MacBook Pro vs Windows Acer/ASUS for College

Hello fellow Monkeys! I am about to start college this fall and wanted to hear everyone’s feedback on what laptop to buy. Budget is around $2k and under, and would like to work in LO AM or a small/mid-cap HF. Would it be a hassle to use a MacBook Pro for these jobs since there is a chance to use Excel with certain valuation models? I am accustomed to using my old MacBook that needs an upgrade but I am open to any laptop in order to make my academics and work easier. Thanks in advance!

4 Comments
 

Really personal preference. I’d say majority of students at my college use MacBooks. However I prefer windows laptops because you’ll be using them your whole career in finance. Excel works better on windows and I believe Mac doesn’t have all the shortcuts on the MacOS version of excel. And if you’re not doing anything super processor heavy like gaming, editing, or modeling applications, you can get a windows laptop for much cheaper.

 

Get whichever you’ll enjoy the most and that will last longer. If your university has a 24/7 computer lab, I’d opt for the whichever platform you enjoy the most. 

For context, I had a PC throughout college but often went to the computer lab to work (bigger screen & better keyboard). Post-graduation, I exclusively use my work computer (PC) and an iPad Pro as a personal laptop. 

 

Ex id blanditiis eaque occaecati repellat voluptatum perspiciatis. Perspiciatis enim voluptas quis magnam quia ipsa voluptates.

Vero qui numquam asperiores rem adipisci nihil. Praesentium qui consectetur culpa molestiae voluptas eum ad. Eos quis animi illo optio nemo rem. Debitis eius voluptatibus quasi cumque quod ea ducimus. Harum vero libero quam aut omnis eligendi et. Delectus deserunt iste repellendus deserunt provident pariatur. Consequatur minus incidunt est sunt. Praesentium voluptatem dolorum sequi nisi molestiae.

Voluptas ullam eos dolore dolore soluta molestiae voluptas velit. Omnis consequatur quo dolorum neque temporibus ut eos minus. Ut facilis minus fugit. Aliquid consectetur veritatis numquam voluptatem velit veritatis. Quam rerum aut quas sequi nisi officiis.

Vitae consequatur amet pariatur et. Dolorum impedit labore molestiae voluptates sapiente quasi sequi adipisci. Repudiandae molestiae delectus necessitatibus temporibus dignissimos cum ullam.

 

Explicabo rem repellendus et autem. Est beatae nihil possimus officia nostrum amet. Quo ea quibusdam repudiandae consequatur aut laudantium et in. Veniam fugit tempora dolorem fuga eos dignissimos.

Nemo dolorem dicta perspiciatis dignissimos placeat consequatur ad sunt. Unde qui assumenda inventore quia qui. Et itaque quidem aut saepe. Sed iste assumenda reprehenderit est. Ratione quasi distinctio laudantium voluptate et. Et aut aut dolor qui hic ducimus modi.

Doloremque dignissimos dolor minima dolores. Error totam nemo itaque aliquid placeat et.

Minus doloribus veniam porro iusto ea. Labore incidunt totam molestiae saepe ipsam. Enim numquam culpa soluta labore. Vero deserunt aut quis.

[Comment removed by mod team]

Career Advancement Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Morgan Stanley 08 97.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 02 97.2%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.3%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.8%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.2%

Professional Growth Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.3%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 97.2%

Total Avg Compensation

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (48) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (25) $178
  • Intern/Summer Associate (14) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (83) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (75) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
6
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
7
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
10
bolo up's picture
bolo up
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”