sorry but this is patently not true. Many commonwealth countries (including the UK) have degrees with take only 3 years, and if you look at the applications FAQ in all b-schools, it is usually acceptable. If you have a bachelors degree with honours, it doesn`t matter how long it took as long as you have it.

I graduated when I was 20.

Nope toga, not all of them accept 3 yr degrees, and people that have such degrees are advised to finish some 1 year program to be eleigable. So the treatment of 3yr degrees depends on the schools, but people who graduated early from a 4 year degree are fine.

For example here is what the University of Michigan - Ross says about it

Q: Is a 3 year undergraduate degree from India acceptable to apply?
A. No. These are not considered equivalent to a U.S. Bachelor's degree. If you have a 3 year degree, it must be accompanied by a Master's degree program/post-graduate diploma or a Chartered Accountancy. For non-U.S. Master's degrees, the degree must be greater than one year. For U.S. Master's degrees, a one-year Master's degree/post-graduate diploma is fine.
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they also say this

In light of the European Bologna Accord, the Ross School of Business will also accept all three-year international degrees from Europe as meeting this requirement.

That exclusion is only for Indian 3-year undergrads. 3 year degrees are the norm in UK and Europe, I've never heard of anyone having to take an extra year anywhere to do an MBA. For Indian degrees, it may be different, but not for Europe and other developed countries.
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3 yr undergrad? 03 Jul 2008, 03:13
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Interesting ... I am not sure why there is a distinction made?

But thanks for the clarification Toga.

togafoot
Darden2010
togafoot

Sorry but this is patently not true. Many commonwealth countries (including the UK) have degrees with take only 3 years, and if you look at the applications FAQ in all b-schools, it is usually acceptable. If you have a bachelors degree with honours, it doesn`t matter how long it took as long as you have it.

I graduated when I was 20.

Nope toga, not all of them accept 3 yr degrees, and people that have such degrees are advised to finish some 1 year program to be eleigable. So the treatment of 3yr degrees depends on the schools, but people who graduated early from a 4 year degree are fine.

For example here is what the University of Michigan - Ross says about it

Q: Is a 3 year undergraduate degree from India acceptable to apply?
A. No. These are not considered equivalent to a U.S. Bachelor's degree. If you have a 3 year degree, it must be accompanied by a Master's degree program/post-graduate diploma or a Chartered Accountancy. For non-U.S. Master's degrees, the degree must be greater than one year. For U.S. Master's degrees, a one-year Master's degree/post-graduate diploma is fine.

they also say this

In light of the European Bologna Accord, the Ross School of Business will also accept all three-year international degrees from Europe as meeting this requirement.

That exclusion is only for Indian 3-year undergrads. 3 year degrees are the norm in UK and Europe, I've never heard of anyone having to take an extra year anywhere to do an MBA. For Indian degrees, it may be different, but not for Europe and other developed countries.
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