Villanova or Boston College
i am choosing between these two and want to hear your insight. BC and Villanova are similar in environment/social life/Jesuit education, and i'm assuming they are similar in placement.
If I get a 3.5+, will i get interviews somewhere?
On a side note, please look at the link below. the "Alumni Affairs and Careers" bar has their top employers. Are these numbers legit? also note that BC had a 55% response rate, so the numbers are slightly skewed.
http://www.businessweek.com/bschools/rankings/und…
http://www.businessweek.com/bschools/rankings/und…
THANK YOU VERY MUCH
This for UG I assume?
Flip a coin. I think both are about equal. Villanova UG's get some pretty great positions. Lot of BB S&T recruitment.
I would say BC.
BC places better than Nova for IB but the difference is marginal. I also think right-outside-Boston is an infinitely better place to be than suburban Philly.
BC for IBD. I'm a senior now and debated between the choices myself. I actually did a study abroad through Nova and it was great but everyone said that the social life at Nova sucks until you're 21. I heard so many stories about Radnor Police ticketing underaged kids the moment they step off of university property. Not the case at BC. We have great placement at BBs and elite boutiques. With a 3.5 you will get plenty of interviews. Also, Nova is not jesuit, it's augustinian. Looking at the links I can tell you with 100% confidence they are skewed. I know that 21 of 21 people who interned at Barclays over the summer got offers. But that's the class of 2011 I guess. Though I do know of at least 12 from 2010 that went to Barclays. If you like being close to a big city, definitely BC. Nova is about a 40 minute train ride to get to the city center. Also, BC has a D-I football team, nova doesn't.
I'm from Philly and I'd have to say BC. Placement differences would be marginal, but I think in terms of overall experience (not to mention the recruiting advantage), BC will out-do Nova.
I mean what does someone from Nova have to do get into IB then, just get lucky? With a solid GPA, a few internships, and good ECs is it impossible?
It is a 15 minute train ride to center city and you need to know your shit. Plenty of MM and BB banks recruit on campus for banking and S&T. Alumni are everywhere.
The school is very well off and connected. Like I said, flip a coin. It really comes down to which city you like better and which campus.
I also didn't realize getting smashed on campus was a really big Decision Point. Don't we mock kids who go to party schools? I mean if that is important to you, fine, but pretend like it isn't in public at least.
Villanova = Vanilla No Fun...just saying
that is not true. Villanova is fun in its own way. sure its not animal house crazy like some southern schools, but to say its no fun is false. You just have to go off campus to have a good time.
does anyone have an answer to the previous question?
i went to nova for undergrad. graduated a few years ago. i am assuming you are talking about the business school?
between on campus recruiting and your own networking (alumni tend to be very helpful -- some even go out of their way to offer advice to strangers on internet message boards), you shouldn't have any trouble landing interviews assuming you've done well in the classroom. looking for internships early on will also help.
BC has an enormous number of d-bags, but it places pretty well into middle market and a decent number of larger banks. Nova is a bit less fun because they don't have D-1 football and are outside Philly, but BC is not like MIT/Harvard/BU - they're a solid 30-45 minute T ride into Boston too.
If these are your top choices, you're in good shape. You'll probably spend the next four years hanging out with carbon copies of yourself, but it will generally be a good time. Just be prepared if you go to BC that everyone is going to immediately assume you're a tool.
True. BC is in Chestnut Hill, which is part of Newton. You are closer to Wellesley than you are to Boston. And the green line train makes a stop every two feet on the way into the city.
Go to BC, the finance network is massive and the alum will kill for you.
BC is going to have better OCR and a larger network, but I don't think it's that huge of a difference that you should go there if you prefer Villanova. A 3.5 with decent work experience will get you looks from most of the BBs that recruit on campus, and you can find alum at the majority of firms on the street.
In summary, if you you're going 100% by placement in banks, pick BC. (though I would advise doing against this... pick the school you prefer. You're already at a huge advantage that you know you want to do banking now and can network very early.)
Dude Villanova gets hyped up every year and then always gets upset...I'd pick BC
BC is better in terms of placement.
As I go to Boston College, I can give you my perspective.
As someone mentioned, the elite BB's come to BC to recruit. You won't find companies like Lazard or Moelis but you'll see GS, MS, JPM, etc. That being said, from what I've seen it appears that the banks that like BC the most are UBS, Barclays, BofA/ML, and Citi. They take lots of kids each year, for summer analyst positions which then turn into full-time offers.
It's also important to know that the big 4 accounting firms love BC. I heard from the Career Center that PwC took more than 50 kids from the class of 2010, which is more than 10% of that year's Carroll School of Management class. While many of those were accounting roles, some were definitely consulting/advisory positions as well.
Both schools have pretty strong alumni networks, but BC is known for having fanatically loyal alumni who will go to extra lengths to bring in BC students.
My advice? Go to BC, sit in the front of every CSOM class and ask a million questions, read the news (recruiters say BC students are ignorant of current events), go to all the networking events and establish/nurture useful connections.
