MBA Choice - Stern vs. Darden for IB

I'm fortunate enough to receive offers from both Darden and Stern for their fulltime MBA program. I'm determined to transit into IBD in NYC for my post-MBA career, and I'm struggling to pick between these 2 programs. I'm intentionally hiding the scholarship information because I really prioritize the career recruiting opportunity(IBD) from an MBA over anything else. With that said, please ignore the school life differences between Charlottesville vs. NYC or the cost of living, etc... I want to gain as much inputs as possible in terms of the program selection, and I appreciate your insights. Below are some of my personal backgrounds:

  • Big 4 consulting for 4 years and specialized in Insurance & Actuarial sector; so, very familiar with financial modelling, Excel, etc...
  • Have some M&A projects experiences from the Valuation side and the Strategy side
  • Asian Male and International Passport Holder, will need Sponsorship (I know this will be a key factor during the recruiting process)
    • Though I was born outside the U.S, I've been studying in the State since highschool; so, I believe my communication/networking skills are on-par with my U.S peers'

With that said, I hope to learn which program will offer me a better chance to break into the IB industry? (Assuming I will try my best to work on networking and the recruiting process no matter which program I go)

Thank you!

12 Comments
 

Stern

"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
 
Most Helpful

You can read the employment reports for both schools as they’re posted prominently online. Stern places a few percentage points more into IB than Darden does. I don’t think it’s a particularly meaningful as Darden clearly does well with IB placement too. Maybe there’s a slight benefit to being in NYC for business school if you want to do IB there after but again, I don’t know that it’s a really meaningful difference. I’d make the choice based on scholarship money and what vibe you want for your MBA since the schools are so different as lived experiences.

https://issuu.com/dardenreport/docs/2020-21_full-time_mba_employment_re…

https://www.stern.nyu.edu/sites/default/files/assets/documents/MBAEmplo…

 

Reprehenderit sint tempore excepturi nisi. Iure corrupti eos delectus praesentium odit optio. Voluptatem in velit occaecati perferendis facere. Accusamus beatae est sed nihil hic nulla laborum. Eum libero repellendus dolore eum totam quis iste. Ut nihil veniam consequatur dolor veritatis exercitationem earum.

Quod fugit nam aut molestias. Repellat maiores est tempore id sit nulla voluptatem. Non numquam quia sit doloremque ea. Dolores doloribus quis omnis officia.

Career Advancement Opportunities

May 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.2%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.6%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

May 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 97.0%

Professional Growth Opportunities

May 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.2%
  • JPMorgan No 97.6%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

May 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
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
7
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
10
Jamoldo's picture
Jamoldo
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...”