How important is your undergrad reputation?

I am currently a student at USC, but have a transfer plan option to Cornell, specifically the Dyson School, and am wondering if it's worth it to transfer? I know that I'll have a much better college experience here and have lived in SoCal my whole life. But I also know that Cornell will be better for Investment Banking jobs later on. I guess my question to you all is: do I have a chance of breaking into the BB or elite boutiques from USC or would Cornell be the only way to do that? I'm very happy here right now but I don't want to kill my post grad opportunities.

10 Comments
 

Don't transfer. In my opinion, you don't want to have a track record of switching schools just for prestige, especially given you come from a pretty good school as is. Just work hard where you're at and enjoy your college experience. That is, unless you have a really good reason for transferring aside from prestige/easier access to NYC IBD recruiting.

 

maybe if it was an ivy besides cornell. tbh, kind of an overrated school.

USC is great in its own right and cornell isn't all that much better factoring everything in.

 
"cjh1498" I am currently a student at USC, but have a transfer plan option to Cornell, specifically the Dyson School, and am wondering if it's worth it to transfer? I know that I'll have a much better college experience here and have lived in SoCal my whole life. But I also know that Cornell will be better for Investment Banking jobs later on. I guess my question to you all is: do I have a chance of breaking into the BB or elite boutiques from USC or would Cornell be the only way to do that? I'm very happy here right now but I don't want to kill my post grad opportunities.

If you said Columbia U, I'd say go for it. Cornell? ehhh up to you

What year are you ? GPA?

"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
 

USC is a huge target for all LA and most SF offices. Most BBs and some EBs recruit on campus. There will also be less competition at USC opposed to Cornell where every other person will be gunning for banking. Don't sacrifice your college experience for marginally better placement. If you want IB you'll get it from USC.

 

This. I'm a banker in LA, we recruit from USC every year, so does everyone else. If you want NYC, maybe a different story but probably still easier at USC than Cornell.

Be excellent to each other, and party on, dudes.
 

Omnis et labore atque quo. Optio placeat optio ea assumenda nemo maiores.

Numquam fuga commodi commodi magni saepe sed omnis esse. Quia suscipit nihil quas quibusdam nihil. Tenetur rerum vero dignissimos quo. Dolorem similique inventore ut voluptatem numquam repellendus et.

Veniam culpa voluptas laudantium architecto et. Deserunt recusandae tempora sint asperiores reprehenderit hic impedit. Optio aliquam omnis sint harum totam illum consequatur vero. In architecto at quaerat fugiat. Amet sit enim maxime omnis atque. Ad dolor cumque eligendi quisquam fugiat ullam ab.

Optio harum eos sed magnam natus accusamus necessitatibus. Consectetur et doloribus fugiat voluptate. Quaerat illum quis similique ut unde veritatis.

Career Advancement Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 08 97.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 02 97.3%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Evercore No 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.8%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.3%

Professional Growth Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 97.3%

Total Avg Compensation

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (48) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (25) $178
  • Intern/Summer Associate (14) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (83) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (75) $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
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
6
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
9
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
10
Linda Abraham's picture
Linda Abraham
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...”