Georgetown Placement Question
Hey WSO. I recently committed to Georgetown University (got off the waitlist) and I know it is a great school and a target, and at this point my resume, GPA, and networking skills will matter more, but I am curious how Georgetown pales in comparison to Brown, Cornell, and Northwestern for NYC IB strictly. If you could give your fully honest non-biased answer I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks a lot!
Based on the most helpful WSO content, Georgetown University is a strong target school for investment banking, particularly for New York City placements. It has a significant alumni presence on Wall Street and places well at both bulge bracket (BB) and elite boutique (EB) banks. However, when comparing Georgetown to Brown, Cornell, and Northwestern strictly for NYC IB, here’s how they stack up:
Cornell: Among the four schools, Cornell is the strongest for NYC IB placements. It has a higher representation at large Wall Street firms and is consistently ranked as a top target school for bulge bracket banks. If your primary goal is maximizing your chances for NYC IB, Cornell would likely be the best choice.
Northwestern: Northwestern is also a strong contender, with solid placement into NYC IB. However, it has a slightly broader focus, with some students leaning towards consulting or other industries. It’s a great school, but for NYC IB specifically, it might rank just below Cornell.
Georgetown: Georgetown places very well into NYC IB, especially given its strong alumni network and focus on finance. While it may not have the same level of representation as Cornell, it’s still a solid target school and offers excellent opportunities for networking and placement.
Brown: Brown is the weakest of the four for NYC IB placements. While it’s still a target school, its representation in investment banking is lower compared to the other three. Brown might appeal more if you’re looking for a less traditional, more flexible academic environment, but for NYC IB, it’s not as competitive.
In summary, for NYC IB strictly, the ranking would likely be: Cornell > Northwestern > Georgetown > Brown. That said, your personal efforts—GPA, networking, and internships—will play a significant role in your success regardless of the school.
Sources: Investment Banking University Recruiting Report – 7 Key Takeaways, College Decision: Georgetown vs Cornell vs Northwestern, Georgetown MSB vs Michigan Ross vs UC Berkeley, Comprehensive List of Target Schools for Investment Banking, Brown vs. Cornell
I've never understood the obsession with rankings on this site. Going to Brown vs Georgetown vs Northwestern vs Cornell won't make any meaningful difference in your recruiting outcomes. A top candidate at Cornell would do just fine at Georgetown or Northwestern or Brown etc... If you're a bottom candidate, you'd struggle at any of these schools.
Ok that's good to hear they are all basically equal. My goal is to work for a EB like Lazard, Evercore, or Centerview so I'm going to grind at Georgetown really hard for it. What should I be doing at Georgetown other than getting a really high gpa, interacting with people in clubs like finance and consulting, and learning technicals?
Georgetown alum here, here is my advice (Though I did not go down the IB route).
Good GPA
If you're gunning for an EB, you should go for a finance club. If you can't get in-- no worries. Any professionally-oriented experience would help.
An underrated aspect of the resume is leadership (and even in a non finance setting). Getting elected president/VP of a club shows that you're likeable... you don't want to come off as some finance drone who has no interest outside of breaking into IB.
Getting involved in other spaces on campus (club sports, campus ministry, music groups, dance club, etc...) will not only enrich your college experience, but also make your resume interesting.
Other thing is networking. Sophomore year before applications come out, you should network with alum at target banks.
I'd study technicals early on too. Even business school kids often don't take advanced finance classes until after recruiting starts, so don't rely on classes to prep you. If I remember correctly, business school kids took accounting spring freshman year and intro to finance fall of sophomore year. The intro finance class is pretty basic so it won't be enough for the technicals at EBs. If you're not in the business school, then there's even more of a necessity to study technicals.
Georgetown is an amazing experience, so please enjoy it and don't just live in the books... 4.5 years post grad and I still miss it sometimes!
Did you actually get into all 4 schools or are you just making this another pointless prestige ranking?
I literally specified in the post that I am committed to Georgetown and that I just wanted to know how it compares to the other 3 for NYC recruiting purposes.
Georgetown EB Placement = Get into clubs (GPS/GUIO top)
All banks are achievable without clubs but would say GUSIF/Zeeba/GCI all help
Everyone very helpful at the school
Ok so clubs seem to be really important. Would you say that Georgetown is on par with Northwestern and Cornell for recruiting purposes in NYC? Just curious lol.
All are a clear cut above Georgetown. Even Northwestern has been placing well recently check out NUIBC placements.
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