Ok I know this isn't dealing with MBA programs but I figure everyone on this website probably has an undergrad in business. Currently I'm an upcoming senior in high school and I want to go to a top ranked business school for finance. I want to know, from people in the industry, where did you go to school and where do the people you work with go to school? Are there a lot from Wharton or Ross?
Thanks
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Best bet would be to aim for Wharton, Cornell AEM or Ross.
Just a note: Someone on this forum will come here and rant about how good Notre Dame is.
Actually, just go read this thread: http://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forums/your-target-schools-lists-are-out…
Haas?
University of Pennsylvania (Wharton)
MIT (Sloan) New York University (Stern)
Cornell (Dyson - AEM) Georgetown (McDonough)
University of California - Berkeley (Haas) University of Michigan (Ross) University of Virginia (McIntyre)
University of Texas at Austin (McCombs)
Emory (Goizueta)
USC (Marshall)
WashU (Olin)
As a finance graduate of a, umm, "middle tier" university business program, let me just add my 2 cents.
1) goodL1fe basically covered most of the obvious schools.
2) If you go to a middle tier university then you almost have to get a finance degree to get into high finance, but if you're going to UVa, Penn, Cornell, Georgetown, etc. (a top tier university) you can major in essentially anything and get into high finance upon graduation. Try majoring in, I don't know, history and join a student investment club or other finance related activities as an enrichment and shoot for internships. There really isn't much you'll learn in a finance program that you won't learn in the first year on the job, studying for the CFA exam, reading a book or the Wall Street Journal, or picking up in an investment club or internship.
I genuinely believe this--an excellent knowledge of finance, history and current affairs gives you essentially the triple threat to go toe to toe with any middle aged or elderly millionaire or billionaire. Finance and history tell us where we've been and how we got here and where we're going, and current affairs tells us where we are.
Just my 2 cents.
Yes, agreed. Were I to do it all over again, I would have pursued a liberal arts degree out of high school. Ended up at a great, competitive program with great recruiting and career opportunities, but God did the coursework suck. Zero intellectual development and about 15% of it was relevant to work.
You can probably learn 10x more about finance on the internet then you would at college. I just think going to a target and studying something I know a lot about will get me close to a 4.0, plus show recruiters I am interested in finance. Study whatever you want though.
Ya, I visited Notre Dame and they are really nice people but I don't think its competitive enough. I know their ranked #1 by businessweek but I didn't see the presence of recruiters I saw at Ross and McIntire. Maybe they are good, but id rather not take that chance.
So, I'm basically looking at three schools right now: Michigan (Ross), Virginia (McIntire), and North Carolina (Kenan-Flagler) in that order. If anyone could get me in contact with someone who went there or went there themselves that would be great.
Thanks for all the info. I know someone who went to CMU and then worked at Citi and he said that his first year was basically training and that CMU was just something you had to do to get the job.
Also, are there any colleges that offer a 3-2 program that gets u an undergrad in 3 and MBA in 2? I've heard about it but none of the colleges i went to mentioned it.
thanks again
I would highly recommend against doing any type of 5 year undergrad + MBA program. You're not going to get any extra salary or seniority for that MBA when you first enter the workforce, and it essentially eliminates you from doing a brand-name MBA later on to switch careers.
Besides, if you go to Mich/UVA/UNC, or ND - and I know plenty of Mendoza BBA grads who have done very well for themselves so I would definitely apply there too - you will basically overlap what those MBA programs teach, so it would be repetitive anyways.
I think undergraduate business means that kind of business where less educated business can be established and i have such type of business though i am a degrade person business is for all, no graduates only...
Best Undergraduate Business School - Finance (Originally Posted: 10/19/2015)
I am as senior in high school currently trying to decide between Miami University - Oxford and the University of Tennessee - Knoxville. I have aspirations to work on Wall Street, whether that mean I work in commercial real estate, investment banking, equity research, etc. I don't have my heart set on any particular industry, but I want to go to a school that will best prepare me for a career in the markets. I know neither school is considered to be a "target" school, but if you had to pick between the two which would you choose? All input is welcome.
miami hands down for me
Miami actually seems to be a borderline semi-target for Chicago banks. Not sure about NYC
Miami OH-No brainer
Undergraduate business schools...which ones? (Originally Posted: 11/02/2007)
Hey guys,
I'm currently a senior in high school looking to enter an undergraduate business school next year. However, I don't know too much about the top b-schools and how they work. I'm mainly looking at these "top" schools because from what I've heard, the prestige of one's school usually determines how successful he will be in getting recruited. Is that really true?
With that said, I have already applied early to Wharton, which has been my dream school since sophomore year of high school. But because I know that the chances of getting in are so low, I would really appreciate any advice on other schools to apply for. So far, I have been looking at Stern, Haas, Ross, and Cornell. I'm a bit wary on some programs that would require a transfer (say, Haas) because I am uncertain if I wouldn't be able to get in.
Also, is it better to enter a school with a top business program (Stern, Ross, etc) or just a "top school" (HYPS, Ivies, etc) for business? And if I went to a school without a b-program, would I just end up majoring in economics?
Phew..sorry that was a bit long-winded. I'm just a bit lost in this whole process. Thanks for any input :)
if not wharton, cornell has second best business school in ivies..always better to go to best school you can get into...not even a question.
