Recruiting at Vanderbilt (Please Please Please help)
I have been accepted to Vanderbilt, and I am considering going there. I plan on majoring in Economics and hope to do investment banking.
I know that Goldman Sachs and Merrill Lynch recruit at Vanderbilt, but how many people do they recruit? What about other bulge bracket firms (CS, DB, Citi, UBS, JPM, MS, Barclays)? Does Wells Fargo Securities recruit there? Are most people placed in NY?
Also is Vanderbilt a target/semi/or nontarget?
Thank you
2012 Vanderbilt Post-Grad Report
http://www.vanderbilt.edu/career/media/pdf/Post-Grad-Report-2012_FINAL…
I'm not sure what Vanderbilt is from a target/non-target perspective, but I doubt Vanderbilt's going to hold you back in your career. Go to the best school you can, get good grades, round out your profile and experiences. And if that school is Vandy, you'll be fine.
how do you not know what vanderbilt is from a target perspective? are you british?
anyway, vanderbilt does great in terms of recruiting. i think that in the case of NYC recruiting, it might not do as well as some of the east coast universities, simply because it's kind of far out. however, vanderbilt does just fine, and im sure with some hard work things will be okay
no, not british. I was just speaking from the mindset that many people here have a different perspective of what a target is and isn't. Certainly, Vanderbilt is a very good school with numerous alums on the Street. Simply wanted to underscore that Vandy's a good enough school to get where he wants--the rest is on him.
I heard Vanderbilt has placed a lot of analysts at BAML this year. Probably third after Wharton & Georgetown. Clearly Vanderbilt is not going to hold you back.
Okay thanks guys.
historically has had very good presence at BAML (for a few years I was there it was the biggest class of any school, and is often up there on the list).. has had GS, Citi, Jeffries, Blackrock, HW and the regional guys (Suntrust, Rayjay, Stephens, etc) on campus the last few years and DB / MS / Barclays will typically post drops so its likely more of a semi target there. Wells Fargo doesn't have a big presence which is weird because huge number of kids used to goto Wachovia Securities from Vandy back in the day
Alumni here. If you go to Vanderbilt, you'll have a good time and enjoy your education, both in and out of the class room. That's really what you'll remember.
There are some people who are so set on becoming a banker that they will dedicate their entire lives to it (no other hobbies, etc.). It's similar to the paranoia that suburban kids get in competitive school districts that put them laser-focused on getting into an Ivy League as early as middle school.
What motivates people to do that? One of two things. Either they love the work so much or they are seeking prestige.
Take a long hard look at yourself and figure out what motivates you. If you actually have a passion for IB, do it. If you are motivated by the prestige, you may be unhappy and you may even regret your decision. It's been clear from my time here on WSO that there are many people who think in terms of prestige. This makes little sense to me.
Vanderbilt is a non-target for most BB but I'd go as far as to say that you will enjoy your experience more at a university such as this one than many targets. It's not a blind loyalty to Vanderbilt that makes me say this but rather an objective evaluation of my own experience versus what my peers went through at other schools. I could have gone to NYU, UVA, schools more known for wall street recruiting. No regrets here.
Vanderbilt may not be as highly-coveted, but you may find that you'll get a lot more out of your education, out of your social life, and out of your hobbies and extracurricular interests (provided you have any).
I'm always struck by the superficiality of certain posts here on WSO in that lacking an offer from a particular BB or a BB at all is the end of the world. For one, it isn't. Secondly, if you truly have a passion for what you do and are not motivated by the superficial idea of prestige, why join a firm where you are one of many, and treated so expendably? Why not join a smaller team where you can truly impact the deals you work on and the success of your firm?
"Vanderbilt is a non-target for most BB" U sure about the above statement. I know Vandy had the 3rd most number of analysts in IB at BAML this year for their f/t analysts class. Only behind Wharton & Georgetown.
Do any more current students or alum have insights?
It has nothing to do with your inquire and is totally random, but one of my former econ professors was from vandy and he was the sh*t. Loved that guy. Sorry for the random post :D
I am from Nashville: unbelievable city and a very fun campus. If you would rather sit in your room all night and study financial models, you may find your time better spent at a more preftigious school, but if you want to have a well rounded college experience in the south, there is not a better place to do it.
How does Vanderbilt Stack Up? (Originally Posted: 04/24/2014)
Hi I am trying to decide between schools for undergrad right now, and I am very curious about Vanderbilt. I know the school has become much more competitive as far as admissions in the past years, but how is its reputation for IB/consulting?
Not as good as WUSTL-Olin.
