Advice Needed- Transfer from McCombs: to NYU Stern or Cornell

I just finished my first year at UT McCombs and I now have the option to transfer to either NYU Stern or Cornell but non-Dyson (CHE).

I would still like to try IB recruiting, but I’m more focused on recruiting for consulting, as well as exploring product management and other strategy roles.

My main goal with Cornell is translational entrepreneurship, where I hope to explore the entrepreneurship scope through research, outside of traditional finance jobs. I can also come back to McCombs after a semester at Cornell.

However, I feel that now is not the time to explore, as I will be missing out on recruiting for IB and MBB consulting. But also I am not prepared for IB technicals anyway and I still have time for consulting recruiting.

Additionally, even for consulting, even if I come back to McCombs before junior year or stay at Cornell, being at NYU Stern would probably put me in a better position right?

My main thing is exploring healthcare/translational entrepreneurship in an Ivy environment for a semester, compared to limiting myself to finance at Stern or McCombs. However, Cornell 

At Stern I would be there for 3 years, but at Cornell I can try it out for a semester and then come back to McCombs.

I know for IB if I’m not well-prepared, I can’t make it anyway, and I've heard from students that Stern is actually not good for MBB consulting compared to Cornell (and Dyson is not required for consulting) as far as I've heard.

Cornell → UT McCombs
Pros:

  1. Can try out Ivy
  2. Branding of Ivy even from a semester, though not Ivy degree
  3. Close to home for support
  4. Can pursue inter-departmental work with healthcare
  5. Entrepreneurship scope at Cornell
    1. Translational research
    2. Healthcare peers for a semester
  6. Can steer away from finance mindset
    1. Healthcare peers for a semester
  7. EHub resources for entrepreneurship to work with research co-founders
  8. Y Combinator pipelines

Cons:

  1. Less robust coursework in business
  2. Already tried McCombs for a year & slow–pace didn’t suit
    1. Change of environment
    2. Not in finance clubs
  3. Miss IB cycle and may be behind on consulting cycle for sophomore internship
  4. For 1 semester:
    1. Isolation
    2. Weather
    3. Not business major

Stern
Pros:

  1. Highly interdisciplinary business curriculum
  2. Flight connectivity w/ hometown, yet independence
  3. Stern unique courses in AI with Business, PM, Consulting, Finance
  4. World-Class professors at Stern (like ex founder, VC, investment bankers, even NBC journalist & Pfizer Exec for Professional Communication course for example)
  5. One of the most prestigious undergrad business programs behind Wharton
  6. NYC networking opportunities @ Manhattan events & coffee chats
  7. Direct entry to Wall Street offers including quant
  8. Global brand, of Stern (where I get my degree vs McCombs)
    1. Recognition
    2. Alumni network
  9. Study with the world’s most influential families
  10. Finance concentration w/ entrepreneurship co-concentration, on management consulting track
    1. But not sure if majoring in entrepreneurship will help in becoming one at all

Cons:

  1. NYC traffic
  2. Lack of campus
    1. Adds to unsafety of traffic
    2. No sense of student community
    3. Hard to collaborate with students
  3. Rigorous courses due to Stern curve
  4. NYC distractions: triggers impulse and hard to control going out
    1. NYC is the hub of entertainment
  5. Missing the opportunity to go to an Ivy

Please give your honest opinion about Stern vs Cornell non-Dyson for a semester then McCombs, for someone who wants to get into business roles (PM, consulting, maybe IB or quant) but also not completely sure/exposed so wants to try alternative routes like entrepreneurship.

And is it true that Stern is worse for consulting recruiting than McCombs and Cornell non-Dyson?

2 Comments
 

It really doesn't matter which undergrad college you are in at Cornell, much less competition at Cornell vs Stern. 

 

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