Go the school with the best overall reputation. In regards to undergraduate business schools, Wharton, McIntire (UVA), Haas (Berkeley), Ross (UMich), Sloan (MIT), etc. are all great and can get you into consulting/ibanking roles. However, the better the university, the better the shot you have at jumping straight to a VC/PE firm or a HF straight out of undergrad.
Cornell obviously has the second best business program among the ivies because it's the only other one that exists besides Wharton. The above choices are all great. It's just a matter of how much you want to study business as an undergrad. The only field that gives business majors an advantage is accounting. The rest depends on overall school prestige.
I know it may be a bit early but do you see yourself more as a trader, banker, or in research?
to answer your question directly, asides from Wharton, I would take HYPS over either Ross or Berkeley without hesitation unless I got a full-ride.
Thank for the replies
McMo: I can see myself being either a trader or a banker. I'm not too sure what kind of research business majors do, so I don't know about that.
Warhawk_1: So would I just major in economics? Or would it not even matter what I majored in (from what I've heard)? Also, as much as I'd love to attend HYPS, I must say that they're pretty high reaches for me. I will be applying to Harvard and Stanford for sure though.
If you decide to go to NYU Stern, which has one of the top finance programs, you will be in a good position upon graduating. However, Sternies are pretty much required to intern for their 4 years of UG since they are literally a few blocks away from Wall Street. It's not your typical college per se. Kids there are very competitive and not so well rounded. Most of them don't know anything outside of finance. Job placement is pretty decent however. It's a short term vs. long term decision. Short = job, long = hard to move up if you're only a technician. Just some food for thought.
Berkeley is risky, you'd need like a 3.6 your first two years in order to get into Haas...very hard with Berkeley classes.
your major doesn't matter as much, as long as it's not something completely out there. Bioengineering majors, math majors, etc. can all get in.
Do your best to get into the most prestigious school, mainly bc it's an insurance policy. Even if you fuck around and do jack shit, you can hide behind the name. And if you do well, your opportunities are at a level which aren't open to other people regularly.
Major in EE/CS if you can, along with Econ/Finance - you'll have a ton of additional exit ops post-graduation then.
also major in nuclear engineering, molecular biology, and throw in a minor in rocket science. Then you'd be all set.
businessweek has done annual rankings for a few years now that deal with undergrad b-schools. it's pretty informative if you want to get a closer look on some programs.
Undergrad business (Originally Posted: 04/21/2015)
Hi I am a high school senior in the process of picking a college. I am considering NYU Stern, Michigan Ross with pre-admit, Georgetown McDonough or WashU Olin. I like WashU the best but I am nervous it would be a bad career move. I think I am going to want to do Investment Banking in New York after graduation. Does anyone have any advice for me?
Georgetown has the best placement of all these but I think you should apply to more targets and decide when you are admitted to some of the above schools.
I have been admitted to all of these schools. I am in the process of deciding before the May 1st deadline.
Washington is not bad at all, but career-wise, I would rank the other three above Washington. NYU and Georgetown are your best two options, but many people hate the atmosphere and social experience at NYU and Georgetown has a reputation as preppy, rich kid school (plus it's located in the shithole that is Washington DC.) If you don't care about any of those aforementioned things, I would lean towards Georgetown. Michigan is also a very good school with awesome girls and a great college atmosphere, but it is ranked a bit below NYU and Georgetown in terms of opportunities. I would still consider it a target though.
I have washU in my backyard. my family goes to Georgetown UG I also have family gone to U-Mich for Masters and I visited U-M too
No info on NYU to directly compare for you--others on WSO say it is cut throat....
You'll find imperfections among all of them---so I suggest you keep in mind of the most important features first
WashU is great; however, if you want to be in St Louis, people see you as flight risk; WashU is certainly too strong for about 1000 miles west of Mississippi,. if you go to Chicago, you're a notch below Uchicago/Northwestern; if you go to the coasts, you sure can, but you'll also be a notch below respective strong schools in the region. Georgetown - great school. UG reputation is pretty great, and a target. However, the obvious downside is that DC is a pretty big area--sharp kids saving money at U-Maryland and people at Johns Hopkins can be as strong as you are. Also DC is politically active, so aside from Wall Street People, you could find competition still.
U-Mich is also a great school. In fact, I'd say it's the best among these schools. Ross is also a nice feature as pre-admit, and I think BBA is the best--save you some time to double major than BSBA, if you want. It's A college town, good networking along the coasts, and it's a comprehensive school (AAU member like WashU and very few others). However, it has its downfall too--it's a big state school, many faculty but even more students. You may end up competiting for professor's time, or you may not even get much professor attention at all.
Ross. Run into kids from all four schools frequently, although Ross and McD the most. Ross will provide the best all around experience.
Thanks for the feedback. Do you think I would be giving up a lot by going to WashU?
I think we could argue all day about which is the best option and never conclude, but one thing is for sure, WashU is definitely a step down vs. the other 3. Unless you're getting massive $$$ from WashU, I would consider one of the other schools.
I've got to disagree pretty vehemently with that. Olin is #5 according to the Bloomberg's undergraduate rankings. The school has a strong reputation overall, is top 20 for MBA, beautiful campus, mild weather, etc. You may decided to do one of the other schools for some reason or another, but it shouldn't be because you don't think Wash U is quality. I spent 4 very happy years there. I wasn't a finance guy, so I defer to other people here about how your current goals align with that. But your goals could very change over the next few years. Regardless, check out the employment reports and talk to the school about where Wash U grads end up in finance. Some of my friends went out to the east coast for finance, so it certainly happens each year.
