Help! Berkeley Econ (non-haas) vs Johns Hopkins Econ for undergrad
If given the choice, which one of the two would you pick generally for a career in finance?
I didn’t get into the four year haas program… but I can still apply to get in it’s just the acceptance rate is around 30%.
I know both r pretty much considered non-targets for east coast banking but which of the two would be generally preferable for a career in finance? (Consulting, IB etc). Tuition is a non factor.
also, what’s the better “brand name” for my future career? JHU is more prestigious I guess but I’m not rlly into anything medicine so I’m not sure if it will help me at all…
Nitpick but Consulting is not Finance and the distinction is good to learn early on. You can land a top role in banking from either school, so it really depends on the kind of environment you want.
UCB will be much more competitive across the board and more pre-professional. This means lots of competitive clubs, recruiting pipelines to chase, and peers fighting for the same jobs. If you don't get into Haas you will be playing second fiddle to the business students.
JHU will have less competition, less clear pipelines/recruitment, and a smaller but more receptive group of alumni in banking. Still plenty of opportunity but you'll do more legwork finding it. I know they have at least one club that places members well. It has the location advantage and will be better for NY/BOS roles.
TLDR: If dead-set on east coast banking JHU is probably better but think about your college experience the most. UCB has a strong presence in consulting if you care about that more, but I'm sure smart JHU kids land MBB if they want it.
I see. So JHU for east coast banking, UCB for consulting? Would u say that being in haas matters for consulting? I’m more interested in MBB than banking.
Yeah, if you want general management consulting, then go to UCB and try to get into Haas, but Econ is still fine as long as you do everything right. If you want to specialize in something like healthcare consulting, JHU could also be good, and is probably decent for generalist roles.
UCB is massively overenrolled and it's an extremely competitive environment. JHU's brand won't hold you back(at least vs. Cal) and so you'll get a much better education there. I imagine JHU grads in finance will also be more willing to help out as well.
But it's in Baltimore vs. Norcal, so your location might be a key factor as well. Pick the environment that you see yourself thriving in(academic, social, extracurriculars).
Thanks. In terms of brand, what is JHU’s reputation? And how can I leverage it?
JHU’s brand is probably better than Cal’s, right?
I think it depends on what your focus is. Can't say JHU has a better brand than Cal (imo it doesn't) given the amount of unicorns that have come from it + research output.
Go JHU and tack on a life sciences related minor (e.g. computational medicine, bioethics) or double major (may nuke GPA) and recruit for groups in that realm. I think this would be an advantage in consulting recruiting as well; UCB is oversaturated.
I see. I’m not too terrible interested in life sciences if I’m being honest… but I’m sure I can make it work! What life science groups are out there (and how much do they pay?) thanks a lot.
I don't know much about the space, but from what I've seen there's a good amount like Pharma or MedTech.
This topic got me wondering and had a debate with my wife about it: liberal arts at Berkeley if admissions was easier than Haas (btw it is hard to get into Berkeley or UCLA).
I’m a Haas MBA grad and I love UC Berkeley. Had a quick meeting this past Friday afternoon on a gorgeous Fall day and the campus had energy, not to mention the Cal Bears beat a good Minnesota team on Saturday night.
For my kids several years from now, I think about, what if they are not dead set on high finance or consulting, I would think even if they don’t get into Haas undergrad, I’d still want them to go to Berkeley, even in humanities. I feel like in the long run, the school association becomes a bigger part of your identity (just like being an alum of the University of Hawaii has for me), and they will find the best path for themselves, including going to grad school.
I wouldn’t forgo getting into a school I’d want to be a part of just because of some potential career path that at 17 years old, you’re not even sure you even want.
JHU imo has a pretty good recruiting environment if you know you want to do IB. My roommate (work at same EB) went there whereas I went to a target.
Basically zero competition, strong brand name, and alums who pull hard for you. Strong pipeline from their investment club. The top placements rival pretty much any college, while admittedly, the median is very shit.
If you're dead-set on IB and grind day-one it can be very good for you. If you're not super sure, maybe consider Berkeley.
Why Berkeley if I’m not sure?
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