Should a young value investor choose Dartmouth or Berkeley?
'm a high school student who'll start college in the fall. My passion in life is value investing, and I've been deeply interested in it since I was about 12 or 13. My goal in life is to one day have my own fund, like Allan Mecham or Monish Pabrai.
I was lucky enough to be accepted into Dartmouth and Berkeley, and now I have to choose which school I should go to. Right now I'm leaning towards Dartmouth because of the alumni network and the fact that it has so many connections to Wall Street and finance in general. It's also an Ivy League school and I'd feel a bit stupid if I actually opted out of an Ivy League education despite dreaming about one for so long.
If I wanted to go to work for a fund like Baupost Group or Pabrai Funds, which college will be a better option? Do value investing funds recruit from either of these places?
In this scenario, I would choose whichever school fits you better. Berkeley and Dartmouth are very, very different in terms of culture. One is a very diverse campus located next to a large, cosmopolitan city while the other is located in a small college town 2+ hours from a large city. The types of classmates and social, academic, and professional opportunities you have would be very different between the two. Hopefully you've spent some time on both campuses and thought about the differences.
Very few investment managers are going to recruit at either program especially at the undergrad level, so that really shouldn't factor into your decision.
@models_and_bottles thanks so much for your reply.
Right now I'm leaning toward Dartmouth, but just out of curiosity, if I want to work as an investment manager, what path should I take? Not in terms of which school I choose to go to, but a career path.
You should read prior posts on this forum. IB vs other paths has been discussed in depth. Would go to Dartmouth as long as you won't hate the Greek life.
Congrats on getting in! Here are my two cents:
Berkeley over Dartmouth. Unless there is something about the culture/area/personal preferences that you like more about Dartmouth. The reason is simple: the best undergrad schools open up more future doorways. The better the school's name, the more opportunities you tend have (it kind of sucks, but its true). Also, employers care much, much more about your major/GPA/school rather than "are you coming from a stronger value investing school" when you are coming out of undergrad.
I know you have your heart set on value investing and its great that you have such focused ambitions at your age, but you are young and college will open up a whole new world of possibilities for you that you didn't even know existed. Your may or may not change your career goals in undergrad but if you do, you will want to be in a position that allows you to have as many opportunities available to you as possible. I think Berkeley is the better school between the two in terms of name recognition, perceived academic rigor and opportunities it can provide.
Either way, which ever you go to, just make sure you select a major applicable to your career interests and kill it in school (get a solid GPA, try to get internships and relevant experiences). Both are great colleges and if you do well during your 4 years there, I have no doubt that people would line up to recruit you.
I agree with this and imo East Bay area >>>>>>>>>> NH.
You should also think about whether you want to end up on the east vs. west coast.
The above advice is very good. The reality is you can't plan your life out that far in advance, especially when you're 18 or whatever. I would go to the school where you feel that you fit best and think you will have the best all-around experience.
Again, the Berkeley vs. Dartmouth cultures are really VERY different, so it shouldn't be that hard to figure out which one you like more.
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