Congrats on the admits!
Lots of good advice given to you already, and honestly you can't go wrong with any of them, as they are all solid schools.
In my view, it comes down to what you want out of the college experience (or what you think you want) and your background, preferences, etc.
What you'll notice about 3 of the 4 schools is that they're in a city environment, which others have alluded to here have an impact on your experience. From all the folks I've worked with and know, there tends to be less of an emotional connection to their alma mater if it's located in the middle of a city. I'd dare say that the school cultures are maybe a bit more impersonal than what you'd find in a college town (USC being an exception...). You'll likely find more people wax poetic about their undergrad experience if they went to schools in college towns - Duke, Stanford, Northwestern, and yes Michigan. Even if you don't like sports, schools with strong athletics programs tend to foster a stronger culture and connection to your fellow students and community.
That may not mean much to you, but here's another way to put it: of all the folks I've worked with or met, Stern/NYU and Georgetown alums either liked it, hated it or were relatively "meh" about their school, but few seemed to love it - I don't get the same kind of enthusiasm or love for their school as those who went to Michigan, Stanford, Duke, UVA or other college town-like schools.
Yes, college is a lot about academics, recruiting and so forth. But it's also 4 years where you will really grow as a person, and if you're deciding between colleges that are more or less in the same league that will give you comparable opportunities, you want to go for the school that you feel will allow you to thrive the most. For example, while NYU doesn't get the rah-rah love from its students that say Michigan or other college town schools may get from its own students, it may be a great fit for you if being in NYC is more important (you are a budding standup comic on the side, a visual artist, filmmaker, etc by night when you're not in class at NYU). Or you've been politically active (or want to be) outside of class, then you can't beat Georgetown, where you can volunteer and/or get involved and meet other young politically oriented folks in DC. Don't know enough about WashU or St. Louis to comment. But if you're looking to have the quintessential college experience where you'll meet a broader cross section of people, then Michigan would be your best bet.
Everyone is different, but if I were in your shoes, I'd go to Ross. It's got a great undergrad business program, and you'll have a hell of a great time there with a good cross-section of students that may not be as skewed towards one kind of demographic (and dare I say more down-to-earth and chill than you'd find at the city schools, particularly NYU and Georgetown). Don't know much about Olin, but others have already chimed in already.
Good luck
Alex, do you think WashU is like a school that is "stuck in the middle"? I often feel that they're quite prestigious (US News #14 rank for Undergrad), but then it can't really take down Ivy League, or Chicago/Northwestern/Michigan or UC Berkeley types;
But if I take it and compare with UIUC, Purdue or Michigan State, I thought it's quite better (at least in business and maybe STEM fields)
I'd like to hear your opinion because I'm applying to programs outside of b-school in IU-bloomington and WashU. Thank you!
Go to NYU. It's a shithole and everyone is creepy as fuck but it will get you on wallst.
Or go to a state school and party/get easy As for a few semesters and network a bit with alumni and no problemo you're spreading comps at 3;45 am on water street in no time.
Undergrad Business School Choice (Originally Posted: 02/26/2014)
Hi all, I have been admitted for the BSc in Business Administration at IE Business School, BSc Econ/man at Bocconi and Management at Warwick. Quite frankly I would love to hear some general comments on the schools or if you have any recommendations on what uni I should choose.
Fredrik
warwick no doubt
What would you like to do and in what country?
Not sure about the first two, but Warwick is a great school and as far as I know, its Msc in Finance is really well-regarded in the UK.
Pick Bocconi or Warwick. Would pick Warwick though.
Undergrad business school (Originally Posted: 10/09/2014)
I am planning on transferring into my sophomore year to a good business school that recruits to wall street. whats a good list of school to look at?
Wharton, Stern, Ross, McDonough, McIntire, Haas, Sloan, Cornell AEM...are generally the target undergrad business schools.
Also look at Dartmouth, Williams College, Amherst, Berkely, NYU, Columbia, U Chicago, University of Wisconsin, Yale.. just a few that have strong placement on the street
Most college in the US news top 30, even ones without undergrad business schools would give you opportunities.
check out this thread:
http://www.wallstreetoasis.com/blog/the-comprehensive-list-of-transfer-…
Georgetown.
Top undergrad I should look at (Originally Posted: 11/03/2012)
Currently I am a freshman at a community college because out of high school I had a 3.4 gpa and did not want to waste $40,000+ at a mediocre school. Currently I am in a business transfer program and my GPA is a 3.9, I've been looking a the Carroll school of management at BC and UVA because I know those are good undergraduate schools. What other schools should I take a look at that have good undergrad business programs that I would be transferring into? And what steps should I be taking currently to prepare my self and strengthen my resume?
Emory (Goizueta) and USC (Marshall) are transfer friendly. At Emory make sure to apply to college first then apply to Goizueta once at Emory. May also want to look into Notre Dame (Mendoza) and NYU (Stern).
