Northwestern vs Dartmouth

avergae HS hardo considering ED choices

wish to break into major BB/EB (or even buy side if possible)

will major in

  1. Mathematical Methods in Social Science + Economics at Northwestern
  2. Quantitative Social Science + Economics at Dartmouth

which will be the best fit for me considering that I am fratboy asian male

THX A LOT IN ADVANCE

 

Both have very strong placement in recent years being almost equal with Dartmouth edging out Northwestern in NYC IB placement, and Northwestern with the edge in buyside and Chicago IB.

Would choose based on fit. Dartmouth is in rural Hanover, while Northwestern is in suburban Evanston, 2 very different experiences. Dartmouth is less ethnically diverse and more fratty with an emphasis on the outdoors. NW is more diverse and has the standard ivy league feel with big 10 sports teams.

Both places will get you where you want to go, I’d recommend visiting both and talking to current students to make a decision.

 

thx a lot for the detailed response, rly helps a lot

im just worried since northwestern has been primarily known for consulting, not finance

although i may be asking u to repeat ur point, would u say that the gap between three two in sense of being ‘targets’ is negligible?

 

You are correct that Northwestern has been traditionally known as a consulting school, but that has changed over time. You can look up their club website to see how they place, and you can do the same for Dartmouth (hint: both place really really well).

People exaggerate minute differences in schools on this forum. I understand if you are comparing target to semi or semi to non, but both schools are targets. If you network, either school will get you interviews anywhere. The candidate matters more than the school, especially coming from elite schools like Dartmouth and Northwestern. Fit is really underrated on this forum and I think you should prioritize it over which school has more alums at which bank, especially given that D and NW are vastly different college experiences.

 

sry for keep bothering you with questions, this will be my last question

how would you say that the two schools are different (very roughly)

once again, thx a lot in advance

 
Most Helpful

I don’t go to either school, but I have friends to attend both and can shine some light.

Dartmouth has 4000 undergrads, while Northwestern has 8000. Dartmouth’s college experience can be likened to a frattier Williams or Amherst, and Northwestern is more like a UPenn minus the Wharton competition. Dartmouth is located in Hanover with not much to do off campus, and Northwestern is north of Chicago. Dartmouth is frattier (but not in the traditional sense, the D frats are very inclusive) and Northwestern is less so. Both D and NW have very cold weathers. Dartmouth has a closer knit alumni network, while Northwestern is larger with top tier grad programs. Dartmouth and Northwestern both have D1 sports. Both schools have their fair share of rich, prep school kids if you align with that demographic. If you decide against wanting to do IB, you’ll be fine at either school because of the flexibility both provide.

 

Took me 5 minutes to look up both schools finance club websites (DIPP and NUIBC) to find the answer to this. Dartmouth’s biggest IB employer is MS, biggest buyside is Bain Capital/Bridgewater. For Northwestern, the biggest IB employer is EVR/MS, and buyside is Blackstone.
 

What I’m trying to say here is that they both place well and you should pick whatever you like more. They are hard to get into so I’d just apply to both and see which you get into. 

 

Recent Dartmouth grad here. Everything the other commenter said is spot-on. Reiterating the point that both schools place very similarly so focus on fit. College is the best 4 years of your life and you don’t want to hate the experience.

PM me if you have any Dartmouth specific questions you want answered.

 

Recent Dartmouth grad here. Everything the other commenter said is spot-on. Reiterating the point that placement is very similar so focus more on fit. College is the best four years of your life so you don’t want to leave either school hating your experience.

Happy to PM if you have any Dartmouth specific questions. 

 

I’m a rising sophomore in MMSS at Northwestern. I plan to go into consulting instead of IB, but feel free to shoot me a message if you’re interested in learning more about MMSS

 

dartmouth - more fun and tight-knit school, more focus on undergraduate education, unbeatable undergrad student life, amazing nature, proximity to major cities, and gotta love that summer camp feel!

 

Northwestern student here. From a recruiting standpoint I'd say its negligble betwen the two. I love Northwestern, and would highly recommend it, but am a bit biased and just comes down to what you vibe w more. If you do pick NU however, would advise against MMSS. Waste of time and might hurt your GPA

 

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