Cornell vs. Carnegie Mellon for Asset Management

Hi Guys,

I have found the advice and expertise here very practical and helpful thus far. I would value your opinions on my current situation more so than the opinions on MBA blogs. I have been accepted into the full-time MBA programs at Cornell Johnson and CM Tepper. My post-MBA goal is Asset Management in Boston. I will refrain from detailing scholarship money and which school I am currently leaning towards in order to hear your unbiased opinions. Which school would you guys choose and for what reasons? This is the most important decision of my life so far, so thanks, in advance, for your helpful comments and advice.

14 Comments
 

My thoughts are that at CMU, you will be competing with the MFE kids, you will be in Pennsylvania, and you will be at a top 15-20 school. Personally, I think that the ivy network, better proximity to the northeast (though Ithica is still in the middle of nowhere), and Cornell's immersion program will work more in your favor. If I'm not mistaken Tepper (and maybe Ross) were hit especially hard for placements in 2008-09

Also, I have to say that keeping yourself open to areas outside of Boston will help a lot.

Side note...I considered Cornell for this coming fall, and placement seemed very strong in consulting, ok in banking, and somewhat difficult for AM/Trading. I have no personal experience with Tepper.

 
Best Response
wannabe2013My thoughts are that at CMU, you will be competing with the MFE kids, you will be in Pennsylvania, and you will be at a top 15-20 school. Personally, I think that the ivy network, better proximity to the northeast (though Ithica is still in the middle of nowhere), and Cornell's immersion program will work more in your favor. If I'm not mistaken Tepper (and maybe Ross) were hit especially hard for placements in 2008-09

Also, I have to say that keeping yourself open to areas outside of Boston will help a lot.

Side note...I considered Cornell for this coming fall, and placement seemed very strong in consulting, ok in banking, and somewhat difficult for AM/Trading. I have no personal experience with Tepper.

Err isn't CMU about 200 miles closer to NY than Cornell? It's about a 2-3 hour train ride away, whereas Cornell is about a 6 hour bus ride away.

 

Carnegie Mellon is Pittsburgh aka about a Pennsylvania's length away from NJ and then a little further to NY.

If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses - Henry Ford
 
wannabe2013
chubbybunnyCarnegie Mellon.

Cornell undergrad? okay sure. Cornell MBA? LOL

Care to elaborate?

Don't respond to anything chubbybunny posts.

The answer to your question is 1) network 2) get involved 3) beef up your resume 4) repeat -happypantsmcgee WSO is not your personal search function.
 

dukeofduke seems to be about as worthless as you can get, too, pay him no heed

"You stop being an asshole when it sucks to be you." -IlliniProgrammer "Your grammar made me wish I'd been aborted." -happypantsmcgee
 

i would go with Johnson. in general, Cornell has a better reputation overall as a business school, and it's in NY State, which is a big plus for finance. congrats on both admits.

Money Never Sleeps? More like Money Never SUCKS amirite?!?!?!?
 

Repellendus iure quo aut suscipit occaecati minima quia laborum. Delectus quia enim nesciunt id adipisci odit quis. Ratione et distinctio distinctio nam maiores. Quia voluptas voluptate est voluptates optio et nisi dolore. Totam est ut ut saepe ab rerum. Qui et rem dolores consectetur id aut et.

Qui enim ducimus autem sint. Aspernatur est molestiae non ut autem. Et qui magni aut rerum. Debitis fugit totam qui qui. Tempora consectetur exercitationem blanditiis accusantium.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.2%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.2%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.6%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.2%
  • JPMorgan No 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (43) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (75) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (66) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”