[URGENT] Transfer to Columbia from other Ivy
2028.5), considering a transfer to Columbia for next year. Would be transferring in as a sophomore. Already have some standing at Brown (in consulting club). Trying to think through this as objectively as possible before the decision deadline.
Brown pros
• Open curriculum lets you avoid GPA-risk classes almost entirely, useful for both law school medians and recruiting GPA cutoffs
• Already established in campus consulting club leadership, with another board role starting next semester
• No transfer friction: housing, club seniority, and social network are already built
Brown cons
• Smaller alumni base in NYC compared to Columbia
• Less brand recognition specifically in finance circles (less relevant here since this is a prelaw/consulting question)
• Consulting recruiting data for Brown undergrads isn’t published in detail, so it’s hard to benchmark placement objectively
Columbia pros
• NYC location gives easier access to networking events, info sessions, and in-person case prep with MBB and boutique firms
• Larger overall alumni density in NYC
• Comparable brand strength to Brown for consulting recruiting broadly
Columbia cons
• Core Curriculum is more rigid, works against a GPA-maximization strategy in a way Brown’s open curriculum doesn’t
• Some forum accounts suggest Columbia’s undergrad on-campus MBB presence, especially NY office, may be weaker than peer schools like HYP and Penn (anecdotal, not verified)
• Would be starting over: no club seniority, no guaranteed housing, would lose the board positions already secured at Brown
• Transferring in as a sophomore means less time to build the kind of standing already achieved at Brown
I feel like if you can’t make it from Brown, it’s on you. Yeah Columbia prolly a bit better, but not by a career altering amount
Columbia is honestly much better than Brown. But again, you can probably do fine at Brown as well
“It’s not the plane sir, it’s the pilot.”
- Top Gun: Maverick
You can make it from brown or Columbia. I would only leave if you strongly dislike brown & want a different college experience.
There should be no difference in your career prospects between the two schools, though most will say Columbia is better.
I promise you it’s not that deep
As a Columbia alum, agreed with everyone else - You should be fine from Brown.
Best of luck.
As a Columbia student — if you can’t make it to banking from Brown, you wouldn’t make it from Columbia either
The choice to transfer should be for collegiate reasons, not for professional reasons
And from what I see, more of my Columbia peers transfer over to Brown than the other way around. Just food for thought. The grass is always greener on the other side
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