Public Schools on the Street

Are public universities developing a presence on Wall Street?
Nowadays, more and more kids are choosing state schools in order to avoid the burden of student loans. With the cost of education constantly increasing, some of brightest students whined up going to school somewhere near home; thereby putting them at a “disadvantage” off the bat. But, does this mean they can’t make it to the Street? I think not.

Yes, it would obviously be ideal to go to a school like NYU, Wharton, etc., but some people have to make what they can with what they have. It’s no secret that the Ivies are heavily recruited by BB, but each year I see more and more kids from “non-targets” land IBD or S&T internships. Sure, the education isn’t as great, but a lot of these schools have programs that place well on the street (Indiana – Bloomington has the Investment Banking club, Penn State’s Nittany Lion Fund, etc.). In these organizations, students are able to learn from hands-on experiences. Opportunities like this can be found at most schools, however these programs (among several others) have a highly regarded reputation for job placement.

Some Quality Programs:
1) Nittany Lion Fund, LLC – Penn State
2) Indiana Investment Banking Club – Indiana U
3) Fisher Futures – Ohio State
4) Michigan Investment Banking Club – U of Michigan

So are these "non-targets" really at a drastic disadvantage, or is this becoming an acceptable pathway to a lucrative career? I’m not saying that public universities place better than target schools, but merely pointing out that it is definitely possible.

 

Yes. This makes sense. Also, if not placed at the undergrad level, you can also look at MSF programs and network into a smaller shop. Also, I think merely focusing on prestige to get placement is only part of the equation. People also have to be happy where they are in college as college should not be treated like an MBA or similar education. It's where you develop as a person and also should have fun. Not everyone, personality-wise, is suited for HYP undergrad.

 
Best Response
TraderDaily:
Yes. This makes sense. Also, if not placed at the undergrad level, you can also look at MSF programs and network into a smaller shop. Also, I think merely focusing on prestige to get placement is only part of the equation. People also have to be happy where they are in college as college should not be treated like an MBA or similar education. It's where you develop as a person and also should have fun. Not everyone, personality-wise, is suited for HYP undergrad.
I actually like this a lot, particularly the last sentence. Probably because it's incredibly apt in my case.
I am permanently behind on PMs, it's not personal.
 

I think kids will choose schools like Penn State or Rutgers over pricey private schools like Lehigh and GWU. Top notch private schools like NYU, HPY, etc will continue to receive top talent.

I went to HS with a girl who was accepted to Rutgers and NYU and chose Rutgers over NYU. She went into the honors program, commuted to school, and her parents paid her tuition so not a bad deal for her.

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