Is Cornell Or Northwestern Undergrad Better For MBB Consulting?

I was recently admitted to Cornell and Northwestern undergrad. I am planning to study computer science and business.

At Cornell, I was admitted to the school of agriculture and life sciences. This means I have to study agriculture for a year before i could potentially transfer to CAS and major in cs. The transfer is not guaranteed and might be rejected which means I would have to study agriculture for 4 years. Most likely the transfer will be allowed. At cornell I take the business minor from the Johnson business school.

At Northwestern, I was admitted to arts and sciences. This means I can study cs as soon as I get there. They also have a data science major aswell in case cs doesn't work and a lot of access to econ classes. At NW, I hope to take the kellogg certificate in managerial analytics or financial economics.

Which of this is better for a career in consulting?

 
Most Helpful

I don't know enough about the schools to give you an answer, but I'll share two thoughts: 

  • For someone who is driven and knowledgeable about consulting and puts in the work to network and prepare for interviews, the difference that Northwestern vs Cornell will make in your ability to land an internship will be IMPERCEIVEABLE. There are loads of alums from both schools and I don't think there is any difference in the perceived quality of the education. 
  • If you are more interested in CS, study that, but I wouldn't dismiss agriculture as being a "lesser" major. MBB firms value diversity of background quite a great deal and there is actually quite a lot of agribusiness work being done in consulting right now, to my knowledge. 
  • You may want to consider the geographic impacts of the alumni bases if that is something that will be important to you down the line. 

In summary, I would remove the "which school is better at getting me to MBB" metric from your decision criteria and choose the school you think will give you the most fun and fulfilling years of undergrad.  

 

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