Columbia vs Cornell Dyson vs Dartmouth
I don't care that much about campus vibes or the social scene. I just want to know which one has the most prestige and the best placement outcomes. I've done a lot of research, and this is what people seem to say about these colleges:
- Dartmouth: Strong, tight-knit alumni network; good Greek life and college experience; D-Plan. Some say nepotism (?). Laid-back, community-oriented atmosphere. Small school. Outdoor culture. Ranked #326 in Best Global Universities??
- Columbia: Located in NYC, with a strong brand name. Easier access to internships and interviews since you're basically in Manhattan, which gives recruiting advantages. US News ranking scandal. Networking is easier in person, though alumni may be less responsive. Core curriculum.
- Cornell Dyson: Better recruiting than Cornell Economics. More pre-professional. Dyson is a business school. Ithaca is depressing as hell. Considered the “worst Ivy” by some people. Huge student body.
I have no idea which one to choose. Is Dyson better than Econ? Does it have a difference in terms of recruiting if you are from a UG Business? I'm planning to break into finance in the future. I like that Columbia is in NYC, and Dartmouth has a really good alumni network.
Fade Dartmouth. Its in 2026, you want a good exposure to STEM beside simply just IBD even if its that something you want to pursue, which is something Columbia and Cornell offer. I am currently a student at Cornell, but I would lowkey go to Columbia because of the location. The bus ride from Cornell to NYC is lowkey annoying.
Hi! Thank you for your response. Does Dyson have an advantage over Columbia/ Dartmouth in terms of recruiting just bc it is a business school? Or does it not really matter?
It is very helpful to learn about business, finance, spreadsheet computing as part of the class. But, I think there isn't much difference between columbia and dyson. Fade dartmouth tho, too many nepo
Most objective people will tell you they’re all relative and each have their pros and cons. Recruiting and placement doesn’t work the way kids on WSO think it works. No two candidates are exactly the same and it’ll never come down to “Oh this kid went to Columbia? We gotta take him over the Cornell kid then”. Most banks and groups have their pet schools so “worse” schools can do a lot better than “better” schools placement wise. Mix in diversity, nepotism, GPA, major, general vibe, and how your interviewers are feeling that day and you have a very subjective system in place.
Prestige is subjective so not even going to bother to go there. I guess Columbia is the “most prestigious” and then Cornell and Dartmouth change based on if you’re referring to within the industry, within the US broadly, or globally.
Coming from someone who was very involved in recruiting for a GS/MS/JPM.
Wow, thanks for your honest response. I don't know why, but it seems like people tend to hate on Cornell in this forum and idolize Dartmouth when comparing the two schools (although I think they are both amazing). When it comes to recruiting for BB, as you mentioned, which school between Dartmouth and Cornell Dyson has better placement and alumni network? Ik that u said Columbia but between only Dart and Cornell which one would be the best?
This is such cope man Cornell is never a peer to Columbia. Ask yourself if you know anyone at Cornell that got in to Columbia… if not, they are not peers.
Uh what?
Pretty program dependent, lot of STEM (particularly CS / engineering) is better at Cornell v. Columbia
Agree as an overall generalization that Columbia is seen as a step above Cornell though (saying this as a Cornell grad)
Columbia, without a doubt, places better than Dyson and Dart. Look into placements out of the top clubs like LionFund, 116th, and Alpha Partners and you will see the difference. Plenty of people also place outside of these clubs as well.
Dartmouth for an easier time recruiting. That global ranking stuff is retarded - it's because they don't have a graduate student/research focus.
Columbia
Omg Isaiah aren't you like a superstar here on WSO? Wasn't even expecting to see your comment under my post as well
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