Columbia School of General Studies (GS) reputation/transfer worth?
Current UG at UCLA and my eventual goal is to break into I-Banking. Have the option to transfer to Columbia GS Econ (Took 2 years off, so not eligible for CC/SEAS), and cost isn't an issue for me. Is it worth transferring to GS given I'm a non-vet or should I just stay at UCLA?
Mostly concerned about the GS vs CC/SEAS difference in recruiting.
There is no clear answer to your question. It really depends on who reads your application or who interviews you. There will always be a few people who consider GS is not as prestigious as the others. Also, I would not assume that GS students have proved their diligence/hard-work to break into the admissions process that is on par with those from the most selective college. But, at the end of the day, recruitments are not all about the prestige. For example, a dedicated UCLA undergrad who organized an Investment Research Club, won several competitions such as the CFA Institute Research Challenge, and contributed to an equity research that culminated in doubling the Sharpe ratio during an internship at a small hedge fund would be much more impressive than a CC student highlighting his HS accomplishments. Also, it is always better to be a proactive UCLA student with a demonstrated preparations to work at IBD during a networking event in comparison to an introvert Columbia student who sit quietly for an hour and leave. Likewise, if your dedication does not manifest in your resume well, you would not be able to compete with a well-prepared Stony Brook undergrad. Rather, from your point of view, a neglected factor that you failed to consider is the distance from your apartment to BB offices. It means that you can attend more networking events both on and off campus to highlight your strengths and preparations to join these companies. It can allow you to interview with boutique firms that do not make presence in California. It also means that you can attend super days with your best condition. This proximity advantage is much more important than your concerns about GS vs CC/SEAS.
If I were you, I would write down list of options available to UCLA undergrad and GS undergrad that are relevant to IBD. For example, what student clubs can you join at UCLA vs GS? How are placement statistics at these clubs? Did you talk to their current members to discuss about your candidacy to join them? Did these clubs show prominent competition results? Do these clubs provide networking opportunities with alumni for potential referrals? How do differences in these options weigh against the distance problem?
If I may ask, what's wrong with UCLA Econ? Are you doing this strictly for recruiting purposes or are there issues with UCLA that could be resolved by transferring to Columbia?
Plenty of my peers and myself included are headed to MBBs and BBs for internships and FTs. While UCLA has a weird (almost toxic) culture around finance/consulting, its definitely doable even if you choose to distance yourself from those clubs
Hey! I'm a current Columbia undergraduate. From my experience, there is virtually no difference whatsoever in terms of recruitment for the three undergraduate schools (CC/GS/SEAS). The question gets a little more tricky when you include Barnard, as some perceive it to be a backdoor into Columbia, although I personally disagree. Internally, there's not really a difference in the caliber of students between the undergraduate colleges. I do believe GS has a slightly higher GPA on average relative to CC and has produced more Rhodes Scholars recently, but CC has a larger endowment and a more storied history. Ultimately, any undergraduate college within Columbia will in my experience make you an extremely competitive candidate for IB / any front-office position. I had a (relatively) easy time recruiting this season and landed multiple cool superdays and ultimately offers, despite a fairly unimpressive GPA.
I’m a current GS Student, feel free to PM me!
I have no idea about comping GS with UCLA but can confirm GS students have access to the same OCR/career and academic opportunities as CC/SEAS. As yet, no one I’ve encountered in recruiting (on or off campus) has cared *at all* about the distinction and in fact I think it’s kind of an advantage in interviews because you have the target name on your resume and the connections of the school plus usually you have other experience and a more interesting backstory than CC & SEAS kids. Also normally being in NYC is a value add for networking, though not so much now bc covid.
I would also say the GS student body is extremely diverse and while there are a lot of milvets there are also a lot of students from other bgs. In general I’ve found Columbia students, regardless of school, are talented, intelligent, and highly motivated and I find it really inspiring to go to school with them—this has been the best part about transferring for me. Lots of finance clubs to join too: Lion Fund, CFIG, CU Econ Society, 116th and Partners, CVP, etc. that lend you a network of students that have gone on to work at top notch firms.
If anything I would say apply and give yourself the option to transfer while you learn more about the school. Like I said, feel free to reach out if you want to talk!
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