Thanks bro, really helpful
It's probably the 2nd most respected school in the South to Duke and ranked 17th for undergrad in the country. You should get plenty of opportunities. What's your other option?
I'm down to Vandy or Duke, ironically enough. Definitely leaning towards Vandy though.
I'd go with Vandy...comparable schools (slight edge to Duke) but far better quality of life at Vandy
I go to Vanderbilt - feel free to PM me. The short answer is that you can end up wherever you want -- I have friends going to BB Banking, MBB consulting, and everywhere in between. We don't have as many in every incoming analyst class as say, Harvard or Wharton, but if you work hard, you'll be in great shape.
Great school, plenty of Vanderbilt alumni at BB in NYC. Especially BAML
I've said this before in other threads--if you know at the age of 17/18 that you want to do investment banking or work in other high finance roles then you are already 95% there. That vast majority of college students will never even learn about high finance and the ones that do are generally juniors or seniors (I was a senior--and I was a finance major!). Duke has the slight edge overall, but the reality is Vanderbilt is an awesome school--if you know going in that you want to do IB then it'll be a slam dunk.
Just perform well academically, join a finance or investments club, secure some decent internships and you're golden. If the decision is between Duke and Vanderbilt then go with the place you like best. Either way you will have good opportunities. Although I will say that you'll probably have a few more NYC opportunities out of Duke.
Either school should be fine, just make sure you get good grades and I'm guessing you can figure out a job in most industries - certainly in finance. Generally speaking, Duke is probably more prestigious, but I've heard the girls at Vandy are insane and it's undergrad, and neither has a huge edge on the other. Again, from these mid-tier schools (mid-tier by the standards of this site, very good by most standards), you just need to get good grades and you'll be fine.
How is Vanderbilt a represented for IB in NYC? (Originally Posted: 05/08/2013)
I'm a potential transfer for Vanderbilt aiming for BB IB preferably in NYC. How many people end up in NYC? What about in southern banks in Charlotte or other areas such as Chicago or SF/LA? Compared to other southern schools such as Emory, Rice, and other targets? I know schools such as UVA have better placement, but is it unprecedented to choose a school such as Vanderbilt over UVA? I also have gained admissions from UVA, but would like to know more on Vanderbilt.
It's a semi-target.
I heard that Vanderbilt had the second most number of analysts in IB at BAML in NY last year for 2013.
True that, mad Vandy kids at BAML. A couple at Goldman, few at Citi. These are just from peoples I know.
UVA.
Any more insight?
lots of southern middle market banks. Stephens,HW,RJ are all big, placement seems to fall into these types of roles. BB NYC placement is decent. A good amount of alumni that are tight knit. Most vandy kids tend to gravitate towards the southern banks so it might not be as NYC-focused as UVA which can be a good/bad thing
Vandy is a good school with a lot of placements at MM banks. But if you want to go to a top bank, go to UVA if you can get in. Much more of a target.
To be honest though, UVA does have better placements into BB in NY. So I would pick UVA.
IB recruitment at Vandy? (Originally Posted: 10/18/2015)
I shadowed a student at Vanderbilt, and really enjoyed the place. Everything from the vibe I got from the students, the girls, the people in general, the parties I went to, school spirit, frat culture, weather, proximity to Nashville, etc. I thought it was a great fit because the students seemed really intelligent, especially in the classroom, but they were social and fun too.
I was wondering how realistic it'd be to land a BB gig in New York, somewhere like Goldman Sachs or JP Morgan, from this school? I could definitely pull off a 3.7+ in Political Science, I think. Economics doesn't interest me that much, as it's only tangentially related to investing, my real passion, but I could probably major in it too and do well.
I kind of have trouble understanding how a school with a 12.6% acceptance rate and a decent amount of prestige is apparently a "non-target" or barely a "semi-target." With a 2280 SAT score, I'm also applying to Dartmouth, UVA, UNC-CH, Princeton, Duke, UPenn, Stanford, Washington & Lee, etc. But Vanderbilt is my #1 choice, so I was just wondering if I could make it on Wall Street from Vandy at a BB preferably in NYC? I heard BAML places a lot of Vandy kids.
Lol, since when did this website become fucking collegeconfidential?
Vandy places well into IB, especially with BAML.
And you are a retard, economic principles are at the heart of investing.
Consider finance or econ over political science just saying....Maybe double major if u really want PS or add a minor....idk im just kind of confused why if your goal is investing why you would want want Poly sci...
I consider Vandy prestigious...IMO all of the schools you listed are good but once again in my opinion would leave out Washington and Lee....i feel like it may be a step below those. (However i am not sure maybe W&L is very high in poly sci)
Vanderbilt to BB IBD (Originally Posted: 05/18/2014)
I got in to Vanderbilt and Duke. Duke, while better almost all-around when it comes to recruiting, was about $35k/year more expensive, and I can graduate from Vanderbilt without debt.
