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Marshall (USC) Class of 2016 Calling all applicants!

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christinemmx86

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Schools: Marshall '16 (M) Anderson '16 (A) Johnson '16 (A) Stern '16 (A) McDonough '16 (A) HBS '16 (WL) Berkeley Haas (A) Yale '16 (D) Stanford '16 (D) CBS '16 (A)

GPA: 3.45

Schools: Marshall '16 (M) Anderson '16 (A) Johnson '16 (A) Stern '16 (A) McDonough '16 (A) HBS '16 (WL) Berkeley Haas (A) Yale '16 (D) Stanford '16 (D) CBS '16 (A)

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22 May 2014, 23:43

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Best of luck dbailey1! As a former Bruin I of course wish you well.

My convert to being a fervent USC supporter comes from digging very deep to decide between the programs and forcing myself to be overly critical. Options are a great thing to have and I'm glad you're making a choice with a great offer.

I'll still maintain my new found appreciation for SC and hope we cross paths as friendly (and in my case, conflicted) rivals in some regard.

Fight on!

Manhattanite

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Schools: Ross '16 (A) Anderson '16 (A) Stanford '16 (D) Tepper '16 (A) Marshall '16 (M) Johnson '16 (A) Tuck '16 (WA) Sloan '16 (WL) Yale '16 (A)

GPA: 3.56

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Schools: Ross '16 (A) Anderson '16 (A) Stanford '16 (D) Tepper '16 (A) Marshall '16 (M) Johnson '16 (A) Tuck '16 (WA) Sloan '16 (WL) Yale '16 (A)

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23 May 2014, 07:44

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christinemmx86

choni

Christine you touched on a very interesting point that I have noticed... Anderson is very GMAT/GPA oriented (rather than caring about the overall profile) and has a large # of Haas rejects...It's so weird to see that...Every other day I receive an email stating that Haas is still accepting apps, even though there last EWMBA round was months ago. So, I don't get the big deal!

And yes once a Trojan always a Trojan. It's very weird! During my time at undergrad I was like whatever. But, I am even getting nostalgic...hahaha....I guess that is why they are almost about to reach $5B in endowments. Just today at work I met 2 more business undergrad Trojans. I am not sure where USC's reputation as being a snooty private school came from....

Yea the inferiority complex is definitely a central part of the UCLA experience in many ways. I went there for undergrad so remember it well. It is an amazing school but we always liked to compare ourselves to schools that are (and always will be) considered superior. If you look back in time, UCLA once reigned supreme in California and was a top 10 program ahead of Haas. I think where it is now is likely where it will stay. A well regarded large public institution. Reputations are hard to change and on the east coast it has been forever frustrating trying to assert the rigor beyond the assumptions people make when they hear UCLA. Numerically we outdid plenty of incoming classes at east coast schools that always seem to maintain a stronger image out here.

That said, why a Bruin like me is excited by USC has so much to do with its trajectory. It has made amazing strides in the past 20 years and has asserted itself as a dominant west coast institution. It has managed to break through its "sports only" image and climb the ranks in a miraculous fashion. You just don't see changes as substantial as what USC has accomplished. I remember being pissed seeing SC pass my alma matter a few years back on the US News list for the first time in history. While there still are parts of the school that could perhaps still use work, let me assure you I felt like a number at UCLA at all times. When I got the sense that could happen again at Anderson, Marshall suddenly attracted me in ways I never had considered.

USC has earned its place through strategic thinking, hard work, and investment. It's endowment has grown ridiculously fast showing how connected its alums remain. And let's not forget that these are alums who graduated from the school when it wasn't considered a peer to UCLA but rather at a lower level. I've never benefited from my school's alumni base and I know while we love calling ourselves Bruins we did not come up in the same tradition and obligation to our school that I feel every time I go to USC.

The numbers game UCLA is playing scares me. I'm not a traditional b school applicant. While I did fine on the GMAT I'm still not clear how my score speaks to my abilities to work well in teams and be an integral part to any professional or scholastic community. I will give Haas plenty of points in this regard as they would be a program that also put a lot of thought into their application and methodology for crafting an incoming class. Anderson really screwed up in this regard. Of course if you're about gaming the system - they did great. More applicants as the application became ridiculously easier will boos stats. There's no way I shared my story even through my lack luster interview there. I don't enjoy hating on UCLA but I really was so disappointed after I'd built up returning as a grad student.

