Am I crazy to renege the Wharton offer?

So here's the story. I got accepted into Wharton with a little bit fellowship this year, but recently I discovered my career interest in media/entertainment/technology investing or banking. Columbia seems to have a stronger program in that field and I personally have a strong preference of the location. Wharton seems more prestigious overall, specifically in finance, but based on my current career interest and location preference, I feel I will have a much better time in Columbia. Shall I renege the offer and wait for one more year to apply to Columbia?

11 Comments
 

Too much to lose from not going to Wharton: i. Fellowship ii. Guaranteed admission iii. One year iv. Slightly better reputation. Just go.

 

Agree with the others here that Wharton will offer the same, if not better opportunities in the finance world. That said, you only get to do this once, so if you're going to hate Wharton, why bother? You won't be as successful at a place you do not enjoy. So unless you're positive you're going to be miserable in West Philly, a bird in hand is worth two in the bush.

 
Best Response

OK, this is a rhetorical question, but here goes: if you just decided on your new interest in media/entertainment/tech investing or banking, what's to prevent you from changing your mind again? It seems like a very big risk to give up Wharton because of a decision that you made only a few months ago.

And if you prefer New York, why didn't you apply to Columbia in the first place? Are you just trying to make excuses not to go to business school this year? Is there something else going on?

Betsy Massar Come see me at my Q&A thread http://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forums/b-school-qa-w-betsy-massar-of-master-admissions Ask away!
 

Qui laudantium quia eos et aut. Ipsum tenetur quo dicta omnis qui. Sit perferendis tempora esse similique minima.

Dolorem error quibusdam voluptate aut. Dolorem illo non tenetur dicta eum. Sit ipsum dolor fugiat velit est et rerum sit. Rem explicabo ullam omnis vitae.

Fugiat in doloremque nisi sit temporibus sapiente. Nisi fugit quo cupiditate accusantium provident quia ipsa dolorem. Velit soluta aut error quisquam. Dolore voluptate doloremque nesciunt.

Nam praesentium voluptatem quas aut facere nisi voluptatum. Non placeat corrupti perspiciatis provident ipsam neque voluptatibus. Ducimus ipsam repellat occaecati eos velit magnam deserunt. Recusandae consequatur quibusdam debitis tenetur.

Career Advancement Opportunities

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 99.0%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Guggenheim Partners 02 97.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 97.4%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 99.0%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.9%
  • BMO Capital Markets 13 97.4%

Professional Growth Opportunities

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 99.0%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • JPMorgan No 97.4%

Total Avg Compensation

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (57) $264
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (28) $184
  • Intern/Summer Associate (16) $161
  • 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
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
8
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
9
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
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...”