I'm planning to double up CS and Math and take as many quantitative economics/finance class that I can (thank you AP credit). So if I -Maintain a 3.7+ GPA (personally I think I can pull a 3.9+) -Get some sort of leadership. I plan on joining a frat, so I will probably go for a position within that. Of course, there are plenty of other extracurricular bullshit activities that I can pay lip-serivce to -Get some internships. I'm thinking of doing a software internship between freshman and sophomore years though, is that OK? -Network through Vandy
Will I be in good shape for the big firms provided that the market is not sinking when I apply for an analyst position? I know BAML is heavily recruited at Vandy, but I'd honestly prefer GS, MS, etc.
I'd actually take a Finance class first before you decide your entire career trajectory. As for "bullshit activities", it's not high school where you just load up on a bunch of random clubs to fill up your resume. And pledging at any SEC school (even Vanderbilt) is hell, so best of luck pulling a high GPA freshman year. It's most likely worth the trade off in the long-run, but I wouldn't expect to waltz into college taking all quantitative courses and expect all A's and an A- or two while pledging
This is realistic and sound advice.
Lol you're in for a rude awakening.
Also, if you are planning on majoring in CS and math, and want a software internship, why do you want to do IB?...
Grandiose
If you are good you can make it from Vandy, it has enough IBD recruiting (specifically in the southeast) to give traction. Going to Duke to spend an extra $140k on tuition is just not worth it. What it is going to come down to is how well you perform when you get there and if you come off very prepared from the get go and know what to do (reading this site and networking will help) you will be in just of a good position as if you went to Duke without being nearly 150k in the hole. Looks like a very easy decision to me.
Yeah sorry for sounding cocky. Honestly I have no way of knowing how my grades are going to go while in college, and I guess predicting good grades made me sound like an ass. My bad
I'm definitely going to take a finance course as soon as possible. As you can probably tell, I'm unsure whether I want to go into software or finance. I want to go for the software internship first because I think I have a much better chance of landing it between freshman/sophomore years than I do an internship in finance.
As for CS and math, I think both would come in handy should I elect to pursue a PhD (and eventually become a true quant), or if I decide on software. I suppose that combo may be better for s&t, but can't you break into IBD with a solid engineering/science background if you are good? I'm a bit new to this, sorry.
Don't call it a frat.
Was thinking the exact same thing.
Although you sounded a little airheaded at first, you definitely sound like you've got a plan and done some research. Wish I knew what I wanted to do that early on, haha
Vanderbilt-->NYC (Originally Posted: 12/20/2012)
Anybody know if Vandy places in NYC at all? Looking for information specifically for MSF/MBA programs there. I know most if not all placements are regional but just looking to see if anyone knows Vandy grads working in NYC.
There are a lot of Vandy grads in NYC, check your vuconnect.
^ Didn't go there, but considering applying for MSF at Vandy in the future
You'll place really well in Texas and the South. Are you dead-set on NYC?
I'd prefer NYC but not dead set on anything yet, even Vandy. Haven't applied anywhere, just looking for some info. Thanks though
Apply to Nova, Duke, BC. What are your interests? Planning on IB?
Not IB, but S&T or AM/ER would make me very happy
Well AM is tough, Ohio State definitely sends a few to bb AM last year they sent to jp and Wells. Also add Virginia.
Vandy will get you to NYC, but the path of least resistance will be southern focused. Lot of decent finance in Charlotte.
Thanks. PM'd you
Thanks. I have the flu, but will reply to all messages over the break. Thanks for the patience.
Vanderbilt Freshman Opportunities (Originally Posted: 08/29/2015)
Hey everyone, I am currently a freshman at Vanderbilt university pursuing a degree in biomedical engineering and probably also a second major in economics.
I'm wondering what steps I should take over these next few months and year especially to set myself in a good position by junior year. I would very much like to pursue job opportunities in BBs at NYC locations after senior year and follow the traditional career path.
Any advice is greatly appreciated and if anyone in the field with a similar background could contact me, that would be amazing!
Thanks!
This topic has already been talked to death but here we go again:
Network with alumni at BBs/elite boutiques. Even if they don't give you anything now, they can be very useful in the future.
Cold email/call local PWM firms and use any connections you get from networking to land yourself an internship for this coming up summer. Even if you don't land anything (your freshman summer internship, if you get one, means little) going through this process will give you some valuable experience.
Start learning about financial modelling. You don't have to do this now, but since Vandy has no undergrad business program, you need to learn some fundamental skills from IB somewhere.
