SMU Cox vs UT Austin Econ for UG

Hey all, i was recently accepted as a sophomore transfer into the 2 schools as title states and would love some advice. Would love to do IB, but i’m aware that that’s not the only option in life. Both schools I would have tuition completely covered through scholarships/grants and would effectively only be paying for off campus rent, food, fees, etc. (SMU would be maybe 3k cheaper, money is a factor)

SMU- Pros: Business school for IB recruiting, new city Cons:Only know 1 person, Alts is super hard to get into, would be hard to find roommates/apartment, cliquey?

UT- Pros: I know a lot of people already there, hometown, roommates would be easier to find love the vibe,

Cons: no McCombs resources (like WSFM and similar), so not much help in terms of IB recruiting

My gut is telling me UT because of everything else besides the IB opportunities, but i don’t know.

Any advice appreciated 🙏

4 Comments
 

Both are good schools, but keep in mind SMU IB recruiting is heavily skewed by wealthy, well connected kids.

To me it seems like you’d rather go to UT and so my vote is for that.

 
Most Helpful

I am an SMU alum - go to UT. UT network is real, even beyond McCombs. Will be a lot more enjoyable of a school (which, despite what monkeys on this website think, does actually matter). Maybe you don't get a BB or EB offer out of UT Econ (which for the record isn't impossible anyway), but you can still network your way into some decent LMM firms. SMU for undergrads only really works if you can get into Alts. Being a part of the Student Managed Fund is maybe a little more achievable and could help, but without Alts, you're probably in the same place at UT Econ.   

 

Illum ut aliquam et et in qui. Sed consectetur soluta aliquam debitis facere hic. Eveniet iusto rerum ut voluptas. Ea et ad delectus. Quo quis modi voluptatibus quas aperiam esse. Laudantium vero dolorum consectetur.

Enim quam et aut laborum unde. In nihil consequatur voluptate officiis non aperiam et.

Facere sed quod nostrum aliquid qui saepe esse fugit. Error quia a impedit ut magni omnis. Quia veniam voluptatem quia.

"Sport death, only life can kill you."

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 98.8%
  • 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 (15) $434
  • Associates (46) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 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

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...”