Are these undergraduate business programs good for recruitment? (Originally Posted: 09/05/2015)
So far the schools on my college list are UPenn (Wharton), NYU (Stern), UC Berkeley (Haas), UNC Chapel Hill, Wash U (Olin), U Mich (Ross), Cornell (Dyson).
I know recruiting at UPenn is optimal and Cornell has that coveted ivy league connection, but my chances at both aren't the best. How do the other schools look in terms of recruitment?
Here's your list of schools, organized by status:
Targets (in order, starting with best): UPenn, NYU, UMich, Cornell Semi-target (in order): UNC, Wash U, UC Berkley
Also, next time, use the search bar. There are myriad posts asking the same question as you're asking.
agree with everything, except Cal Berkeley- second to Stanford and nobody else in Cal... is semi target?! Do you mean financials specifically or all aspects....
Undergrad business schools (Originally Posted: 07/16/2010)
Hi everyone,
My name is Ioann, I am an business undergrad student in the UK. Next year, I have the opportunity to study a semester in the US at either Mc Combs or Mc Intire. I am particularly interested in finance. Which one would you recommend and why?
Thank you
Ioann
Both are well regarded schools. You see more McCombs grads in business since it's a much larger school. Austin is a really fun city... the town of Charlottsville has fewer residents than UT has undergrad students.
You are going to want to head to McIntire. Definitely higher regarded in business and a lot larger presence on Wall Street. Has been ranked #1 or #2 here for a couple years.
And the city and campus of UVa has no peer set. Absolutely amazing and everyone who has gone there loves it. You wont regret it.
No peer set? Umm I think Austin will win most city battles. It's effing annoying to hear people drool all over it but it is pretty sweet.
UVA as a whole is better, TX is better in accounting, MBA's are about equal.
For one-off semester I think Austin would a lot more fun but UVA looks better on the resume from a global perspective.
ok thank you very much guys. Anymore thoughts?
its only one-semester... how much of a resume difference will it make, go where you think you will have fun
A word of advice, don't pick your study abroad location based on the schools prestige. Nobody cares that you took a few classes there unless its Harvard. Also, as crazy as this sounds, don't take any difficult classes while abroad. A few weeks in, when all your new friends are out exploring and traveling, you don't want to be the guy stuck in the library. You can study hard and pursue academic learning at your home university, use the study abroad opportunity learn about a new culture and connect with new people.
And I guarantee that you will have 1000x more fun in Austin than anywhere in VA.
I would pick Texas simply because of the fact that it offers a rather unique place to go if you are coming from overseas.
I agree with above. Your main school is going to be whats important, not the school you spend a semester at.
Help me choose an undergraduate business school? (Originally Posted: 12/11/2011)
asdf
dont go to bschool
go into either ;
agro-farming /petro-engineering/ comp engineering/ weapons engineering/ medical school
:/ ?
With those stats and EFC I would apply to ivies because you will most likely get a good bit of financial aid and have a good shot of getting in. That said, any of those schools will give you a good shot at getting into investment banking. Also, NYU Stern is not worth 60k/year.
What about Cox at SMU, I know its in your backyard but they give a lot of scholarships to not only texas natives but to high scoring students who are looking to get an undergrad business degree.
I'm concerned about the statement you made "I'll only focus on academics". While I agree 100% you should make sure you keep you grades very high and do very well but college is more than just getting good grades, its about the experiences you have, the people you meet, and the fun you have. Make sure you go somewhere that will stimulate you in the classroom and outside as well. You should get involved in some clubs and organizations outside the academic realm. Good luck
Thanks for the input everyone! I am applying for SMU scholarships.
Is Stern really not worth the debt? I believe I can succeed there because not having a campus doesn't bother me and doing well in academics is not a problem.
^honestly I go there and if I had to pay out of my pocket/take loans in order to pay 60k a year, I wouldn't. It is great for banking/trading/finance jobs though. Its crazy though cause I've met some people that decided to come here with only like 10-15k a year scholarships when they were getting full-rides to CMU or half's to Cornell.
If I was you I would recommend applying to some Ivies, cause I never did and I kind of regret it, even though I would of probably been dinged everywhere but Cornell. McCombs is great instate (cheap tuition + get into bhp + easier to get good grades then other bschools--I've never heard of McCombs Curve or crazy competition), and you could always go to grad school later on.
Feel free to pm me about any questions.
You go to Stern?
Okay I'll pm you right now.
I`d say go to UT McCombs,
First of all you are in-state so you should enjoy the tuition, the business program is pretty good especially the honors program. Finally, Shale gas in America is the future man, I`d love to do Ibanking in Houston.
With costs factored in,
McCombs > Stern > Ross > McIntire
but the differences are only very slight
Best undergrad finance school out of these... (Originally Posted: 01/20/2007)
Hey, I'm not some nerd that is socially deprived. My point, I can't get into Wharton, Harvard, Yale, Princeton, etc. I'm an above average to excellent student. So out of these schools, which is the best school for "finance" out of these?
-Indiana University (Kelley) -Villanova -Wisconsin-Madison -Lehigh -BYU (Marriot) -Miamin (OH) -Bentley -Babson
Thanks...
One can be socially adept and go to an ivy league school...these are the type of people who compose a significant percentage of the employees at the larger banks, HFs, etc.
And by your moniker it seems that you've already made a decision. None of these seem to be especially better or worse than the other school, so just go to the one that you like the best and work your ass off to get into the finance world.