My final point is an ironic one as I was once an undergrad who always referred to UCLA beating out USC hands down for location. As someone starting to work in social impact, it sickens me the elitist attitude we took on in this regard. USC was named College of the Year in 2000 by Time Magazine because of its relationship with its surrounding communities. The neighborhoods around USC benefit form the university in so many ways and it truly is trying to change the lives of Angelinos for the better. There was a huge push for volunteering at UCLA but it never felt genuine or impactful. And let me assure you anyone north of Sunset hated having us packing their streets.

Marshall has beaten out every top West Coast MBA program in C4C : Challenge 4 Charity for the past 5 years. It's an amazing testament to how central community is to the USC experience and how balanced the Trojan MBA experience is.

Lastly - I'm ready to FINALLY tailgate ON CAMPUS and go to games I can walk to. Is that a crime?

(The Rose Bowl is such an obnoxious bus ride)

Thanks for sharing Christine. I absolutely echo your sentiments as to what I loved at USC. I went to an ivy league for undergrad and had a decent time. What was annoying however was the attitude and sense of superiority instilled into the experience. Glad I'll be somewhere where people are smart without the ego. Admit weekend proved it.

You're right, this place has a soul.

FIGHT ON!

christinemmx86

Joined: 30 Jan 2014

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Schools: Marshall '16 (M) Anderson '16 (A) Johnson '16 (A) Stern '16 (A) McDonough '16 (A) HBS '16 (WL) Berkeley Haas (A) Yale '16 (D) Stanford '16 (D) CBS '16 (A)

GPA: 3.45

Schools: Marshall '16 (M) Anderson '16 (A) Johnson '16 (A) Stern '16 (A) McDonough '16 (A) HBS '16 (WL) Berkeley Haas (A) Yale '16 (D) Stanford '16 (D) CBS '16 (A)

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25 May 2014, 11:08

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Yes, I tried finding programs that for the most part lacked an ego with mixed results. Pleased to have found it in the end.

Excited to soon call you a classmate at Marshall!

Manhattanite

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Schools: Ross '16 (A) Anderson '16 (A) Stanford '16 (D) Tepper '16 (A) Marshall '16 (M) Johnson '16 (A) Tuck '16 (WA) Sloan '16 (WL) Yale '16 (A)

GPA: 3.56

WE:Marketing (Internet and New Media)

Schools: Ross '16 (A) Anderson '16 (A) Stanford '16 (D) Tepper '16 (A) Marshall '16 (M) Johnson '16 (A) Tuck '16 (WA) Sloan '16 (WL) Yale '16 (A)

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26 May 2014, 19:12

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christinemmx86

Yes, I tried finding programs that for the most part lacked an ego with mixed results. Pleased to have found it in the end.

Excited to soon call you a classmate at Marshall!

Likewise. Just caught wind you were a former Bruin. (Appreciate you using the word former)

Truth be told I had similar "issues" with UCLA so it's nice seeing them repeated here. Wish I was in LA to take advantage of the already active social scene for our cohort but it's great connecting through the anonymity that is this site.

Were you at USC's admit weekend and A-days? I tried the combination and was exhausted! Kind of not surprised they double booked. I think at the end of the day you know if you belong at USC or UCLA pretty quickly but I still forced myself to give Anderson another chance.

Is Round 3 complete? Curious if the cohort is officially assembled or if we're still waiting on some newbies!

christinemmx86

Joined: 30 Jan 2014

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Concentration: Operations

Schools: Marshall '16 (M) Anderson '16 (A) Johnson '16 (A) Stern '16 (A) McDonough '16 (A) HBS '16 (WL) Berkeley Haas (A) Yale '16 (D) Stanford '16 (D) CBS '16 (A)

GPA: 3.45

Schools: Marshall '16 (M) Anderson '16 (A) Johnson '16 (A) Stern '16 (A) McDonough '16 (A) HBS '16 (WL) Berkeley Haas (A) Yale '16 (D) Stanford '16 (D) CBS '16 (A)

Posts: 112

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27 May 2014, 06:24

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Manhattanite

christinemmx86

Yes, I tried finding programs that for the most part lacked an ego with mixed results. Pleased to have found it in the end.

Excited to soon call you a classmate at Marshall!

Yes I did attend Anderson's A-Days along with USC's admit weekend so were bound to have crossed paths a number of times!