I keep hearing this, but I'm pretty sure JPM only comes for Private Banking.
also, op feel free to pm me if you'd like some more insight into ocr here
Villanova VS BC (Undergrad) (Originally Posted: 05/28/2014)
I just finished my freshman year at Villanova School of Businesses and have been accepted at BC's business school to transfer. The cost difference is about 5k difference per year, (based on financial aid that Villanova offered me last year). I want to work in New England post graduation though I am not sure what I want to do. Is transferring to BC worth it in terms of job opportunity/prestige? I currently have a 3.65 after my first year at Villanova and will lose that should I transfer to BC.
YES, go to BC, its a decent amount above Villanova both academically and reputationally on the Street, and everywhere else pretty much too. BC places a lot in S/T and IBD, Nova is usually OPs, sales/PWM, etc. 5k is like 1/4 the difference in one year's analyst salary.
I grew up in one town and lived in the other for a long time. If you want to be in Boston BC has a pretty strong network there. I can't really speak to NYC IB (I don't personally know BC undergrads in finance jobs there but that doesn't mean anything-I just don't know) but if you want to stay in Boston, it's a big network. It helps even more if you're Irish American. And you get to frequent the most disgusting college bar I've ever been to: Mary Anne's.
BC miles above nova? That has to be a joke. Go to BC because you want to work in the new England area. Both schools are comprable though.
Looking at your post history, you really are all over Villanova's dick. Don't get me wrong, it is a decent school with decent finance placement relative to it's general rankings, but BC CSOM is a very strong program and definitely has better placement than Nova.
NYC IBD SA for this summer from BC
2 GS 1 MS 3 Citi 1 BAML 3 UBS 4 Barclays 2 DB 3 Jefferies 1 RBC 1 Oppenheimer 4 to Boston boutiques
and I know I'm missing a few more. No idea on S&T.
I'd transfer for the OCR and as @"Dingdong08" said, for Mary Ann's.
All over their dick lol. I went for grad school and have zero allegiance to the UG program. I simply have witnessed the placements the the UG's have gotten and have grown very impressed.
The answer for the OP is to obviously go to BC because of where he wants to work. Outside of location both schools are comprable. I could rattle off GS ST, barcap banking, MS trading, DB banking,, WF banking, Stifel /Cowen/BMO banking (multiple). That's just one year and off the top of my hung over head.
Georgetown is miles a head of Nova UG. UVA, Duke, Michigan, all miles a head. BC on par.
one thing about Villanova: how many of the guys they place in the FO are DI athletes vs. non-athletes? If the OP isn't a varsity athlete, how much does that affect his choice?
I'm going to make one more comment in this thread and then let other people inject. As always, there are plenty of other data points and opinions beyond my own.
My point within this thread is with the degree of "better" between Nova and BC. The OP's question can easily be answered since he wants to work in the New England area. In this case BC is the absolute best option. Now assuming geography was not important, which school is "better".
There are a variety of rankings and shit like that, but I put zero faith into them. This site mainly gives a shit about FO finance placements and none of the rankings factor this in. So the question is "which school is better for FO placements". My assertion is that Nova and BC are comparable with regards to this. Both are Catholic schools near major cities. Both are private. Both have very good business programs.
I have good knowledge of where undergrads place and if you are a domestic and are in the equity society, fixed income society, student managed fund, technical analysis society, frats, know how to network and are smart, etc, you will be fine and have a multitude of FO interviews and placement opportunities. I imagine the same can be said for BC. I know the placements within the masters program extremely well and it consistently places in FO roles. I also know placements and interviews at the UG level as there is some overlap within the MSF and these select groups within the UG's.
Another dynamic to realize is how wealthy Villanova is. This is a) a very good school and b) a school where rich people send their kids. Placements reflect both of these elements. I was utterly surprised by the alumni and quality of students during and after my time at Nova and see kids placing all the time on the street. The school is also in the midst of a massive expansion which will only increase its prominence.
So in conclusion, I think both schools are very good. Each has its strength and weakness. The decision is clear in this instance. I just don't think BC is significantly better than Villanova. Then again, this is a subjective decision as people have different tastes. All I know is FO placements can be found in numbers at either school.
I made a mistake in my financial aid award and the difference is actually closer to 10k/year which I will have to take loans out for on top of the stafford loans. Would it still be worth it then?
nah I would say don't transfer, get into the right clubs at nova, and if you really want to transfer try for a better school next year
also depends if money is an issue
Im sorry here, but you're talking Villanova vs. BC: With Villanova, kids who apply from HS frequently have BC as a reach school, and targets are Lehigh, Lafayette, Penn State, Binghamton, Providence, and with BC, HS applicants have places like Harvard and other Ivy League schools as reaches, and targets of Georgetown, uMich, Hamilton, Colby, UNC-CH, Tufts, Wake Forest, etc. That is a very large difference in what kind of kids each school gets, and the recruiters/companies know it. Some of the replies here are ridiculous. BC all the way.
Et ipsum tempora harum unde. Totam omnis dolorem inventore aut quaerat. Architecto et alias et sequi adipisci iusto odit. At quidem facilis quo quam id quo.
Aut placeat suscipit officiis explicabo fuga recusandae. Quisquam sit qui enim aperiam consequatur velit. Doloribus maxime accusantium quibusdam incidunt mollitia. Cupiditate magnam voluptates et qui. Inventore qui consectetur minima ad quod.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...
Vel nemo reprehenderit ut aut est. Maxime architecto error et iure. Beatae reprehenderit quibusdam fugit autem. Et quia id voluptate temporibus explicabo enim.