Cornell finance clubs if they were Investment Banks

As a current Cornell senior involved in clubs and an incoming FT at top BB (GS/MS/JPM), current thoughts on the club environment here.

Cornell Financial Analysts (CFA) - Goldman Sachs - Top placements (EVR, JPM, etc.) , active alumni, great new member education. 

Cornell Finance Club (CFC) - JP Morgan - Half the members get fed into JPM. Does pitches at GS, JP. Not as active upperclassmen though.

Cornell Investment Banking Club (CIBC) - Citi - Culture has been questionable with the last president. New member education is a joke. Place well though. Good alumni.

Cornell Hedge Fund (CHF) - Barclays - Terrible culture. Was kicked off campus last semester for new member hazing. Still place well/great for stock pitches.

Cornell Alpha Fund - UBS - No socials/culture. No one shows up to meetings. An alumni a couple years back lost their entire fund, so they actually have no fund. New member education is a joke as well.

Banking at Cornell (BAC) - WF - Newest of the clubs. Lacks alumni. Has potential for growth. Don't know much, but have heard placements are solid this cycle.

Cornell Alternative Investments (CAI) - DB - Offers members IB internships but have heard its mostly bs resume filler work. Decent placements.

Mutual Investment Club of Cornell (MICC) - Jefferies/Gugg - Used to be a good club, claims to manage $100k, not sure on the validity. Is now considered the fratty finance club.

DSP - Credit Suisse - Doesn't exist anymore. Got kicked off campus (again!) for new member hazing and is still not allowed back. Used to be solid before though.

Others:

PGN - BofA

AKPsi - RBC

PCT - TD

CPEC - RJ

Cornell M&A - Lincoln International

PSE - Truist

CUABS - Nomura

GCC - Mizuho

Impact Investing at Cornell - KeyBank

Cayuga Capital - Cantor

Rest / Not mentioned - Oppenheimer

16 Comments
 

Based on the most helpful WSO content, here's a breakdown of Cornell finance clubs humorously compared to investment banks, reflecting their culture, placements, and reputation:

  1. Cornell Financial Analysts (CFA) - Goldman Sachs: Top-tier placements (EVR, JPM, etc.), strong alumni network, and excellent new member education. A standout club with a reputation for excellence.

  2. Cornell Finance Club (CFC) - JP Morgan: Known for feeding members into JPM and pitching at GS and JP. However, lacks active upperclassmen engagement.

  3. Cornell Investment Banking Club (CIBC) - Citi: Despite questionable culture under the last president and weak new member education, it still places well and has a solid alumni network.

  4. Cornell Hedge Fund (CHF) - Barclays: Struggles with culture, having been kicked off campus for hazing. However, it remains strong for stock pitches and placements.

  5. Cornell Alpha Fund - UBS: Lacks culture and attendance at meetings. An alumni mishap led to the loss of their fund, and new member education is subpar.

  6. Banking at Cornell (BAC) - Wells Fargo: A newer club with limited alumni but showing potential. Placements this cycle have been solid.

  7. Cornell Alternative Investments (CAI) - Deutsche Bank: Offers IB internships but is rumored to involve mostly resume filler work. Placements are decent.

  8. Mutual Investment Club of Cornell (MICC) - Jefferies/Guggenheim: Once a strong club managing $100k (though its validity is questioned), it’s now seen as the "fratty finance club."

  9. DSP - Credit Suisse: No longer exists due to hazing issues. It was solid before being kicked off campus.

Other Clubs and Their Comparisons:

  • PGN - Bank of America
  • AKPsi - RBC
  • PCT - TD
  • PEC - Raymond James
  • Cornell M&A - Lincoln International
  • PSE - Truist
  • CUABS - Nomura
  • GCC - Mizuho
  • Impact Investing at Cornell - KeyBank
  • Cayuga Capital - Cantor Fitzgerald
  • Rest/Not Mentioned - Oppenheimer

This lighthearted comparison provides a snapshot of the club environment at Cornell, blending humor with insights into their culture and outcomes.

Sources: Duke Guide: Tips and Info on What to Do at Duke if Interested in Business/Finance at Duke, Columbia Freshman Looking for Advice - Best Clubs?, Review of Investment Banking Recruiting at Cornell Johnson, How do I make my finance club fun?, Best Finance/Business Clubs at U.C. Berkeley??

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.
 

I saw Alpha Fund placement post last year and it seems insane (P72, 2x EVR, CVP, BainCap, etc). Some of them also seem to be only in alpha fund. Was this a fluke? Context: incoming freshman at Cornell

 

Fluke / many of their members are in other clubs. They were solid maybe 2-3 years ago with great leadership. Now it's questionable 

 

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