I've seen a lot of Kelley guys in banking compared to the rest of those.
Dude, I'm not gonna cut you up over your Ivy comment. In fact, from what I know (which, from a US college standpoint, isn't all that much), I agree with you.
I would lean towards IU or UWisc. I work in a boutique in Chicago and a lot of our guys came from those schools.
Bentley has good programs in finance and accounting but the problem is the school is not hard to get into, so the students don't really engage themselves as much as they would at a tougher academic school. Also, banks want to recruit at schools where students are academically motivated which is not the case at schools that let very average to below-average students in such as Bentley.
Babson is very entrepreneurship focused and most of its resources go to that one major. Finance takes a back seat to entrepreneurship and consequently so does investment banking recruiting.
I would say Indiana University's Kelly Program or Wisconsin Madison are by far your best bet.
IU places pretty well, for a school ranked so low on the USNews ranking. I would say its safe to say that Kelley has similar career placement as schools in the top 35. They place about 50 or 60 kinds annually in Ibanking/PWM/Research and trading.
50 to 60 Anuually? What are you talking about. I have their 2006 Resume Book right in front of me atm and the class of 2005 only placed 29 students fulltime for IB.
Indiana University's Kelly places many more than just 29 students full-time for IB. guyjer, IU is ranked top 10 for undergraduate business on both the U.S. News and Businessweek undergraduate business rankings. Furthermore, Kelly has a special Investment Banking Workshop program where the average gpa is 3.8 for their finance majors. The point of this program is to get students into good positions at solid investment banks such as BBs.
These kids have great talent and the business program is very highly-ranked, thus the impressive Wall Street placement.
I'd say go to Indiana University and I would recommend that you stay away from Bentley and Babson due to their lack of attracting Wall Street caliber students on the average.
I agree with you, Roller4Life.
Do you go to Bentley/Babson by any chance? Just wondering, you seem to know a bit about the schools.
BYU, but you will have no fun.
BB's don't recruit at Miami (OH), but there are several boutiques (non-NYC) that do. Most of the guys that I know who ended up in IB (about 15 or so total in my class) did so on their own or through their own (dad's, probably) conncections.
Agreed with the other posts, IU or UW
People on this board only focus on the Ivy League, Stan/MIT/UChicago, and decent large state schools.
This is probably so b/c a) banks do recruit at those places and everyone knows/assumes it and b) those are the schools that regular people & international students know about, so that is who they talk about.
Fortunately, banks, because of strong and motivated alumni networks, know about prestigious small schools as well.
That being said, Lehigh is a great school with a very strong quant focus. It is also an hour and a half from Wall St. and I know that they have placed a lot of people in IB.
From your list: 1) IU Kelley 2) Lehigh 3) Villanova/Wisc. 4) Babson
Recommendations for undergrad business/finance degree. (Originally Posted: 06/21/2012)
In looking over some of the existing threads I see there seems to be a persistent, negative opinion of online degrees vs. their traditional counterpart.
With that being said, I am hoping to leverage the knowledge of folks on this forum in determining the best path for obtaining a degree given my current obligations.
I am presently employed by the Federal Government on a 2 year contract position which has the potential to be extended annually thereafter.
I was fortunate (though networking & performance) to land this opportunity however, at some point I will be applying for permanent positions, and/or returning to the private sector.
I work Mon-Fri from 6:30 to 3:30. My position requires that I travel approx. 5-10 times per year for 1-5 days at a time.
Given my bandwidth, online school seems to be the most practical/efficient, however I am willing to concede that there may be a better way--something which will be more beneficial long term.
Thoughts?
I would never take someone with an online degree seriously...but that's just me.
That seems to be the prevailing sentiment, but why-- and which avenues are available to working professionals who are looking to gain knowledge and make themselves more competitive in the current landscape?
I'm confident the experience I am gaining will make my resume very appealing to prospective suitors within the private sector. That said, I feel a degree will compliment the experience nicely, and the knowledge I gain will allow me to be even more effective.
My 2 cents. Take the online courses and then when you have about 2 years worth of credit transfer to a full-time college/uni. I think this would be the best way to support yourself financially and not shoot yourself educationally. I say two years so that you can have the teach reqs and try for a nice internship while at the second college/uni rather then just 1 year for the resume.
Make sure to ace the online college so you have a shot at a semi-target school.
Good luck.
why not take community college night classes for the first two years to start? once you get all your prereqs down you transfer to a good school and do that full-time to really nail it down. most CCs offer night classes for people in your exact position
For banking, an online degree doesn't help too much.
If you must get an online degree, do it from a well-known brand-name school. Some of the public ivies have online programs, and if you can, for instance, get a 3.5 GPA in an engineering program from Berkeley or Georgia Tech or Illinois, that tells us that you took the same exams as some pretty smart folks and still came out ahead of them.
There's nothing wrong with taking a few online courses. I am just a lot more skeptical about how banks see online degrees.
Also, if they have to run commercials for it, or advertise it on the Subway, avoid them like the plague.
I appreciate your thoughts.
I have considered evening classes at a JC, my only concern being that required work travel could really throw a monkey wrench into things if (for example) I had to travel on the day of a final, etc.
I think Penn State has an undergrad business program that can be completed solely online. A number of solid schools seem to have online "degree completion programs" which may be an option as well.
