Berkeley vs Cornell for IB

I am a rising sophomore at Berkeley, and I received a guaranteed transfer option to Cornell AEM. Is Cornell better than Berkeley for ibanking? If so, does anyone know how much better it is (like how many more Cornell grads place in BB than Berkeley grads)? And is it a lot easier to get an interview at a BB from Cornell? Thanks guys. I don't want to transfer to Cornell and regret it, so I truly appreciate your responses.

 

Hey OP -

Not so sure what to tell you. Both schools are great. But the bigger question I would ask myself if I were in your shoes is where you want to end up in a couple of years. Berkeley sends more kids to the West Coast for obvious reasons while I'm sure more Cornell grads tend to go to the East Coast.

Another factor to consider is whether or not you really want that Ivy League title lol. Other than that, I'd say it's almost like splitting hairs - it would be a easier comparison if you were transferring to HYP.

I wish you well. Just make sure to focus on what really matters (e.g. GPA/Networking/Continuing to hustle) rather than being obsessed with which school you end up at. I went to a semi-target and I'm happy with where I am.

 

Thank you guys for your responses! It's a hard decision for me because I have not been admitted to Haas yet (i will need to complete my Haas application next semester). Although my grades are pretty good (3.9 currently), getting into Haas has gotten a lot more difficult recently. Haas has made it so that they emphasize "fit" more than "grades" :(, and I know a ton of 4.0 students with business ECs that got rejected this year. Thus, I am a little uncertain about my chances. I feel like Cornell AEM > Berkeley Economics in terms of job prospects, which is making it hard for me to decide whether or not I should take the chance of not getting into Haas.

 

Came from Berkeley Econ and got placed just fine. If you network then you are on roughly equal footing with the Haas kids once you get through the first round of interviews, the main difference is you might not get as many interviews (i.e. a Haas student with a 3.9 will win out over an Econ student with a 3.9 on a pure resume drop, but this difference is negated with networking).

 
Best Response

At BERKELEY, you can RIOT and SMASH IN WINDOWS without any CONSEQUENCES. That's basically PARADISE, why would you ever want to LEAVE such an incredible place?

 

Listen to Overpaid Excel Jock who posted earlier in this thread that he/she was from Berkeley Econ and still placed fine. Maybe you could PM him/her to find out more. I think networking is very important for someone like you. Also, try to have some close friends at Haas who can keep you updated on everything Haas students would know about recruiting.

 

Cornell - smaller class sizes, more prestigious program (Ivy league versus state school), and better placement into opportunities in NY, especially IB/PE. Alumni network about even for both, but again Cornell much stronger in NY.

 

Does it matter? You're already at Berkeley.

But since you ask, I'll give you my perspective. For international students, network is hugely important. A fair few of the jobs on my school's career website do not allow F-1 students to apply because of sponsorship issues, and online apps will be more of a blackhole than for Americans. But firms will hire internationals if they're really good and have a lot of potential. The key is to grab someone's attention at the firm and make them want to interview you - they'll then put you on the interview list.

It is my opinion that there are a lot more Cornell alumni in finance in NYC. This translates to more networking opportunities and, therefore, more chances to get that interview. That said, UCB has a solid alumni base also. As long as you reach out to these alumni and make a compelling case, you should do just fine.

 

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