Miami University (OH) or Transfer Out
Hi I am a new user here and have only been reading WSO for a couple of months. I will be attending Miami University this upcoming fall and am majoring in finance. HS Stats were 3.5 UW GPA/ 3.9 W GPA, 33 ACT, decent extracurriculars. I am interested in pursuing a job in either IB, CF, or CRE after graduation. I am currently in the UHP (Honors program) at Miami. Everyone around me says that my best option for obtaining the job I want is to get a 4.0 at Miami, have 3 quality internships, and network as hard as I can. However, I have recently started to worry about this as getting a 4.0 is a whole lot easier said than done, and Miami just really doesn't seem like it is putting many students into top finance positions (I understand there are some alum in Chicago). I really think that transferring to a semi-target/target school would make getting good positions post-grad more realistic. Although this option may be a little more costly (I have no problem with some debt after graduation), I think the recruiting process and level of job offers I receive would make transferring schools worth it. What do you guys think?
If you can get into a good semi/target school and don't mind the cost it may be worth it as the alumni support is very helpful
would aim for some transfer friendly targets such as mich, uva, cornell, unc
I'd like to give some general advice in response to these "should I transfer?" questions and then weigh in with some situation specific insight given I am a Miami alum.
I understand that on paper, we go to college to get a good degree to get a good job. In reality, your university experience is about so much more than your GPA and on-campus recruiting. Unless you live in the library in pursuit of that almighty 4.0, college will be the best 4 years of your life making lifelong friendships, and is truly the last time in your life when you have no real-world cares or responsibilities.
Transferring schools after a year will permanently sever you from that social experience, unless you immediately join a fraternity or can lean on high school ties and catch up with the pack. A large majority of your social connections in college will be built in those first 12 months and strengthened in the following years. To switch from a strong academic school (Miami) to a slightly stronger one for academic pursuit is simply, IMO, not worth the sacrifice in other areas you will have to make. Much of the advice given on this forum is transactional ("hey Kid from Iowa, just cross the pond and go to LSE", "NYC or bust", etc.) when that's simply not how life works, and will leave many unhappy with this singular pursuit.
Miami has an investment banking club and attracts all of the MM Chicago firms and some of the NY BBs to campus, i.e. Miami is already a target school. If you can't get an IB role out of Miami, you weren't going to get one out of IU or Michigan either.
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