I can go to an instate school that is a nontarget but near a financial hub or an oos (on all loans = 170k) that has a great business program (think Ross, IU, UTexas- Austin). At the instate school I plan to graduate in 3 years with a math major and do a MFin for a year at a target school.
| +139 | Restructuring: Anti-climactic Experience | 37 | 15m |
| +111 | IB Net Worth / Savings Check | 51 | 11h |
| +98 | Woman who emptied Knicks trashcan on street then stole it was DEI exec, worked at JPMorgan Chase | 25 | 9h |
| +79 | Stop sleeping on UBS - it’s pretty good | 29 | 7h |
| +71 | Hot take: I’d rather be at Desjardins than UBS for investment banking in 2026 | 13 | 3h |
| +56 | 2026 VAULT PRESTIGE RANKINGS | 30 | 1h |
| +39 | AI + Financial Modelling | 12 | 1d |
| +34 | Hardest interview experiences? | 20 | 6h |
| +28 | Summer before college | 18 | 2h |
| +26 | Current State of UBS in North America | 8 | 2d |
Career Resources
Get instant access to lessons taught by experienced private equity pros and bulge bracket investment bankers including financial statement modeling, DCF, M&A, LBO, Comps and Excel Modeling.
Best undergrad choice: not going on Wall Street Oasis until sophomore year.
This is a pretty darned simple choice. Go for the math major in-state, get a 3.8 GPA, get an 800Q on your GREs and 700+ on your Math GRE Subject Test, and save $70K.
Make sure you take a few CS courses. At a minimum, intro to programming and numerical methods; ideally data structures, discrete math, and advanced algorithms.
Andy Nguyen on QuantNet.com can probably give you even better advice than you can get here. Just be aware that he tends to lean towards NPV while the forums here tend to lean towards prestige.
target target target target target. (if going for future life).
if going for enjoying yourself. not enough info to decide.
edit, will defer to IP's advice. I got interviews solely cos of my university name, even tho i hated it (central london).
Money not being an issue, the clear choice would be Berkeley, Michigan, or UT. But if the cost difference is $100K and can be made up for with a $40K 1-year Fin Math degree from Chicago largely based on GRE scores and references, I think the choice is clear; graduate with an MS in four years, get a job as a financial engineer; everyone is happy.
Why don't you name the specific schools? You'll get the best advice that way.
what i found at elitist schools is that you can easily rub shoulders with the son of an MD etc. You arent paying for the education, you're paying to be around other people who also pay for the education.
^ ^ ^ ^
Unfortunately, this.
Sit quos molestiae tempora possimus est neque dolorem. Dolores incidunt non voluptatum libero mollitia molestiae modi esse. Ut velit eaque voluptas temporibus.
Cum suscipit iste quos aut qui. Repudiandae esse non exercitationem porro soluta. Amet maxime doloremque earum earum reprehenderit repellendus.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...