Get involved in quality clubs and activities on campus. Find 2-3 clubs, do volunteer work with them, and try to get a leadership position (this will likely only come later, as its hard to get a leadership position as a freshman.)
(optional) Attempt to transfer. I know Vandy is an awesome school and a semi-target for IB, but you can potentially increase your chances of breaking in if you transfer to a target. Again, this is optional; if you work hard, you still have great chances of breaking into IB from Vandy.
Great advice. I think that though a freshman internship will really not matter in the long run, it can probably help a little when applying for sophomore summer internships. I do not wish to take over the thread, but I had a quick question: Do most juniors have room on their resumes to put their freshman summer internship or is it really not that important at that point?
OP, just a heads up, majoring in two rather rigorous subjects along with balancing extracurriculars and a social life will be pretty difficult, but if you think you can handle it, then go for it. Just don't major in something just to impress others.
Anyone able to speak about Vandy in terms of placement and campus resources (Originally Posted: 04/26/2014)
Just got accepted as a transfer (Sophomore next year) into Vanderbilt and will likely be attending. Anyone willing to speak to me about placement in terms of IB (I made a thread about transfer friendly schools, but I have heard that Vandy has been really improving in terms of placement.) , what I can do to best position myself for success, what clubs, fraternities to join, classes to take, what to watch out for etc.
Any advice is welcome. I am a huge fan of Nashville and know that it will be the most fun college experience ever.
Vanderbilt has really been improving. A relatively small portion of students even try for banking jobs, and even fewer are focused on it before Junior year.
Vandy is a target for BAML and I think they sent something like 12 to NYC this year for SA, and a few more to Charlotte. GS came to campus, and ended up taking 1-2 people. Jefferies also recruits 2-4 each year.
DB/CS/Citi came to campus, and I think several kids ended up in Houston branches for those and Barclays. JPM/MS have resume drops, but good networking is needed for an interview.
Many more go to Atlanta for Stephens, SunTrust, Harris Williams, etc.
Get involved in the student investment club, tack on a Financial Economics minor (easy classes) and find a decent internship. Then just have fun and relax until Junior year approaches. If you're sociable, network and are committed to recruiting, you're good to go. Keep the GPA above 3.5, get an internship, don't major in HOD only. Join a fraternity depending on who you like, not banking prospects.
Vandy places especially well into BAML. In my year, albeit a few years ago I meet quite a few kids from Vandy at bb IB. Get a 3.7 or above and pursue internships come sophomore year and you should be good for recruiting in junior year.
Thanks guys. Sounds like a good option
Vanderbilt (Originally Posted: 08/27/2007)
How is the Tennesse school viewed on the Street? Is it more of a target these days or a semi-target?
I would also like to know about the Owen School of Management? Thanks.
Never heard of them so you'll have to make yourself the Target!!!
Judging from your idiocy in another recent thread, it does not surprise me that you haven't heard of vandy
never heard of Vanderbilt? Owen is their B-School.
is def a good school... but its more like an 'almost' semi target... similar to emory..
almost? What makes it not target or even semi-target? What constitutes a target then, because it seems like it cannot be that Vandy is in the South because so is Duke? It cannot be because the school is more humanities oriented because LACs like Williams and Amherst get a top spot as well. I also hear that Rice is sometimes in the mix of target or semi-targets.
No PC way to say this:
Not prestigious enough. B-School isn't as highly regarded.
Stupid, but true.
I thought Vanderbilt was prestigious. Not in an Ivy sense, but in being a top 20 sense. I thought that would atleast make it target. What on Earth would not make it prestigious enough? It is a southern bastion for prep school kids and it has high admissions standards.
Ok, well then what about Rice University.
man they want people from the east coast, plain and simple. the only exception to this is Stanford and Berkeley. top 20 on US News doesnt mean much. Berkeley isnt top 20 but its definitely a target. John Hopkins is #14 but thats rarely considered a target. I'd put vandy in the same category.
hey, at least you guys have a good basketball team!
It's not about prestige. People want to hire from their alma mater. The "target" schools are those that the most alums working on the street and that's why they are targeted. I went to a target and almost everyone of my first round interviews was with an alum. There is no one in my group who went to Owen.
Vanderbilt makes an excellent undergrad program, but is not quite as up there on the MBA totem pole.
I think Rice is different because it's located in Houston which is where most of the banks do the oil/gas, E and P, and oilfield services stuff with some commodities trading thrown in. I don't think there are too many banks in Tennessee.
I'm sure if Rice was in Tenn. and Vandy was in Houston then Vandy would be a semi target like Rice.
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