Undergrad: WashU vs IU Kelley vs UVA vs UNC Chapel Hill

Hello,

I am a senior in high school who is just finishing the college admission process. So far the schools that I have been accepted to and are still considering are in the title. I still have to find out about UC Berkeley and UMichigan Ross in the next few days. I have also been waitlisted at NYU Stern. I am leaning towards IB but wouldn't be surprised if I ended up somewhere else in the field of business, i.e. consulting, etc. So far I am leaning mostly towards WashU for several reasons. I like the smaller class sizes, its generally the most prestigious out of those bunch, and employment statistics and IB recruiting really has been improving over the past several years. I do intend to go to grad school but I would like some good experience to boost my resume before I apply, thus making IB recruiting one of the more important things to me. Of course this is a worry for WashU as it may not be as strong as others in this department. Some qualms that I have for the other schools include the large size of the other three public schools, having to wait a year or more before applying to the business schools at UVA and UNC, and IU's general lack of prestige. Cost is not really an issue as I don't qualify for financial aid. As for Berkeley and Michigan Ross, if I get in, I am fine with Michigan, but worry about the level of competitiveness and grade deflation present at Berkeley. If anyone could point me in the right direction, I would be tremendously grateful.

Thank You!

Edit: Waitlisted at Berkeley, still hppeful though as they have a 55% acceptance rate off their waitlist. Accepted to Michigan for LSA, waiting on decision for Ross BBA.

22 Comments
 

washu might actually be the worst out of every school you mentioned for IB. just fyi.

Not sure why I'm getting hit with MS, but if anyone can tell me how WashU is better than Virginia/Berkeley/Michigan, Stern, UNC, or Kelley, please let me know. WashU is a good academic school and probably better for those who are less preprofessional. Not saying it's a bad school, but it's just not a destination for those interested in IB.

 

If this were me, UVA no question.

IU is on a lower academic tier than all of these schools, and should be immediately thrown out.

WashU is a great school, but it will be less fun than UVA and less recruitment / smaller alumni base in finance.

UNC is pretty much a worse UVA.

If you really like the culture / class sizes/ etc. then I can see a case being made for WashU, but imo UVA is the way to go.

For the record, I'm in college, but I do not go to UVA.

 

Personally would be choosing between Umich Ross and UVA if banking/consulting is your end goal, deffinetly the best opportunities from those two schools (assuming NYU is off the table, if not would add them into the mix as well)

 

As of now I'd go with UVA or UMich. UCB Haas is a 2 year program in which you'll apply internally just like with UVA, IU and UNC. I don't know much about WashU. If you're ultra liberal and jive well with west coast mofos you'll be chillin at UCB, if not, you'll hate it. My bottom line advice would be go to UMich Ross if you get accepted there, if not, go to UVA or UMich LSA-whichever you like better as the difference in prestige and recruiting is negligible. Best of luck!

 
Best Response

If you really want to do IB, look at the IU IBW program. They have a website and you can see where all the kids place and they are at some great shops in NYC. There is competition to get into the IBW, but I think it’s placement is unbelievable. Don’t discount Kelley because it’s under the IU system. I know banks understand the difference. There is a reason the IU IBW is a target at places like Moelis, Perella, and Barclays.

 

If you get into Ross, it's a discussion, but if you don't- go to UVA.

If you can't get into McIntire you probably won't be able to get an IB role anyway, as over 50% of the applicants get in

You could go for berkeley for the vibe and location, but purely for opps on wall street- UVA is the best

 

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