“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.”
I did not attend either school, but I have encountered far more NYU alumni than Syracuse on the street. The major advantage of NYU is that you are in NY and can also get experience while you are in school since you will be a short subway ride from banks, hedge funds, broker dealers, etc... That is one thing I always envied, which was being able to pack your resume during school and not having to rely on the summer analyst squeeze without that leg up.
Transfer. You can make new friends in 3 years. If you went from hating syracuse to liking it in one semester, the same can be done at NYU.
I would go for it if money isn't a problem - Stern is a solid brand. As far as location, NYC is a huge contrast to the Syracuse campus, but I'm sure you've given that some thought.
I do enjoy the campus lifestyle and have heard that Stern and NYU are anything but that. Do you think where I go to undergrad will have a major effect on the MBA program I get in to? Or is it more about your job experience? And do you think Stern on a resume alone will outweigh Syracuse + higher GPA + more leadership opps + more extracurrics? I have until the 7th to decide.
I want to say that this OFV is about on the same level as the Stern brand name but could be wrong.
Transfer.
Since you mention concern regarding MBA placement in the future ... if you look at the Poets and Quants rankings for the top 25 undergrad feeder schools to each of the M7 programs, NYU shows up on five of the seven lists. Syracuse doesn't show up once that I know of.
I don't think anyone on this site is going to tell you that Syracuse can compare to Stern when it comes to placement, alumni network, or "prestige" ... and the location in the city will also afford you the opportunity to work during the year. You could stack your resume with a lot of solid experience.
To answer your most recent post, I think that Stern's brand + good grades + decent extracurriculars + relevant experience through the school year would far, far outweigh high grades out of a program like Syracuse.
transfer. enough said.
Not even a question. Leave Syracuse.
Transfer. There is no guarantee you will get into OVF either.
Transfer.
Congrats. Stern is a good target. Just make sure to maintain that GPA.
would you consider it impossible to go from Syracuse with the OVF, President of my fraternity, exec board on the investment club + a few others to a front office job and then a top MBA? Does just stern plus solid work experience really look that much better than this?
would you consider it impossible to go from Syracuse with the OVF, President of my fraternity, exec board on the investment club + a few others to a front office job and then a top MBA? Does just stern plus solid work experience really look that much better than this?
would you consider it impossible to go from Syracuse with the OVF, President of my fraternity, exec board on the investment club + a few others to a front office job and then a top MBA? Does just stern plus solid work experience really look that much better than this?
If you keep fighting the thought of going to Stern, then don't go. It sounds like you're scared to transfer.
not scared to transfer just know the time I will have at Syracuse will be the best 4 years of my life. I know the point it to get the job at the end, but don't know if NYU will guarantee that, and then in that case I would have just passed up on some great years
Just know that at Stern, you'll have a good shot at getting a FO role in finance. At Syracuse, you won't have much of a shot. You'll have to bust ass at both schools and even more so at Syracuse to get FO.
Depends how much you want the FO role at BB right out of college. If that's all you care about then make the sacrifice and switch.
If you stay in Syracuse you just need to realize that you will need to work much harder to get the FO BB role and you might have to settle for a job not in FO BB, such as a MM bank or a startup etc. There are other good jobs working in finance/business besides FO BB, in my opinion.
Agree with this.
Honestly, it sounds very much like you're frightened to make the switch. Yes, transferring is intimidating especially when you finally find your comfort zone at your present college, but in some situations it's worth the pain, like here.
Anyways, at both Stern and Syracuse you'll have to maintain a 3.7/3.8+, do EC's and internships, network with alumni, etc. The difference is that with when you actually do all of those things, you WILL get at least a few IB interviews at Stern. There is no guarantee of that at Syracuse. However, if you want to take the risk and stay at Syracuse, then go ahead.
Unless there are financial concerns, this should be an easy decision.
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