Notre Dame to PE
Hello I am a senior in high school considering: Penn State Smeal (State School, $180k all in), Notre Dame ($360k all in), and Rice ($380k all in).
My question for this forum is does Notre Dame place straight into PE? Obviously the placements wont be as consistent as say Wharton or Harvard Econ but if I'm going to pay $360k I definitely want a chance to go straight to PE. My goal is to be an investor, if I have to do IB first sobeit but I would like to atleast have a shot at PE.
Based on the most helpful WSO content, Notre Dame is considered a strong semi-target school for finance, including investment banking (IB) and private equity (PE). While it may not have the same direct PE placement consistency as Wharton or Harvard, it does provide a solid foundation for breaking into IB, which is the most common route to PE.
Notre Dame has a strong alumni network and is often described as underrated in terms of placement. Many students from Notre Dame successfully land roles at top banks and eventually transition to PE. However, going directly into PE from undergrad is rare, even for top-tier schools, as most PE firms prefer candidates with prior IB or consulting experience.
If your ultimate goal is PE, attending Notre Dame can still be a viable path, especially if you leverage its alumni network, perform well academically, and secure internships in IB or related fields. However, the $360k cost is significant, so you should weigh this against the potential return on investment and consider whether the opportunities at Notre Dame justify the expense compared to more affordable options like Penn State Smeal.
Sources: Why you should consider Notre Dame for undergrad, Why you should consider Notre Dame for undergrad, Full ride at Notre Dame or $150K at Harvard/Wharton, Last-minute Decision: Vanderbilt vs. IU-Kelley (undergrad), Thoughts on Notre Dame?
Dude I'm not going to lie; absolutely none of these are worth the money. Nobody should be paying close to $200k for Penn State, and full tuition at ND & Rice is also super high. I'm not even sure what you should do, but I'd consider other schools or maybe reapplying next year to get better scholarships if possible. Unless you are 100% fine with the costs, go to ND since it'll be the best option for recruiting and is cheaper than Rice.
There is an ok representation from Penn State in IB, but I don't think they have OCR, and it's nowhere near as great as ND or Rice; look it up on LinkedIn and see how good it is, but ND is a top 10 target for IB/PE recruiting.
what this guy said.
Forget PE, ND might be your only chance to get into IB. Penn State and Rice will be a long shot to do that. ND is well connected in IB, especially in Chicago.
How good would I have to be to place into PE out of ND? Should I start networking with PE people early? I’m not sure who to ask about PE stuff I only have IB contacts
Soph at a target so not as knowledgeable, but idt pe firms even recruit out of ND undergrad. Definitely heavily consider IB
ND places the best out of any of those, can place at NY or CHI BB, EB, or MM banks.
No financial aid from ND? If you're international i wopuld understand, but are you domestic? they're usually quite generous, even for people from wealthier backgrounds
No, 2% of admitted students get merit aid. I didn't get any need-based. They are now need-blind for internationals now so maybe it used to be better for domestic.
Rice is great for energy funds, tons of those guys at places like encap - will probably need to stay in Houston though
Not a single one of those schools is worth that much money. Insane to see how much prices have changed in just a decade. I feel for you kids. Take a gap year and apply to some top 50 schools or something if you're really that concerned about placement + try to earn some more scholarships/grants. That much cost to attend what are best C/B- list schools is ABSURD.
Yeah, I wouldn’t recommend any of these—way too expensive. You can find much more affordable options and still have a great shot at landing a spot if you’re willing to put in the work and grind it out.
ND/Rice are both good schools that will serve you well. Lot of Mendoza people around
If you want to maximize your finance chances, go to ND. You might not place into PE directly but you have a solid shot at a good banking job.
ND grads are dorks - I've never heard a college story from one that sounded fun
Could probably say that for all of the ivies
ok you're pretty much right lol
PSU has equivalent placement to ND if you make it into the Nittany Lion Fund. But not many people do.
Facts. PSU NLF > Notre Dame generic on placements.
Did you just respond "Facts" to your own comment? Kind of confused here.
Bro this has to be a joke. $360k in student loans will be almost $4k a month for 10 years. Taking on that much debt is really dumb. You gotta find somewhere cheaper.
folks paying for a decent portion
I would say choose ND
I went to Rice, and the all in cost is not that high lol. You can do a quick google search to verify this.
You still have time to apply to other schools. Try ivys / public ivys that might be able to give you some scholarship. Taking $360K in debt is idiotic, you’ll be paying that back for a long time before you’re positive net worth. Go to a community college and transfer if you have no other choices.
Not going to comment on costs.
Notre Dame - by far your best bet for finance. I work with several ND alumni (and i'm on the east coast, not Chicago). See them all the time in industry.
Rice - known to be a good school, but only choose if you want to be in Houston. Just a smaller school / not a huge alumni presence outside of Texas.
Penn State - I see PS alumni occasionally in the industry but it's rare. It would definitely be viewed as a sizeable step below the other options.
Appreciate it
Go to PSU and get in the fund. NLF > Notre Dame.
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