Just read this article and thought id share.

1) Harvard University - 2,964 alumni worth a total of $622bn
2) University of Pennsylvania - 1,502 alumni worth $242bn
3) Stanford University - 1,174 alumni worth $171bn
4) Columbia University - 889 alumni worth $116bn
5) New York University - 828 alumni worth $110bn
6) University of Chicago - 658 alumni worth $144bn
7) Massachusetts Institute of Technology - 581 alumni worth $172bn
8) Yale University - 568 alumni worth $125bn
9) Cornell University - 528 alumni worth $60bn
10) Princeton University - 508 alumni worth $70bn
11) University of Virginia - 499 alumni worth $31bn
12) Boston University - 291 alumni worth $38bn
13) Northwestern University - 451 alumni worth $36bn

I have a phone call with a alumni md set up. I'm asking some advice what to talk about or ask him? I know to research his firm and department. And how should I ask if he is able to help with a internship. Just ask "do you have any advice on options for internships?" I dont want to come off the wrong way.Thanks for the answers.

I was referred to one of the alumni involved with recruiting on campus for his bank through a mutual contact and, when he heard I had missed the resume drop, he told me to drop by on interview day and they'd slot me in for an interview if someone cancelled. Is this a genuine door cracked open or is he just being nice? I know that he could have simply told me "tough luck." I'm debating showing up ready to interview and spending the day there in case of the rare possibility anyone does cancel/not show up (highly unlikely). The person who referred me said that if I show initiative and hunger, they may even interview me even if there isn't a cancellation. Another person (not in the industry, but in b-school) told me that it was a little weird.

I've been reaching out to people (mostly alum) after getting an introduction of some sort and I've been having bad luck where they stop replying to my email. Here's an example of what I replied back to one alum who I was hoping to get some advice from and build a connection to. He responded after a few weeks with an apology and he wants to set up a phone chat so I emailed back:

"Hi John,

Thanks for the response and no problem on the delay. A phone call
would be great. Which days are best for you? I'm usually available on
afternoons during the weekdays. Let me know what works best for you
and if you have a contact number I can reach you at. My contact number
is xxx-xxx-xxxx.

Thanks,
X"

Am I coming off badly or something? This isn't the first time this has happened.

I emailed an MD about a week ago and he responded back saying he was free to talk this coming friday at 10:30AM. I emailed him back saying that time works and said I would be calling him, but I haven't heard back since.

Should I just call anyways? If it matters, he mentioned he was travelling when he replied back.

Gentlemen,

I recently transferred schools and during my freshman year I reached out to a bunch of alumni.

Yesterday, one of them who works at the biggest hedge fund in the world contacted me and wants to talk more. I've been going back and forth with him via text since the beginning of summer, and still haven't told him I transferred.

Here's the thing, the school I transferred to is seen as a major competitor to the school I transferred from. I am worried that if I tell him I moved then he will pretty much abandon me. He's been great in reaching out and usually reaches out first, and given his job I don't want to lose him.

Whats the best way to go about dealing with this without it being awkward? How should I tell him?

Thanks

The alumni network is something that every top b-school loves to brag about, and it is a consideration when deciding where to go (albeit not the most important one). Thus, I wonder how important the size of a given school's network is, especially if one is interested in a more niche area of finance or something non-traditional like social impact investing abroad. On one hand hbs/wharton/columbia have very large alumni networks while on the other extreme you have haas/tuck/yale/sloan. Do you guys think a small network in of itself is disadvantageous?

EDIT: yikes, i had a brain fart and accidentally added another word at the end of the thread title.

I've been reaching out to alum all over the place asking if they could speak and discuss their career paths and offer advice etc. and a sr.associate from an elite boutique (LAZ/EVR/Centerview) responded today and said he could talk on Monday.

He also said to send him my resume in advance so what should I be expecting? any advice is appreciated! Thanks

Hi everyone,

So I tried searching similar topics on WSO but did not find any fruitful results.

I'm looking into a couple nonprofit consulting firms, and got in touch with an alum who's currently working at one. I found her on LinkedIn and sent a short message to show my interest in switching career path into nonprofit consulting, and she replied back a month ago saying would be happy to help and asked for me availability for a phone convo. I replied the next day and let her know I could talk the next week, but it's been a month I haven't heard back from her.

Should I follow up and ask again, just to say "i totally understand your busy schedule but would greatly appreciate your time and insights", etc.?

Thanks guys!!

Hi,

I will be going to College this fall, and as I am seeing some of my friends that I have known throughout High School and some through my entire childhood fly off to prestigious schools including Harvard, Brown, Cornell and Princeton I can't help but wonder if I will be able to keep in touch with them.

My main questions are did you keep in touch with friends from HS? Were they of any networking help in your later years if you did? Today are you closer with friends made in college or HS?

Okay, so don't grill me for not searching because I did and there isn't much on follow ups after a phone conversation with alumni. I did the usual 15 minute introduction conversation, and recruiting is still over a month away. I sent emails saying thank you for your time after we spoke.

What would be the next appropriate step? Just wait till recruiting to reach out again, or try and make contact again before that?

Thanks

Hey,

I had a question.

I've started reaching out to alumni, and I've gotten pretty solid at it. At first, I was really awkward because I didn't really know how to have it flow 'naturally,' like a conversation among friends cause I was so nervous.

