HBS/Wharton/Columbia MBA for IB?

Ignore title, currently Aso1 at a MM boutique in the UK, have MBA offers for fall from all three. If anyone is curious, I think the only reason I even got into HBS was because of the significant amount of origination/client relationship management I did for my firm (lots of fees), which is a bit different from your classic MM IB experience.

I never thought I’d be asking this because I always thought HBS is the number 1 answer, but the other two seemingly have much more established pipelines into IB.

The only criteria I’m looking for is which school would give me the most looks “per application” (I say this because my IB experience is at a no-name / a firm that is unknown outside of London)? I have aid from all so I’m really indifferent, and I’m fairly set on continuing IB as opposed to PE. Currently leaning towards HBS but any thoughts welcome, particularly with regards to Wharton. Thanks!

9 Comments
 
Most Helpful

HBS and don’t look back. It’s a selection bias for Wharton/Columbia to have higher numbers. Trust me and go with HBS. Thank me later. 

 

Yes, this was exactly my thinking reading some threads that rank Columbia and Wharton no.1 for IB recruiting.

Another thing I had in mind was the competitiveness of the process; reflecting on my undergrad, I was at a super competitive school and in retrospect I would’ve preferred the whole “big fish in a small pond” type of experience, which I am extrapolating a little bit to HBS since very little portion of the cohort actually recruit for IB. Appreciate the comment!

 

Went to a target undergrad where business major don’t exist. Thus, IB placement was below places like even Stern. I prepped really hard on my own and was able to land where top Stern kids end up at. Personally, I don’t think I would have ended up at where I am today if I went to Stern due to extreme competition, in contrast to at my alma where most kids weren’t very prepared. If you are at an institution where it’s considered ‘elite’ and the most ‘elite’ MBA like HBS you have so less to prove and they will just think you are better than others without you doing much. 

 

Echo what the others have said above regarding the competition at elite targets. I got my MBA at Wharton, about 90 or so people recruited for IB and only about 2/3 of us received an offer. I had several friends who were rock solid candidates but came up short, it's a bit of a numbers game. It totally depends on the market and any given year can be different, but I'd venture to guess the typical percentage of candidates who receive an offer in any given year is around 80%. Hope this is helpful

 

Congrats on attending the great 'Merican institution of Harvard! 🦅 its "color" not "CoLoUr". You buy your trophy wife "flowers", not "flowuers". 🇺🇸 You have a lot to learn, limey. 💵 Best of luck in the land of the free (except for healthcare, as it should be) 🫡

 

Id facilis rerum est deserunt eaque autem nisi. Nesciunt qui enim et illum omnis consequatur architecto.

Qui laboriosam voluptas optio. Minima voluptas fuga ratione accusantium.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.2%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.2%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.6%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.2%
  • JPMorgan No 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (43) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (75) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (67) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
6
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
9
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
10
bolo up's picture
bolo up
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”