“I recently had a LinkedIn audit call with Arnau as part of my WSO Academy program, and it was one of the most practical and useful sessions I've had so far. I came in thinking my profile was in decent shape. I left with a clear picture of how recruiters and bankers actually see it, and a concrete list of changes that will make it work much harder for me.
Some background: I'm moving from corporate finance into investment banking, corporate banking, and private equity. I have an MBA in Corporate Finance, a PMP, and several years of finance and project management experience. Making that kind of move depends heavily on how you present your story, and LinkedIn is often the first place a recruiter or analyst sees it. That's why this session mattered so much to me.
From the first few minutes, Arnau was well prepared, direct, and focused on what actually moves the needle. He didn't just give generic tips like "add a professional photo." He went through my profile section by section and explained why each piece matters to someone in finance who's quickly scanning candidates. His feedback was honest without being discouraging, which I really appreciated. He pointed out where my profile was underselling my experience and where it wasn't clearly showing that I'm aiming for banking and PE.
What stood out most was how he helped me think about positioning. My background covers corporate finance, project management, hospitality, and real estate, and it can be hard to make that read as one clear story. Arnau helped me connect those experiences to the skills banks look for: financial analysis, modeling, managing budgets and capital, and working with senior stakeholders. He showed me how small changes to my headline, About section, and experience bullets can make that story obvious within seconds.
The session was also very actionable. I didn't leave with vague ideas. I left with a short list of specific edits I can make right away. That matters a lot when you're job hunting and every week counts. He also shared advice on using LinkedIn more actively, such as engaging with the right people and content, so the profile supports my networking instead of just sitting there.
I also want to recognize the overall WSO Academy experience. Between the modeling bootcamp, the company research work, the mentorship, and sessions like this one, the program has given me structure and support during a career transition that can otherwise feel isolating. This call was a good example of what makes WSO different: the people coaching you understand the industry you're trying to break into and give feedback that reflects how hiring really works.
If you're a WSO member and haven't booked a LinkedIn audit yet, I'd strongly recommend it. It's a short time commitment, and the return is significant. Your LinkedIn profile is often your first impression, and having an experienced set of eyes on it is worth it.
Thank you, Arnau, for your time, honesty, and practical guidance. I'm excited to put the changes in place and keep building toward my goal of breaking into investment banking.”
This is just an opinion. But honestly, if you can get into any of those schools, you'll be in good shape. Princeton and Yale probably have a leg up on Dartmouth. But again, you really can't go wrong. Good luck.
Do not base your decision on which of these schools will place the best into investment banking analyst positions. Please.
haha, fair enough.
If you get into one of those schools you should be well positioned to get into IB or MBB post undergrad. I would go based upon where I see I can be happy in the future and add the most value to the student body of that school. Personally, I would choose Yale or Dartmouth mainly due to grad inflation purposes.
They all crush. Dartmouth probably has the most people on the Street from what I've seen, but all doors are still definitely open to you if you go to Princeton or Yale
Yale!
Just take the school which you feel fits best after visiting. Also, figure out what you would want to do if you couldn't do finance as 40% (total guess but it has to be at least that) of college students switch their major at some point.
Any one will set you up well, so definitely look at fit. Are you interested in, say, a culture like Dartmouth's? It has the highest early acceptance rate for the schools you listed. Princeton and Yale are honestly crapshoots and I'd rather be safe and apply early to a school with the higher acceptance rate, unless you are one of those students who will sweep HYPSM. You can't go wrong either way.
transfer to harvard
Or Stanford
Princeton is the most prestigious, followed by Yale and then Dartmouth, and prestige is important in finance. All three will allow you to be a top candidate for Wall Street firms. By the way, I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss Wharton. Sure there are a ton of people clamoring for the same jobs, but it's probably the only university in the world that sends anywhere near 20 kids to GS IBD in a good year, and is a favored recruiting ground of even more selective firms like Blackstone.
When I think of Wharton kids I know, I think of striver dullards or some incredibly smart/focused finance individuals. There seems to be no middle ground. What they share in common is a complete lack of any liberal arts knowledge, which is sort of sad to me. It's basically a trade school, but if that's your jam go for it.
Personally I shudder to think of hanging out with nothing but people who have been gunning for finance and consulting jobs since high school. You hang around enough finance people once you get going in your career, and it's nice to have friends and know people outside the industry.
OP if you're looking for finance/consulting placement for the schools you mentioned, it would go Princeton, Dartmouth, then Yale
Princeton has the immediate cachet and great placement for a school its size, Dartmouth has an incredibly loyal alumni network in finance, and at Yale you can do the whole Yale thing if you'd like and still make it out the other end with a job.
Princeton is the most prestigious. R u serious ?? Yale is more prestigious than Princeton. The only school more prestigious than Yale is Harvard. Yale is also more selective than Princeton.
Agreed. Just look at the Wharton career placement info:
http://www.vpul.upenn.edu/careerservices/undergrad/reports/WHA_2012cp.p…
Hi, I have a 97 average, SAT scores in the 2300's, and legacy at Dartmouth. I think I'm a competitive candidate for HYP, but in know way guaranteed a spot due to the highly selective nature of admissions these days. I have heard that a Dartmouth degree on Wall street is not considered as highly as one from HPY. Is this true? Also, with about 15% of Dartmouth students majoring in economics, it seems like it'd be difficult to differentiate yourself from the rest of the pack.
