IB Undergrad: NYU Stern, UM Ross, UVA McIntire, Notre Dame Mendoza
Recently admitted to NYU Stern, UMich Ross, UVA, and Notre Dame Mendoza. I've been really struggling to decide which one to commit to, and after reading through countless college comparison posts here, I thought I'd make my own to answer some of the questions. I know these pop up all the time but I genuinely appreciate the tips--I don't really have anyone else to ask. Hope to work in NYC IB before switching to HF.
I'm mostly interested in this forum for your perspectives on recruiting and placement, but I'm also interested in insights on culture if you have any. Here are my current thoughts. All are roughly the same cost (sticker price), with Stern the most.
Stern:
Pros: NYC, on campus recruiting, great network volume in good positions
Cons: Most expensive, no campus, toxic hardo environment, less of a "college experience" (somewhat going straight into adulthood/work life)
Ross:
Pros: Great network, top business school, nice campus and campus life
Cons: Still somewhat competitive environment with respect to clubs and recruiting
Notre Dame:
Pros: Network cares for one another, decent business school, less competitive hardos, nice campus life
Cons: not as big on IB so may have to do more networking
UVA:
Pros: Great mix of academics and fun, better weather, good network
Cons: Not direct admit to McIntire, McIntire expensive
Genuinely appreciate your help. I anticipate a common answer will be something along the lines of "you can't go wrong with these choices, pick based on fit." I completely agree that my decisions likely won't be of much consequence, but to me that's what makes it so hard. I've realized that I have no idea of what I want in terms of college experience, and have no idea how to figure out what it is that I'm looking for. Plan on visiting them all soon. I would appreciate any advice that everyone has on how to decide among these schools. Thanks!
I would disagree heavily on the con for ND. Everyone in finance recruits IB there and it is incredibly easy to get a job (no ridiculous clubs or classes required)
Thanks for the reply. I do think ND is a great school. Do you think that recruiting wise it is even better than Ross? I think at this point I'm between Ross and ND.
Im not sure. I do know it is harder to recruit at Ross because you have to get into elite clubs there to go into banking, but probably will get better offers. ND is easier to land a job. Like if you want to go into banking and you go to ND you def will find a job
Ross.
Thanks for the reply. Not sure if you went to Ross or not, but if you did, I would be interested to hear about your thoughts on the atmosphere and recruiting vibe. Of course, IB recruiting is competitive, but I'm torn between Notre Dame and Ross and I feel that ND might be a little less competitive as there is less hardo culture. Essentially, my sense is that there are fewer kids who want to get into IB. Thank you
I did go to Ross. Incidentally, I was between ND and Michigan myself as my top 2 choices.
Recruiting through Ross is, for the most part, dependent on the clubs you can join. I was in one of the top 2 clubs on campus, which made my process much easier. I think the hardo culture is overstated. Yes everyone wants a good job, but I've never run into anyone that wouldn't help others, and if you're in a club then you already have a great community built in. I studied, mocked, etc. with my club buddies. The hardo culture is more prevalent at Wharton/Stern than at Ross.
However, ND is also an amazing school. I personally chose Michigan because of reasons outside of recruiting, but you cannot go wrong either way.
Based on the most helpful WSO content, here's a breakdown of your options for undergrad IB recruiting and culture:
NYU Stern:
UMich Ross:
Notre Dame Mendoza:
UVA McIntire:
Key Considerations:
Recruiting and Placement: If NYC IB is your ultimate goal, NYU Stern has the edge due to its location and alumni volume. Ross and UVA McIntire are also strong contenders, with Ross offering a more structured business school experience and UVA providing a well-rounded college life. Mendoza is slightly behind in IB placement but compensates with a supportive network.
Culture and Fit:
Cost: Since all options are roughly the same cost, except Stern being slightly more expensive, this may not be a decisive factor unless the additional cost of Stern significantly impacts your financial situation.
Advice:
Ultimately, you can't go wrong with any of these choices. Trust your instincts after visiting and choose the school where you feel most comfortable and excited to spend the next four years.
