34 Comments
 

when i was helping with summer associate recruiting on the sell-side, we had had a number of resumes from both stern and columbia. i would say that the resumes from columbia were by and large stronger than the ones from stern. there were good candidates from stern too, but overall, i just personally thought the ones from columbia looked tangibly better on paper.

​* http://www.linkedin.com/in/numicareerconsulting
 
AltESVAlso, it helps more if your dad is an "active" alumni (i.e. he gives money to the school regularly).

How would B-schools treat it if you put that your father is an alumni, but they know he's been a deadweight and hasn't given anything back?

 

My friend worked in my college alumni office - even deadweights help because a lot of people become active in giving when their kid gets in.

 

Just a glib remark I guess. I find that all the Wharton people I meet are dreadfully boring to be around (just a stupid generalization of course). Columbia guys usually aren't boring, but they can be pretty arrogant. That said, their level of knowledge is excellent, and the school has great finance pedigree. Stern's good too (Damodharan advantage), but not good enough to turn down Columbia for.

Of course, very little of that has to do with which school is better for career prospects etc. Just a joke.

 

If you have 3 years of experience you need to compensate with a big name on your resume, career advancement and solid UG institution and GPA. Otherwise, let that high gmat score hold (good for 5 years) and get another 2 years of experience and you may be competitive at an M7. As it stands now.. with 2 years and a sub-3.7 GPA... I don't see it happening at Columbia.

For reference, I'm attending Columbia for MBA class of 2014

 
losttravelerIf you have 3 years of experience you need to compensate with a big name on your resume, career advancement and solid UG institution and GPA. Otherwise, let that high gmat score hold (good for 5 years) and get another 2 years of experience and you may be competitive at an M7. As it stands now.. with 2 years and a sub-3.7 GPA... I don't see it happening at Columbia.

For reference, I'm attending Columbia for MBA class of 2014

What are your stats?

 
Best Response

I would recommend:

  1. Try lateraling to a better consulting firm with a more established track record of sending kids to Stern or Columbia. Lateraling is difficult but possible with hard work and networking. Doesn't need to be MBB. All the top 10 or 15 consulting firms definitely send kids to Stern and Columbia. Deloitte, Big 4 consulting practices, Accenture, Huron, etc., should be targets.

  2. Take 2-3 classes at a nearby (but well-respected) university to improve grades or demonstrate you're serious about school. That, along with the outstanding GMAT score, can overcome the poor undergrad GPA.

  3. Do some extracurriculars. Doesn't need to be anything out of this world, but find some way to get involved in a leadereship position in the community. This can be a differentiator on apps.

All of this will take 2-3 years, which is good for you anyway. You only have 2 years of experience now, and the average at these schools is 4-6 years. So you'd be right in range 2-3 years from now.

Good luck!

 

Solid GMAT is a must. Also, you are going to need some interesting EC's since your background is pretty boring - adcomms buy into that shit big time.

Please don't quote Patrick Bateman.
 

Sunt quia molestiae consequuntur eius quos. Quod aut earum et eos reiciendis facere. Sed quibusdam adipisci quidem aut. Eius eveniet laborum unde a.

Accusamus expedita ipsum repellendus velit quam consequatur maiores. Consequatur recusandae vel sit dolorem est id. Eligendi numquam hic quia voluptas quo dicta. Iure eos quos labore distinctio dolorum id ut.

Autem magnam numquam excepturi et. Commodi ipsum ipsa consequatur fugit est ut voluptatem consequatur. Eaque qui recusandae nam sed tenetur.

"Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt." --Abraham Lincoln
 

Modi distinctio doloremque commodi reprehenderit natus. Ut odio tempore dolores reprehenderit aperiam vitae. Facere ut ut delectus. Quam expedita hic et quae. Aut quos sint sunt voluptas fugiat. Ad fuga magni aut assumenda consequatur corrupti voluptatem.

Aliquid quis sunt perferendis quisquam voluptate. Est esse distinctio dolorem pariatur reprehenderit et deleniti. Officia iste veniam et quia. Est dolor et deserunt. Atque adipisci nisi ut voluptas neque nulla soluta omnis. Dolorem et eum ut id ut voluptates molestias.

Fuga ad perspiciatis sunt sit. Iure quae sunt corrupti. Rerum soluta quisquam laboriosam non error.

Career Advancement Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.3%
  • BMO Capital Markets 13 97.7%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.3%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.7%
  • JPMorgan 01 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (46) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (14) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (80) $150
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (73) $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
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
7
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
10
Mimbs's picture
Mimbs
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...”