As for my experiences,

Anderson: It was nice being back on campus again but it also felt very different from undergrad. I didn't realize how isolated Anderson likes to keep themselves and it made me a little bothered from the start. I had a great undergrad experience and was hoping to carry it forward had I decided to matriculate there. As a top California school you had a lot of people who aimed high and seemed to have "settled" on Anderson as they likely were rejected by Haas and/or Stanford. So when I brought up Haas as an option of mine people were baffled and perturbed at times. It was weird and reminded me of how in undergrad there was a clear hierarchy in the UC's that meant you could basically predict where someone did or didn't get in based on where they were a student. So a lot of people had somewhat of a chip on their shoulder about their top choices not working out if you really dug. What it does do is present them a chance to overcompensate about Anderson and UCLA loved feeding into this. I loved my undergrad experience and believe its a school that doesn't get the full credit it deserves. The b school seems to have taken it too far though and I encountered a lot of elitism that even I will admit is not merited. We're great but we're not the best. And that should be ok. UCLA has an interesting inferiority complex I've come to better realize living on the East Coast when I started feeling it myself. I don't think it will ever be perceived as on par with many East Coast schools it deserves to be peers with and perhaps most troubling has been USC passing it in university wide rankings for the first time in history. And as psychology would predict, you combat this by overcompensating. Long story short, I couldn't see myself loving the big school atmosphere as a grad student and wanted to go to a program where I didn't feel like I was competing against my own classmates for jobs. So I sadly nixed the alma mater and had Haas and Marshall as my front runners.

Marshall: I don't need to gush more about Marshall but if anyone would like me to, please ask, as its become very easy for me to do. Much of what bothered me at Anderson turned out to be the total opposite at USC. The school was sure of itself despite a recent hit in ranking yet knew better than to define itself by such a number. The students were the biggest differentiating factor as I found everyone I met to be intelligent and humble. I had forgotten the stereotypes associated with business school until my Anderson visit (I'd call Ross a distant second from my visit) and was so thankful I didn't run into any at Marshall. I probably sound a little "kumbaya" at the moment but let's not forget the image the business world earned itself just a few years ago. I love how active the school has been in embracing social impact (they started a new masters program on this!) and how integrated they are with the Los Angeles community. Faculty were warm and personable and you really understood how the Trojan family (of which I despised only 5 years ago in undergrad) is a genuine part of USC's legacy. I hope more people consider the school and take the time to visit. I visited 12 schools these past 2 years and attended 5 admit weekends this spring. I honestly didn't feel this connected to a school anywhere else. I was impressed at plenty of places but rarely felt a genuine sense of camaraderie or shared conscience. The education you receive at any top school will not vary significantly - its the people in the program and leading the school that will mold your experience. I'm telling you, this is such a special place and hope more people give it a chance instead of just going off a number.

FightOnTrojans

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27 May 2014, 12:19

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Really appreciate the thoughtful and personal perspectives being shared on here. I'd certainly agree with everything shared by Manhattanite and Christine!

This thread made for some great reading for a future Trojan like myself. I absolutely had to get on board and share my appreciation.

Fight on!

Manhattanite

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Schools: Ross '16 (A) Anderson '16 (A) Stanford '16 (D) Tepper '16 (A) Marshall '16 (M) Johnson '16 (A) Tuck '16 (WA) Sloan '16 (WL) Yale '16 (A)

GPA: 3.56

WE:Marketing (Internet and New Media)

Schools: Ross '16 (A) Anderson '16 (A) Stanford '16 (D) Tepper '16 (A) Marshall '16 (M) Johnson '16 (A) Tuck '16 (WA) Sloan '16 (WL) Yale '16 (A)

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27 May 2014, 19:23

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FightOnTrojans

AGREED!

While it's nice getting the up to the minute application updates, it's even more beneficial to hear some genuine conversation and thoughts. Especially from people who are taking the time to really think the process out. The 13-14 season may be coming to a close but I hope this will be a trend for more threads next year.

Everyone knows the numbers but you don't always hear the stories.

Thanks everyone for sharing.

FightOnTrojans

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28 May 2014, 09:51

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There seem to be a lot of UCLA grads at Marshall - curious what happens when games roll around?

DisillusionedLawyer

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28 May 2014, 12:52

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Sorry for the late updates! I've been busy with friends visiting from home and starting one of my internships this summer at a startup.