At 33 with approximately 9 years in mortgage, banking, and most recently the FDIC, I go back and forth on how much of an impact a degree will have for me. It is a personal goal nonetheless, and something I feel which could be beneficial for me in terms of competitive advantage / disadvantage.
Thanks Millions for the responses guys. Keep them coming if you have something to add.
Explain your situation to the teacher and they will accommodate you if they have half a heart. I wouldn't hold my breath on that one though.
Penn State (Global Campus aka: online) offers an AA in Business Administration. I believe this would give me the required prerequisites to enter a degree completion program, which many "legitimate" business schools offer.
My question is this:
If I obtained my undergrad in this fashion, how would (for the sake of my resume, etc.) anyone know that I obtained it online vs. at a brick and mortar campus?
Because it's an associate's degree, not a bachelor's.
But yes, you could do two years towards your associate's online, and finish it up on campus if Penn State will allow it. My guess is that they will, but you should find out in advance.
Where should I go for Undergrad? (Originally Posted: 04/03/2011)
Hi everyone,
I am sure this question is getting asked a lot as college admissions decisions have come out and seniors are deciding where they need to go.
Anyways, after all of the decisions here is what it has come out to for me: Johns Hopkins (Bloomberg Scholarship - Will pay anything my EFC doesn't cover.... $30,000 a year scholarship basically) Fordham (Will most likely match Hopkins' offer with full tuition / comparable to Hopkins) Carnegie Mellon - Tepper (Will most likely match Hopkins' offer) Flagship State School - Honors College (Cheap, but I am from the midwest so my state school is not all that great, think Iowa/Oklahoma/Missouri/Arkansas). Rejected from Dartmouth and Penn-Wharton Waitlisted at Chicago
At this point I would like to do IB and specifically work abroad after college. (Most likely in Europe and/or Russia) ....
Hopkins' seems to have great international rep, but it is not well known for its business prowess (although they started a new minor in financial mathematics in '08 and they just started their new business school).....
Tepper seems to be the way to go for trading / IB after college, but I am not quite sure if I want to do that (I don't really like the school all that much), and Hopkins seems to be a more renowned school overall, specifically in the sciences and other areas (besides comp sci).... not to mention their financial aid award is very generous.
I like Fordham (campus is awesome) and New York City, but it seems to be on a different level than Hopkins/CMU with regard to prestige / undergrad quality.
I was thinking it would be easiest to transfer from Hopkins to Cornell or another better target if I really wanted to go that route. Do you think that would be a consideration?
I am thinking about majoring in economics and minoring in Russian and financial mathematics at Hopkins... how would this set me up?
And finally, is it worth pursuing the Chicago waitlist?
Thanks a lot for your help.
Harvard or UPenn
Well, one of my friends got in (to Harvard) but I did not even apply... so that is kind of out of the question unfortunately....
You can get in from any of the top 100 schools if you've got the drive. I'd go wherever you got the best aid package.
Hopkins gave me a great aid package and they are by far the best ranked school (Top 15).... so I will probably end up there, but I am going to visit Fordham, Hopkins, and probably my state school / CMU to see for sure how I feel about the schools.
I can tell you with nearly 100% assurance that CMU will not give you better opportunities to break into investment banking than Hopkins.
hopkins or CMU, fordham shouldn't be in the picture
Easily JHU, it's a top 15 school, so while it might not be a target for the BBs, recruiters will still very much respect it.
Don't be an idiot - go to Hopkins. Great aid package, great school, you'll definitely have a shot at banking if you do well.
attend JHU for a year, get a 4.0, and then transfer to Wharton
unless you get off the Chicago waitlist, go to Hopkins
Go to Hopkins, do well, and apply to Dartmouth, Columbia, Wharton, Stern, Yale, Harvard, Stanford, Duke, and MIT. See how much money they give you. The only ones worth going with zero scholarship on that list are probably HSW and MIT. This is if you are interested in finance in general and would consider going to buyside out of undergrad. I think that's the only advantage. If you are deadset on banking, then Hopkins will be more than fine, granted that you do good in school and network.
have you ever considered being a career coach, seriously?
I actually have. I like coaching in general. I hope to do something in soccer after I make some money in finance.
Dude you need to transfer to Wharton
Doesn't everyone.... heh (I'm counting that as an impossibility).
I just want to be at a place that will give me plenty of opportunities going forward and allow me to be happy. What does everyone think of the 5 year MA in international economics through SAIS? Then I could do the dual-degree program they have with Wharton? I really, really would like to work abroad (specifically in Russia) after graduation.
Right now I'm 90% certain I will end up at Hopkins, but I'm still considering Tepper and even Fordham.
Thanks everyone for the replies so far.
... go to JHU.
Take a step-back for a moment. Trying to decide which college you should go to based on gunning for ONE SPECIFIC job is really, really short-sighted. Finance, by the time you graduate from college, may be in a state that is completely different than it is today. Use your time in college to build a solid academic foundation, make friends, build yourself as a person. The rest will follow.
Therefore, even if JHU gave you 0 money, I would attend. They have a great campus, and JHU, no matter how ignorant some of those in finance may be, is one of the great Institutions in the world.
