Prestige debate settled.

Most prestigious EB: PJT/CVP tied Q is too niche, LAZ nowadays is less prestigious (but a close 2nd), EVR is too massive to be elitist and exclusive. Rothschild may have the pure pedigree, but they only play in MM and are quickly becoming obsolete.

Most prestigious PE MF: APO while KKR wins in terms of reputation (biggest buyouts in history all were KKR), Apollo wins in pure prestige and comp. BX is a very distant third, on par with Carlyle, Bain, TPG, etc, as BX is way too large, corporate and mainstream to be exclusive. Pretty much any "financey" girl, even one from IU Kelley can recognize Blackstone, especially from that "ominous sounding organizations meme". However, most people in finance can't even tell you the different between Apollo Advisors and Apollo Global Management.

Most prestigious BB: GS Other banks like MS and ML have always played second fiddle, and JPM's strength, similar to Citi is to leveraged their bloated balance sheet to win mandates. GS still takes the cake by a decent margin, but their hegemony is slipping.

Most prestigious HF: Bridgewater/Pershing tied most other HFs are too small in terms of AUM or lackluster in returns. Prop trading funds are full of quants, which is a role that takes a lot of work to get, but is not selective nor elitist.

Most prestigious bschool (UG and MBA):  Wharton honestly does any other bschool come close? H/S is below/on par with W in terms of MBA capabilities and opportunities, while W absolutely shreds business schools for breakfast in the UG arena.

Most prestigious non-bschool (UG): Oxford/Yale tied does any other school have their pure pedigree and history's firepower? Cambridge can reasonably be called a peer to Oxford, but Oxford and Yale still far outshine their peers. Ask a camel jockey in the Sahara what Harvard, Princeton or Stanford is, and you'll be met with a blank stare. Ask them about Yale and Oxford and you'll see a celestial glint of recognition in their eyes, curated over centuries of utter academic and socioeconomic dominance.

Most prestigious MBB: McKinsey who actually thinks Bain or BCG is better? McKinsey eats them for breakfast. People just say MBB because M doesn't have the same ring. Bain and BCG may be tryharding and trying to develop software/tech capabilities, but McKinsey is unbeatable.

Most prestigious city: London honestly is any other city as prestigious? London has been at the center of human civilization for the last half millennia. New York lacks the pure architecture and history of London.

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