I got accepted on 5/21, but didn't look until today. I didn't receive any notification except from the online application portal login. I also didn't get a call or email, nor interviewed.

christinemmx86

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GPA: 3.45

Schools: Marshall '16 (M) Anderson '16 (A) Johnson '16 (A) Stern '16 (A) McDonough '16 (A) HBS '16 (WL) Berkeley Haas (A) Yale '16 (D) Stanford '16 (D) CBS '16 (A)

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28 May 2014, 14:06

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DisillusionedLawyer

Congratulations and thanks for updating us all!

Interesting that it sort of flew under the radar….

Regardless - it's clearly a testament to your caliber. Excited you'll be joining us at Marshall! Have you swung by Popovich to check in with admissions?

DisillusionedLawyer

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28 May 2014, 14:52

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christinemmx86

DisillusionedLawyer

Not yet! I will be soon though. It will be nice to get out of the concrete dungeon known as Gould. Haha

christinemmx86

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GPA: 3.45

Schools: Marshall '16 (M) Anderson '16 (A) Johnson '16 (A) Stern '16 (A) McDonough '16 (A) HBS '16 (WL) Berkeley Haas (A) Yale '16 (D) Stanford '16 (D) CBS '16 (A)

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29 May 2014, 05:41

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FightOnTrojans

There seem to be a lot of UCLA grads at Marshall - curious what happens when games roll around?

Hah, good question. I'm not ashamed of my undergrad Bruin roots but my Anderson experience left a pretty bad taste in my mouth. I'm guessing it may be time to move on and embrace the new. There's no way I'm becoming a die-hard USC fan, but I'm definitely already sporting the Cardinal and Gold with pride as it is.

At Admit Weekend they spoke about how there's always a contingent of Bruins who wear their colors on Game Day. I don't think I'm that brave. Lol.

Call me a traitor but I think I'm officially a convert. :wink:

Manhattanite

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GPA: 3.56

WE:Marketing (Internet and New Media)

Schools: Ross '16 (A) Anderson '16 (A) Stanford '16 (D) Tepper '16 (A) Marshall '16 (M) Johnson '16 (A) Tuck '16 (WA) Sloan '16 (WL) Yale '16 (A)

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29 May 2014, 12:07

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Lol, that's probably best. I've heard tailgates are an epic time to network with alums who come out in full force.

You definitely want to be wearing the right colors in front of the ol' Trojan Network :wink:

FightOnTrojans

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29 May 2014, 19:20

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Is Round 3 complete? Any new admits this week?

Star838

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29 May 2014, 21:34

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The admissions decisions at USC Marshall don't make much sense to me. How was I rejected by USC but accepted to Berkeley Haas, UCLA Anderson and several other schools ranked above USC?? Does it make a difference that I applied right before the deadline?? I find it a bit comical that I would get accepted into Haas and yet rejected by this school!

christinemmx86

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Schools: Marshall '16 (M) Anderson '16 (A) Johnson '16 (A) Stern '16 (A) McDonough '16 (A) HBS '16 (WL) Berkeley Haas (A) Yale '16 (D) Stanford '16 (D) CBS '16 (A)

GPA: 3.45

Schools: Marshall '16 (M) Anderson '16 (A) Johnson '16 (A) Stern '16 (A) McDonough '16 (A) HBS '16 (WL) Berkeley Haas (A) Yale '16 (D) Stanford '16 (D) CBS '16 (A)

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30 May 2014, 08:38

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Star838

Round 3 is a mysterious thing. From what I've heard UCLA had a lower yield than they expected for Rounds 1/2 while USC was higher than predicted.

It's all a numbers game for Round 3 which is why it's often "unpredictable." That said, USC's numbers aren't a far cry from UCLA or Haas. If you update the school with this year's employment statistics its shoots up in rank quite well so keep that in mind. But you're right that it is a surprise if you were in at Haas. Probably just an issue of timing as I believe they handle Round 3 in a rolling fashion.

But you do have great options. I found myself loving Haas and loathing UCLA after admit weekend. I went to UCLA for undergrad and loved parts of it, just not Anderson. If Haas FT is an option for you - I'd say it's a no brainer. Had I not fallen in love with USC I'd be there for sure.

Good luck!

holycao11

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30 May 2014, 10:30

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Just got the call and I'm in!

Will see everyone this fall! R3 applicant, interviewed on May 15. I'll introduce myself and give some more details about myself later, just wanted to share the news ASAP as I imagine some folks must be eagerly staring at their phones today.