CMU Tepper vs. NYU CAS vs. Emory BBA

Hey guys,

I’m currently a senior in high school trying to decide between CMU Tepper, Emory BBA, and NYU CAS. I’m mainly interested in traditional finance roles such as investment banking, corporate banking or commercial banking, ideally at a BB in NYC. I’m not interested in quant roles or the buy side.

I’m a student-athlete and the coaches at all three schools are willing to offer me a spot on the team and support my application. That makes the decision difficult because I view all three as relatively comparable in terms of overall prestige/brand name.

CMU Tepper

Pros (my view): Strong overall reputation, especially because of CMU’s strength in CS/engineering + Tepper is an actual undergraduate business school

Cons (my view): Pitt isn’t my preferred location + seems less finance-focused than some peer business schools + CMU has a very strong/competive CS/quant culture, while I’m more interested in traditional finance

Emory BBA

Pros (My view): strong undergrad business program + the matriculation system makes entering the BBA program relatively straightforward compared with transferring internally at some schools (such as CAS --> Stern) + close to Atlanta and has a strong overall academic reputation (T25)

Cons (my view): not a huge fan of the campus/dorms + my goal is NYC rather than Atlanta, so I’m not sure how strong the NYC pipeline is compared with the other options

NYU CAS

Pros (my view): NYC location and proximity to virtually every major firm + huge alumni network in finance (thanks to Stern) + opportunity to take some Stern courses via Open Access+ potentially easier to network and intern  because of the location

Cons (my view): I would be studying Econ in CAS rather than attending Stern + finance clubs seem very competitive for non-Stern + transferring internally to Stern seems impossible + not sure how recruiters view NYU CAS compared with Tepper or Emory BBA

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Cost and other relatively minor factors aren’t major concerns for me. Ofc my ideal outcome would be IB in NYC, but I’d also be very happy with corporate or commercial banking at a BB, which I realize may be realistic.

How would you compare NYU CAS Econ vs. Emory BBA vs. CMU Tepper in terms of placement into NYC and overall prestige & opportunities?

I’d really appreciate any input from those who have gone through recruiting at these schools. Thanks a lot!