^"in know way"? Definitely does not seem guaranteed for you.
To be fair, it was posted at 0655 this morning.
EDIT: To give a final answer -- OP, if you're able to get into any of these schools, do not decide because of how well they might place into finance. You can do extremely well coming from any of them. Choose based on academics, social life, culture, etc.
EDIT2: Edit fail...
That assumption is wrong. Wharton will give you recruitment opportunities you don't get at other schools (except maybe Harvard, which is the only school I would take over Wharton if I wanted to do finance/banking). Also, when I was involved in recruiting at my investment bank, we interviewed and ultimately hired a far larger % of total Wharton applicants than Dartmouth, Yale, or Princeton.
I don't disagree with the comment that there is less of a liberal arts focus at Wharton, and most dual degree students you'll see are finance + engineering. It's more a choice of preparing yourself better for finance or getting a more well rounded education. I can see pros and cons to both, but if you want to do IB, I guarantee you'll have better placement and opportunities from Wharton than the other three schools you listed.
[double post]
For IB, though? I'm not so sure it's that clear-cut. Vanilla IBD is extremely doable coming from any of the other schools mentioned.
However, Wharton will most certainly provide more of the "interesting" opportunities that people here on WSO covet (hedge funds and private equity firms that hire straight from undergrad, etc.). Many of these jobs are limited to people from Wharton and Harvard (not bad for a school without any real finance courses!). I'd still only choose Wharton over any of those schools if OP really lived and breathed finance.
In short, YPD are all better schools than UPenn, but Wharton will open up certain opportunities that simply won't be available at the other schools. What are the odds that OP would be one of the lucky few who actually do get one of these jobs?
From similar threads I've seen, I'd say the general consensus on this site is that Wharton and Harvard are the best for getting into finance. And maybe Princeton/Yale after that
I am basing this 100% off of LSO, but Princeton
Go with Princeton. Both Dartmouth and Yale are in lousy areas.
Have you been to Princeton, NJ? Practically where the term "Dirty Jerz" got its meaning.
Better than Hanover, NH and at the very least better than New Haven, CT...
You're joking right? Princeton and the surrounding areas are pretty affluent.
Go where you'll have the best time, college goes by fast so you really have to enjoy it. Major in something your interested in, get a good GPA, network early and use your summers to your advantage. All of those schools are great and the marginal advantage you'll get going to one over another isn't worth going to a school you don't love. Given your Dad's an alum, I'd go to Dartmouth. Maybe its just something I've seen at my school, but legacies always seem to be having the time of their lives. Also your smart as shit, you'll probably be fine regardless.
I work with a ton of Princeton people.
Also, I don't work at CS...but I heard from a couple friends that they hand out SA positions like candy to Princeton kids, occasionally to the detriment of quality (statement by a VP over there, not my personal observation).
You won't have trouble getting a job coming out of any of those schools. The incremental difference between those schools for recuiting is inconsquential. They're all targets and obvioulsy well represented on the street.
Assuming you have an equal shot at any top job coming out any one of those schools, which you will, base you decision on where you actually want to attend. Go to school, have fun, and make good grades.
I would seriously mame someone if I had the chance to go back to college. 4 years of vacation...
PU. It's beautiful.
These discussions quickly get ridiculous. Financial institutions still clamor to hire students from all of the schools mentioned above (Harvard/Yale/Princeton/Wharton/Dartmouth). The real difference is that students are Wharton are far more aggressively gunning for finance jobs than students at the other schools are. If you go to Wharton, you go because you want a finance/business career. If you go to any of the others, there are any number of reasons you might go, so fewer students apply to finance jobs, and fewer get hired, because they aren't as enthusiastic on average. If you do go to Princeton, Yale, or Dartmouth, or any of the other top 10-15 schools, and you set your mind on getting a job in finance, consulting, or some other high paying/"prestigious" field, you will easily get such a job.
Would there be as many recruitment opportunities at Dartmouth compared to Princeton or Yale for bulge bracket firms? Also, which schools are most notorious for grade inflation and/or deflation out of HYP Dartmouth Wharton?
Princeton is by far the most notorious for grade deflation. Average GPA there is 3.3ish, whereas at Yale its 3.5 and at Harvard 3.6. In fact, last semester, more than 60% of grades given out at Yale were As, whereas Princeton has a cap of 35% of As that can be given out. So really, having a 3.5 at Princeton places you in the top half (probably close to the top third) of the university.
Stanford blows all 3 out of the water.
Princeton used to have grade inflation, but they have consciously curbed that the last several years.
If grade inflation is a big factor, go to Yale.
That said, the hairsplitting between Yale and Princeton prestige/recruiting is absurd. Get in first, decide later. The majority of this thread is speculation.
You are correct. Princeton and UChicago are really the only top schools left that practice grade deflation and even they are slowly moving toward grade inflation.
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