Hopkins and CMU should be the only real contenders. CMU to me is a niche school for computer science/engineering at the undergrad level and I'm not sure how strong any of the other programs are. Quantitative finance is very good at the grad level. For anything other than engineering, Hopkins seems like the better choice and has the strongest overall academics of any schools you are considering.
Take the scholarship from JHU. As some other posters have said, you might change your mind about finance when you get to college. JHU is a great research institution with a pretty good International Relations program too. I have a few friends who go there and love it.
I would say go to CMU if you were a Comp Sci major, just because the program is so good. However, if it's the business school, I think JHU and CMU are comparable, with maybe JHU being slightly more prestigious (although honestly it doesn't matter).
Guys...this is from 4 years ago. OP will probably be graduating in a month or so. Do better.
Undergraduate Business School (Originally Posted: 02/09/2012)
Since I am applying to some of the top undergrad b-schools(wharton,unc,haas, villanova) does that help me get further in the business world or does it have no influence?
none at all, attend harvard or a community college...it's all the same...just remember BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE IN THE WORLD!!
It does help... Like it or not, which school you go to matters. If it doesn't, then I might as well go to some unknown university..
don't forget Ross! /shameless plug that won't benefit me at all
No influence whatsoever.
UNC? Wharton? Haas? Never heard of them.
Nova is not even remotely a top u-grad bschool... here's start to point you in the right direction...penn, nyu, michigan
Actually it is usually right around 10th in the nation... I've seen it very recently at 11 in a few reputable rankings
It helps alot...especially thr targets...but at the end of the day, the most important thing is to Network, Network, Network
The brand name plays an important role so if you into good undergrad school that will surely bring some points in your favour.
I actually have a upenn/wharton interview tomorrow
I'm a junior at Notre Dame's (Mendoza). We're ranking #1 for a reason. All BB banks and many MM recruit through OCR both IB and S&T. A solid number of buy-side firms do too and if you strike out on IB/S&T and buy-side you can easily land a corporate banking or consulting gig through OCR too. Not to mention you actually get a really good financial education. I just got an awesome buy-side internship offer through OCR I'm accepting monday in midtown making ~6k/mo and I don't even have to work weekends. The Ivys top us in prestige but who cares once you land the job.
Damn bro, you're pretty legit.
Number 1 in what exactly? The only legitimate bschool rankings are us world news, where Notre dame isn't in top ten.
Yep...you'll be living large on 6k/mo before taxes in NYC. And don't have to work weekends? Nobody HAS to work weekends. If you want a FT offer you'll definitely be working some weekends.
One thing to consider though is that the quality as measured by who recruits through OCR drops off real fast as you go down the businessweek rankings. If a t25 school gives you a free ride and a t10 or ivy gives you nothing take the top 10 all day. Otherwise you'll either have to network your ass off or end up working in the back office.
I think there is some misunderstanding here that needs correction. Notre Dame is not a university. It is a cathedral in France - Quasimodo lived and worked there. It doesn't have a bschool and if someone tells you so, that's probably some scam.
http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/bu…
Best university for undergrad (Originally Posted: 11/01/2006)
My younger brother is going to be done with high school soon. He doesn't know what he wants to do. He does seem to like the idea of becoming a lawyer or working in a professional setting in business.
What are your thoughts on what a young and ambitious high school kid should pursue at university in order to keep his options open and have a good start? He is thinking of applying to schools in the US & UK.
As a side question, are you statisfied with your undergraduate choices (subject and university)? Do you think that it has prepared you well for what you have set out to do?
I would love to hear your thoughts. (even you wasting time).
Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Princeton
community college. become a nurse in new york city and go to work 3 days a week. get paid 70k a year.
So true. As long as you don't screw up and give the wrong medications, it's smooth sailing.
depends on the state you live in, if from cali, mich, or va, goto berkeley, ucla, umich or uva, if from a different state aim for a top private
can't go wrong with ivy
Disclaimer: The post above has been made by someone who is not currently employed in IBD, and has not had an interview yet...
Best place to be is definitively Harvard.
Next best places to be are: Yale, Princeton, Stanford, and UPenn (if you get into Wharton).
Next tier would be: all of the other ivys
Next tier: UMichigan (if you get into the business school), NYU (if you get into Stern), Duke, maybe UVA, Berkley, UCLA
Just my opinion.
After Y/P/Stanford/Wharton
Next tier is:
UMich (business), NYU (Stern), some ivies (Cornell, Columbia) I can guarantee that you that Michigan places more analysts into BBs than Dartmouth, Brown, Columbia, MIT, even Cornell probably
Then the LACs (also know, to many Ivy snobs [even Cornell people, somehow] as TTTs).
dont you think you forgot that one little school called MIT. also Northwestern (kellog school of business)...
nvm :)
Hasn't this subject been alluded to before in other posts ie the feeder school debate.
i can guarantee you that if you're smart, you'll get into a bank faster at a worse school than someone dumb at a good school
When picking a college it is very dumb just to think about what you "may" be doing four years from now. Most likely, that will change. Hell, when I went to undergrad I had no idea what the hell i-banking was (thought it was investing peoples money)
Best we to pick a college is: a place where you feel comfortable with the people you may be interacting with. If you're a big sports fan, like myself, going to school with a fun sports tradition might be important. You have to balance the academics with the social aspects. Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Wharton might all be damn good choices, but there are alternatives out there.
