IB target schools and their ib firm counterparts
Also ordered by school prestige for fun. yes I am a virgin
Wharton- PJT RSSG (hardos, unpleasant but sharp)
Harvard- Goldman (needs no explanation)
Princeton- Evercore (elite, smaller organization, undergrad [=analyst level] focused)
Yale- Centerview (marginally smaller brand name in finance than the above, but still great)
MIT/Stanford- Qatalyst (no explanation needed)
Columbia- Morgan Stanley (high volume and a big name, but not on the same level as GS/EVR/PJT and H/W/P)
UChicago- Lazard (historically a prestige bank, but lowkey losing its identity/status)
NYU Stern- Moelis (smaller school, least prestigious of the big dogs, but nonetheless a big dog)
Dartmouth- PJT M&A (forgotten about)
Duke- JP Morgan (better work/life balance than peers, dominates in areas other than IB/academics)
Northwestern- Jefferies (no one really thinks of them when you think of the space)
Cornell- BofA (high volume, no one really wants to go there)
Michigan- Citi (same deal as cornell)
Brown- PWP (not thought of as a big name but holds its own, more prestigious than its peer group)
Georgetown- Barclays (same deal as cornell/mich)
Indiana- UBS (rope)
Based on the most helpful WSO content, here's a breakdown of IB target schools paired with their corresponding IB firms, ordered by school prestige:
This list reflects a mix of prestige rankings and firm-school alignments often discussed in WSO threads. Keep in mind that while these pairings are fun and insightful, individual preferences and networking can significantly influence outcomes.
Sources: Comprehensive List of Target Schools for Investment Banking, What WSO get's wrong about "target" vs. "non-target" - Employer View
thinking that EVR/PJT/HWP are considered more prestigious then MS is comical
Easily cuh Evercore clears MS
how about gs
Everyone wants to go to Michigan it’s the most fun target school
Ok bro
Out of curiosity why is lazard considered to be fading away? Bunch of friends are heading there all smart enough and their ceo seems to be always hiring ppl. I think the Uchicago comparison is fair
Not the poster but Lazard used to be arguably the best EB but the rise of CVP/EVR and specialties like PJT/Q have rendered it second tier. Similarly Chicago was at one point a top 5 university in the US (though never really an elite undergrad like the Ivies, so I'd say Chicago undergrad is only growing in prestige since most view it as ivy-equivalent these days).
Adding Raine = USC, Dyal = Western Ivey, Ardea = Queens Commerce
Dyal is lowkey Wharton
Congrats on Dyal!
No UVA on here but IU is crazy
Both semi
Love the yes I'm a virgin preemptive self-deprecation, well played.
Wanted a Europe version so I made it myself (somehow not a virgin, somehow idk)
Oxford Goldman (needs no explanation, the two most obvious names in their respective games)
Cambridge JPM/MS/Qatalyst (same firepower as Oxford/GS, slightly more understated culture)
LSE Centerview/Evercore/Lazard (target school that has love affair with EBs, hyper-driven, small headcount per office)
Imperial Morgan Stanley (MS is large but not quite GS/JPM in terms of prestige, good tech teams, and Imperial is the perfect comparison)
HEC Paris Rothschild & Co (dominant in France and elite in all of Europe, and they’re both French)
Bocconi Deutsche Bank
Warwick PWP/Moelis (still very good and a target but an obvious tier below others)
Durham Robey Warshaw (feels right)
King’s College London/UCL Barclays (solid, reliable, “we’re still a bulge bracket”)
Manchester UBS (rope, but the northern powerhouse of it)
Bristol Citi (high volume, no one’s dream but the paycheck’s the same)
MS is pretty unanimously more prestigious than JPM in the states, idk if that's different in Europe.
No LBS? I'd also argue MS is amongst the hardest BB to break into (LDN)
Lol, congrats on Warwick
I go to LSE lol keep coping
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