However, there's a group I'm really interested, and we have one alumnus in it.

It was an extremely painful, awkward conversation, but I'm pretty sure I can save it if I get another chance.

Should I set up another talk with him and explain I just didn't know what I was doing before and just have another call with him? Or should I just move on?

.

There is an alumni who works at a top bank at the moment but interned at a healthcare focused boutique last year. Since the boutique doesn't do formal recruiting for interns I figured I would email her and ask how she got the internship, and maybe set up some sort of meeting?

Then using her as a referral or help i could more easily contact an MD or VP at the boutique to set up an interview.

Whats the best way to go about emailing the alumni (format etc.)

Any help would be appreciated i'm pretty new at this!

Thanks

How can i ask my alumnis for an internship opportunity without sounding rude? Can i ask them that question in the first email or should i exchange a few conversations before popping the question?

Thanks

My undergrad alma mater has a website with a directory of alumni who have volunteered to help mentor students. I graduated in June but still have access to the site. There are quite a few alumni at notable firms such as MBB. I'm currently a financial analyst at a relatively large bank (think US Bank/PNC) but am trying to switch to consulting in the next year or so. How can I best utilize this site?

I've contacted some alumni and gotten responses, but other than valuable advice, I'm not sure how to appropriately and effectively turn these contact into potential interviews/job offers. Any suggestions?

Thanks!

When you apply to a bank, how much preference is given to you if several of the bank's senior bankers are alumni of your school (let us assume the school is at least a semi target)? I would imagine that the alumni connection would get you a first round interview or maybe even a superday, but would a bank choose a less-qualified candidate for FT or SA just because he/she went to a school that most of a bank's bankers went to?

Was looking to speak with some people who have been through the Duke MMS graduate program before. I know the program is relatively new so I'm not sure if I'll find anyone but looking to see where you were placed after the program and what type of position you were placed in. Contemplating doing this program.

This is geared towards the people with jobs that have worked with people from a decent range of schools... Any school's alumni stick out to you? Whether it's smart, hardworking, snobby, good/fun coworkers? Just interested in hearing what you guys think about certain schools... include UMich if you can, obviously I'd like to hear how our alumni are reppin the school.

Fellow Monkeys

I have some interviews lined up but the descriptions are kind of vague. Is it fine if I reach out to alumni in those divisions via linkedin ? I want to prepare as much as I can but don't know if it could bite me in the ass.

Thanks in advance!

Personally, I've never heard of this case, but I was just wondering if I had a better shot at B-School if I graduated from the same school with a bachelor's or some other graduate degree. Does this matter at all?

What's the proper way of reaching out to alumni if you are going to a university out of state but want to work in your hometown? Any resources out there? Thanks.

Monkeys,

I have a call today with an alumni to talk about his career and what not. He asked me for my resume but also mentioned that his firm isn't hiring but he's more than happy to help me out.

My question here is how should I end the call? I obviously want to stay in touch with him if there are any available opportunities at his firm but I don't want to present it that way.

I apologize if this topic has been discussed before, I'm just in a rush and need to find some answers quickly.

Any Wake Forest alums on this board? How did you break into the industry? Is Charlotte to NYC a realistic jump?

I got lunch today with an alum (non target) former MD from the late 90s/early 00 from a top BB (think GS/MS/JPM) who still knows some people who work at the company. Had a very good conversation and think she likes me a lot and wants to help me.

Problem is, she doesn't know much about the application/recruiting process. She didn't even know they hire interns out of undergrad! (she originally lateraled from a top law firm) I asked her if she can talk to those people who she knows and maybe they can give me advice but she said they'd be useless b/c they'll just forward my resume to HR (EXACTLY WHAT I WOULD WANT).

Anyways we spoke for over 1.5 hrs and we both had to end conversations and go back to work (I work in a BB doing a BO internship).

When meeting up on a weekend, should you dress up? From the email it doesn't sound like he is working because he wants to meet up kinda far from where he works (he is in IBD though). Or at least he'll come after he finishes for the day, but what should I wear? Any thoughts?

I am a Canadian entering my third year as a finance major at a small, research-intensive university that was founded about twenty years ago. I am presently interning as an investment banking analyst at a boutique investment bank in New York. I would like to meet others in investment banking before I return to university for summer classes in July. Would anyone be available to meet on Thursdays or Fridays to discuss their experience in the industry? The university I attend has absolutely no alumni in the industry, so It has been difficult to meet others outside of where I work. I would really appreciate any time to hear about someone elses experience.

And I don't mean something that would be easily explainable in the context of looking for better business opportunities, like Brown to Wharton. I'm talking something like Dartmouth to Yale.

Would the alums of Dartmouth view you as a traitor? Would the alums of Yale view you as someone not smart enough to get in freshman year who needed to backdoor? Would alums from both (and everyone else) view you as a never-satisfied complainer type and a prestige whore?

I am considering making such a transfer. Sincere advice greatly appreciated.

Worth a shot? Crossing the line of decency?

So I have one great alumnus who is visiting my college in February for a presentation. He is very senior in a consulting firm and has previously referred me to a position which I got last year.

I plan to talk to him then. What should I say when seeing him except thankyou? Also, should i propose any activities to entertain him?