Actually, most banks have gone away from just hiring at the traditional outlets. If you are good, you will get noticed at almost any top 50 school. I have worked at 2 BB banks, and have seen this migration towards hiring from different school. Just looking around my bullpen, I see kids from Penn, UCLA, Michigan, Iowa, Indiana and a host of other schools.
Just my two cents.
Dont listen to Fanker, he obviously doesn't know much. Do not choose a school based on sports that you're not even playing. Choose a school based on the amount of recruiters whom visit it. Its extremely harder for kids from nontargets to break into this industry, so dont go there if you dont have to. Here's my list of the tops.
1) Wharton: Absolute pinnacle and top destination for recruiters, Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford also in this category
2)NYU(Both Stern and econ), UMich business, Dartmouth, Duke, Brown, Cornell, Columbia, UChicago (for trading) UVA
3) Emory, Northwestern,UNC
4) Nonrecruited are places like University of Colorado, Iowa, and Minnesota, stay away from there
Wharton is the #1 place to be if you want to work on wall street. period. this is not up for debate.
Disagree with Wharton. It's obviously good but it's really competitive between the students and everyone applies for the same jobs. If you go to Harvard Yale or Stanford they don't have undergrad business schools, you'll be competing against kids who studied English and realized they don't want to be poor senior year.
being a stud (get all the awards and scholarships) at a top 30 but not a top 5 can work well too - esp. if your thinking law school
Having gone to MIT as an undergrad, my feeling is that Harvard really is tops when it comes to getting into finance.
"- esp. if your thinking law school"
Most people on IBOasis aren't aspiring lawyers.
William and Mary College Denison University
There are plenty of income partners at corporate law groups that I've worked with as well as managing directors in IB who did not do their undergrad at an ivy... may in fact have then gone to stellar grad programs... however remain fiercely loyal to their lesser known undergrad alma mater.
I've met so many high level folks from the two schools mentioned above and these schools seem to have that "ivy" reputation and super tight alumni culture, particularly on Wall St.
That's because the Ivy Leaguers go out and start their own hedge funds and stop working for the man, they become the man.
1) Ivy Leagues 2) MIT, Northwestern, Indiana, etc. 3) Private College with strong alumni networks
Don't go to schools far from large cities, proximity should be less than an hour. Don't go to a state public school if it is not a feeder even if they cover your whole education to the dime. Don't go to schools that are targeted only for a specific area or local employers only.
Believe me I am speaking from experience, even if it is very nice to be at a fun school, even if they have interesting programs, nice professors, Division I sports whatever, pretty girls(guys) - no, no, and no.
MIT and Indiana in the same tier??? lol
I agree... MIT and Indiana cannot be put in same tier. That must be a faux pas.
I wouldn't even put MIT and the lower ivies, much less any big ten school, in the same tier.
MIT can even be better than an Ivy, whatever. The point is to go to a good school, which is a target feeder. I don't work for US News if you want to see exact rankings go there.
Howard University, got that diversity quota going on.
In all honesty most undergrad programs in the top 40 of the US News rankings could place grads in banking. Working at a BB I have seen the wide distribution of schools that are represented from the analyst class all the way up to the MD level.
University of Michigan
great mixture of everything and solid placement into banking
You guys don't understand how rediculously good recruiting is at Columbia simply because of location and that pretty much anyone can get a finance job without trying. Also, I would give NYU Stern some cred too. They are second in finance and the location is gold.
How about Duke undergrad? I beleive all CFO's on Watt st send their kids to Duke! So, they put extra effort in recruiting here. I have seen personally that the presence of banks is suffocating here at Duke.
Nearly everyone who tried to get an I-banking position at Rice this year got an offer. All the energy groups hire for their Houston office, and you compete mainly against University of Texas, and Texas A&M.
recruiting is amazing. I was just at an undergrad recruiting event for freshman and sophomores in their business school. JP Morgan, GS, BofA, CS, Morgan Stanley - they were all there.
Thing is, a lot of douchebags here will resopnd, "Why Wharton?? The competition is so bad there!! blah blah"
Bottom line is, Wharton will teach you a lot more relevant and useful shit than Harvard econ, and it is the most heavily recruited from ug on wall st. This is indisputable.
bar none.
tremendously strong banking networks. with very high placement rates up and down the street. with certainty, a dedicated networker will get a job on the street regardless of grades (3.0+). less competitve then Wharton.
given that this is for a HS student, you preserve the most optionality to do other stuff, should banking not work out.
who gives a shit about placement on the street..its Harvard. Unless you're at Goldman/Blackstone, you might as well go work for McKinsey.
No thanks.
University of Texas!!!
Even with that horse face.
Giddy Up
I think someone forgot to mention the University of Chicago.
There are a lot of schools (H/Y/P/S) I'd consider before chicago. They are legit though.
1.)Wharton 2.)Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Standford, MIT (Sloan) 3.)UChicago, Northwestern, Ivy League (the rest of them), NYU (Stern), Washington U, Notre Dame, Duke, Emory, Berkeley (Haas), Vanderbilt, Rice, Michigan, Virginia, USC, Texas, Georgetown.
Probably forgot some, but that's how I see it.
Wharton, Sloan, Ross, Haas, Stern are simply the best for business. The rest can't touch them. There is no way that any of those other schools would attract better students who KNOW they want to enter the corporate world straight out of undergrad.
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