Which school for IB?
Hi, I'm a 16-year-old student based in the UAE. that has been scouring WSO for a couple years now, pretty set on the IB--> HF route. Based on the feedback I recieved, I applied to top targets in the US, UK, Italy and Canada, willing to go into IB in any of these countries. If I didn't face the H1B visa issue, I would be pretty set on going into Ross/NU but I'm not sure. While there is the possibility of more relaxed visa restrictions making employment easier, I'm not sure how this might play out in the future.
US: UMich Ross (pretty established IB feeder, but recruiting is heavily club-based from what I know which makes it a risky choice - I should be somewhat ready for the possibility of not getting into a top club at Ross like MII/GIC/Apex). I've also got into Northwestern Weinberg and the recent NUIBC acceptances have been crazy! However, I have heard that NUIBC (their investment banking club) only has a 20% acceptance rate though that's only from a single reddit thread and I haven't seen much information about it. One thing I want to definitely avoid is striking out at Ross or Northwestern because I'll be stuck coming back to the UAE. My dad thinks Ross>NU but I think NU>Ross based on what I've read here about Ross recently (Only 20 SA internships out of 60 targeting IB!) Visa does obviously factor in here, because why would I spend close to $400k if I'm not even going to be able to get a job in America? Small thing that does factor in here is that the VC environment in the US is quite large, if I do decide to skip out on IB entirely and start my own venture.
UK: UCL Economics, and waiting on LSE. UCL is clearly not the greatest university in the UK but it is a target.
Canada: Western Ivey HBA AEO, UofT Rotman. Ivey is the clear choice here but I am international so unsure, parents are also unsure about taking Ivey due to weak brand-name and them thinking Ross/NU would be the clear choice. I heard Ivey has recently fell off though due to less TN visas (didn't apply to me anyways) plus just hasn't had great US IBplacements though I'm completely open to working in Canadian IB (not sure because market size is still significantly smaller than the US)
Italy: Bocconi BIEF (Heard that you need to learn Italian to secure any local roles and Bocconi grads only land offers since they can help generate dealflow if they speak Italian - I'm pretty terrible at learning languages and still can't read/write or even clearly speak my mother tongue).
In terms of price, I'm full-pay for all of these and my parents are able to afford all options due to decently large savings, owning property as my dad is the Head of Corp Finance & IB for a major UAE bank though he recommended me to work in international roles due to Emiratization (limited career growth in the UAE). Obviously I'd want to pay a little less though because $400k in the US universities is still a massive commitment. I'd estimate our family income is approximately $200k annually (plus I'd say $100k in bonus?). I also have a venture that has generated me $90k in savings. I'd estimate that this will generate $40k annually once I leave Dubai so that might give some content on my financial situation. I will incur no debt as my parents' only condition is that I go to university (long-term belief in my family) and will have the savings I have to sustain myself in whichever country I go to. Essentially, university cost isn't an issue for me so I don't think that's a huge factor but obv I'll want the one with the most ROI.
In terms of GPA & how I am a student, I pretty much hate writing creative essays but haven't been against writing analytical essays on businesses. Math and Economics have pretty much been my strength though I'm not really great at writing essays in general. (I'm saying this because some schools have different ways of teaching & grading so it might affect my GPA in the future). I've been able to get a 3.95 GPA in HS (44/45 IB predicted) but college is a totally different ball-game and I need a high GPA to not be instantly ignored by all the large BB/EBs in any country, so this might factor in.
TLDR: Which university do I choose?
UK: UCL Economics
US: UMich Ross & Northwestern Weinberg
Canada: Western Ivey AEO & UofT Rotman Commerce
Italy: Bocconi BIEF
Looking mainly at Ross or Northwestern.
No financial aid at any of these, and am full-pay.
Based on the most helpful WSO content, here's a breakdown of your options and considerations for Investment Banking (IB):
United States: UMich Ross vs. Northwestern Weinberg
Verdict: If you're confident in your ability to secure a top club at Ross, it might be the better choice due to its established IB pipeline. However, Northwestern offers a strong alternative with growing IB placement and broader prestige.
United Kingdom: UCL Economics (Waiting on LSE)
Verdict: If you get into LSE, it should be your top choice in the UK. Otherwise, UCL is a solid target but not as strong as your U.S. options.
Canada: Western Ivey HBA AEO vs. UofT Rotman
Verdict: Ivey is the better choice in Canada, but it doesn't compare to your U.S. or UK options for international IB roles.
Italy: Bocconi BIEF
Verdict: Bocconi is a strong European target but less ideal if you're not willing to learn Italian.
Key Considerations
Final Recommendation
Your decision ultimately depends on your confidence in navigating competitive environments (e.g., Ross clubs, NUIBC) and your willingness to tackle visa challenges in the U.S.
Sources: UVA or Cornell?, Comprehensive List of Target Schools for Investment Banking, UK Target Universities Discussion Thread, https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forum/investment-banking/should-i-do-a-phd-at-an-ultra-target-university-if-i-want-to-be-an-ib?customgpt=1, LBS vs UCL vs Imperial for IB
No one's reading all that lol, go touch grass kid you're still 16
my bad for thinking ahead lol. probably still in a better place than your miserable insufferable self leaving unhelpful comments on wso.
pls saaar i want job in IB saaarrr
The other guy’s delivery was trash but his point still stands, you’re 16 with acceptances to Ross, NU, Ivey, UCL, and Bocconi, that’s a strong position, respect.
But you’ve been on WSO “for a couple years” meaning since you were 14, and that’s more concerning than impressive. Pick whichever city you’d actually enjoy living in, Ann Arbor is a proper college town, Evanston is basically a Chicago suburb, visit both if you have the money (which you clearly do), and stop trying to min-max your life before you’ve started it.
Northwestern. Depends on the course at LSE.
econ at lse, just got the offer too
Oh yeah if it's straight Economics at LSE, that's your best shot. One of the best uni/courses for IB, you'd have to get it seriously wrong to end up with no IB role. Unless you have a really strong reason to not be in the UK I'd take it
Ross internship data is completely wrong lmao. Idk where the 20 number is coming from, my club alone has 20 seniors going into IB
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