Location Before MBA ??

Hi I am currently an undergrad student at a top 20 public university on the east coast. I am interested in MBA school down the road and want to do PWM or IB after I receive this degree. I have a very good GPA and would be a good candidate for MBA school.

My question is job related: Obviously it matters where I work before I apply for MBA school. The majority of the best finance jobs, to my knowledge, are located in NYC, Philadelphia, Chicago and basically anywhere in the Northeast.

I am interested in going south after college but do not want to hurt my chances at a top program. This might sound like a dumb question but: are there quality pre-MBA opportunities down south?

I might have been brainwashed in thinking I have to go NYC, but if anyone has any insight or experience as southern applicants, I would greatly appreciate your input.

5 Comments
 

Charlotte and Atlanta would be good places to start. B-schools don't care where, geographically, you do whatever it is you do. It matters what you do - obviously, if you want to be a banker, work in banking (and most of these jobs are in nyc, but there are plenty elsewhere). But you'll find that most i-banking associates out of b-school did not work in banking before.

B-schools want to see a progression from college to one position to the next that shows development and a clear path toward an established goal. Go to the best b-school you can and then worry about getting the best job you can.

 
Best Response

What the fuck is a "MBA school?"

And, not to be elitist, wtf is "a top 20 public university on the east coast," especially considering you said you're not down south. The only good public school on the east coast is UVA, so are you in on of the "other" 20 good pubic schools out east? Because 19 of those don't exist.

Anyway, my advice would be consider Atlanta, which has a reputation for being a great city. Baltimore might have some opportunities as well. If you want to go PWM, there will be opportunities for that in Florida, Richmond, and any other relatively prosperous city, and then of course Charlotte has BoA and some smaller shops. I'd suggest clarifying what you want to do - PWM will offer the greatest opportunities for location, but is not exactly a pipeline to top B-schools. IB will be more limited in location and opportunities, but have a better shot at b-school and better exit ops. S&T will be the most limited in location.

Ask yourself, why do you want to go to B-school? What is your 10 year end game?

 

What I meant was a school which I could attain an MBA, dickhead. You obviously knew what I meant.

And a top 20 public university on the east coast...is probably a school ranked by businessweek or u.s. news as a top 20 public university that happens to be located on the east coast.

 

Beatae aspernatur unde odit nostrum iusto ut quasi. Occaecati quis et minus labore. Et porro cupiditate rerum quos. Corporis maiores odit qui enim consequatur.

Enim provident accusantium eaque et rerum. Facere ipsum unde occaecati quis non recusandae minima et. A neque aut natus.

Voluptatem omnis ducimus dolor aut. Ullam ea sed quam ut. Eos quasi quis fuga dolorum saepe eum. Corrupti in sapiente provident eum eius omnis. Tempora libero laudantium aut omnis voluptatem.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.2%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.2%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.6%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.2%
  • JPMorgan No 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (43) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (75) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (65) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
7
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
8
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
9
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
10
numi's picture
numi
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”