Sources: Cornell Dyson vs Berkeley vs Claremont Mckenna vs ND Mendoza vs USC Marshall vs Stern, Why you should consider Notre Dame for undergrad, For undergrad, any major difference in outcome/prestige UMich Ross vs. Notre Dame Mendoza?, UVA Undergrad for IB Recruiting, Is NYU Stern's(undergraduate) reputation increasing?
UVA McIntire for sure. Go to McIntire, get a job at Jefferies, then play golf every day at Farmington and enjoy your life instead of freezing your ass off at Ross surrounded by insufferable sweats and maybe getting a better job but hating your life. (I go to Ross btw)
Thanks for the response. Curious as to what you think about Notre Dame then with regard to the culture, as I have the sense that it's a little more laid back and has fewer insufferable sweats.
No idea what everyone is saying. Go to Stern. Best placement, best school. People love shitting on it, but that's only because of hardo culture. Find your own people, keep a 3.5+, join a club, enjoy your life, network a bit, get an offer, and you'll do phenomenally after 4 years. Places better than every school outside of HWS.
Thanks for the reply. I know that Stern is great for recruiting and probably best volume-wise and location-wise. But I'm curious as to if that's just because kids in Stern are more set on IB from the outset. For me, that's where a school like Notre Dame comes in because I feel that recruiting is still decent but fewer kids are interested in IB. Not sure.
I don't know if you went to Stern, but if you did I would be interested in hearing about the hardo culture and preprofessional-ness. The school doesn't seem to have as much student culture and I'm curious to hear if that was a significant drawback for you or not. Thanks
I can speak on this. Went to Stern. Everyone that is interested in banking and isn’t socially an idiot will find their way in. It’s NYC and you’re at a top school, recruiting will be much better than ND and so will outcomes. Yes, Stern has hardos and it’s easy to fall into that culture but NYU itself is a huge school and you’re in New York - just make friends outside of Stern and have a great time. This is what I did and I wouldn’t trade it for anything other than HYPSW/maybe Dartmouth (best friend went there and he had a great time). NYU/Stern is a great college experience. Make some good friends, get a fake ID, roam the city, and have good time. Stern curve makes it easy to have a 3.5+ GPA and you’ll get internships off cycle because you’re in New York. Everyone on WSO shits on Stern because of the hardo culture but this isn’t true at all. It’s a phenomenal school and if you’re not a hardo then you won’t surround yourself with them.
No bad choices, but ND wins here imo. Much less intense and a much better social life than the other options, even if stern is very marginally better for IB. ND, while not Harvard, is still a target for both NYC and Chicago and places on par with ivies on the buyside due to the cult like alumni network
Thanks for the reply. All else being equal, do you think a student at ND would have fewer IB opportunities than, say, a student at Ross or Stern?
Don’t think so tbh. Maybe marginally worse IB placement than stern and Ross but it’s more than made up for on the buyside IMO. ND is just a more prestigious school and it will be much easier to place than it would be at stern and Ross, which despite being great schools, are filled with hardos. Don’t think stern should even be in the discussion here tbh, no better placement than the other options and just not a great college experience. Would consider ND and Ross and decide which is a better fit. If you can’t pick or like them equally, ND wins imo.
Stern!
Del
Thanks for the reply. At this point, I think I'm mostly considering ND and Ross. My main concern with ND is purely placement. All else being equal, do you think a student at ND would have fewer IB opportunities than, say, a student at Ross or Stern? I know you're early on in your college career, but I would be interested to hear about the IB recruiting experience at ND--is it more independent networking or is there a decent presence on campus. Thanks!
x
DM ME
Thanks for taking the time to write such a thorough note. Sorry to hear that your UVA experience wasn't great placement-wise but happy to hear that things worked out.
Do you know if very many others had similar experiences to you, where they didn't make the cut for McIntire and didn't find luck in clubs? I know it will be purely anecdotal but still interested. I fear that I could face this kind of situation at UVA or Ross given that recruiting seems to be fairly dependent on clubs.
I know I'm splitting hairs at this point and probably overthinking, but would you say that UVA places better than Ross (ignoring culture)? Notre Dame is a bit different and I expect slightly inferior recruiting but a bit of a more chill environment.
Please correct me if I'm wrong. Thank you again.
X
No stand out choices to be honest - I would take cheapest option if in-state for any. I don't think Stern is worth the premium for, but hey, if Stern is the best for you then take it!
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