Hi I wanted to ask as a current freshman transferring in as a sophomore would I have better career outcomes at Emory or NYU Stern? Just hoping for some perspective as I know as an incoming sophomore it would be incredibly hard to recruit for any top Stern clubs. This is all in the context of ib recruiting.
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Stern if you want to be backstabbed relentlessly during recruiting
Based on the most helpful WSO content, NYU Stern is widely recognized as a strong "finance school" and a top choice for investment banking (IB) recruiting, especially in New York. Stern's proximity to Wall Street and its reputation as a target school for bulge bracket banks (e.g., Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, Morgan Stanley) make it a standout option for IB career outcomes. NYU Stern is also ranked among the top 10 schools for bulge bracket IB recruitment, with a 3.0% representation in hiring focus.
However, as you mentioned, transferring as a sophomore might make it challenging to join top Stern clubs, which are often critical for networking and recruiting. Despite this, Stern's overall reputation and access to IB opportunities in New York still provide a significant advantage.
On the other hand, Emory is a solid school but does not have the same level of IB recruiting focus as Stern. If your goal is to break into IB, especially in New York, Stern would likely offer better career outcomes due to its stronger alumni network, recruiting pipeline, and location.
Ultimately, while the difficulty of joining Stern clubs as a sophomore is a valid concern, the overall recruiting advantages at Stern outweigh this challenge for IB-focused students.
Sources: NYU Stern vs UC Berkeley, Investment Banking University Recruiting Report – 7 Key Takeaways, Georgetown MSB vs NYU Stern?, STERN (No $$) vs. Yale ($$) for IB
Stern wins on paper: deeper OCR, NYC proximity, club pipeline straight into IB. But email 2-3 finance club presidents now and ask how transfers fare in sophomore recruiting. If the answer is discouraging, Emory with a near-perfect GPA and aggressive networking is a fine path. Pick the place that gives you the cleaner shot at interviews, then prep firm by firm on what each bank actually asks.
Went Stern, got most top club interviews ( VQ , IAG , etc ) did well in most but as the nature of the beast I think that it makes much more sense for clubs to take on freshman compared to sophomores. No hate, alums have been iffy in response but not like I have another choice lol
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