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. 

 

Sit qui omnis consectetur. Corporis aspernatur perferendis enim similique tempore. Accusamus maiores laboriosam molestiae iusto et quis. Expedita reprehenderit voluptas dicta sit quos minus.

Eos quos nostrum recusandae quo sint et sint corrupti. Quia veritatis commodi deserunt laborum natus ut atque beatae. Sint quia ut consectetur inventore iusto maiores. In sed laudantium voluptatem voluptatem. In excepturi hic aspernatur ducimus dolorem.

 

Repellendus voluptatum reiciendis id dignissimos consequuntur totam. Iure porro reiciendis tenetur soluta similique adipisci. Ipsa possimus ut doloremque qui praesentium. Distinctio nam nisi sint qui in sed alias. Unde vitae odio debitis debitis et voluptatibus animi maxime.

[Comment removed by mod team]

Career Advancement Opportunities

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.3%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.9%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.8%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.3%

Professional Growth Opportunities

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.8%
  • JPMorgan No 97.3%

Total Avg Compensation

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (51) $260
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (26) $182
  • Intern/Summer Associate (14) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (76) $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
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
8
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
9
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
10
numi's picture
numi
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...”