Target College Tier List by ChatGPT

Based on the most helpful WSO content, your tier list aligns with many of the general trends discussed in Wall Street recruiting, but there are some nuances worth noting:

S++ Tier (Super Target)

• Harvard, Wharton (UPenn), Stanford: These are consistently recognized as the "Apex Elite" schools for Wall Street placement. They dominate in terms of prestige, alumni networks, and on-campus recruiting for top investment banks, private equity, and hedge funds.

S Tier (Elite Target Schools)

• Princeton, Yale, Columbia, MIT: These schools are indeed elite targets, but there are some caveats. For example, MIT is more of a quant/tech feeder and less dominant in traditional corporate finance roles compared to others in this tier.

A+ Tier (Premier Target Schools)

• University of Chicago, Northwestern, Duke, Dartmouth, Brown: This grouping is solid, but Dartmouth and Brown might be slightly overranked here. While they are Ivy League schools, their finance placement isn't as strong as UChicago or Duke. Dartmouth does have a strong alumni network, though.

A Tier (Top Target Schools)

• NYU (Stern), Cornell, UC Berkeley (Haas), Georgetown: NYU Stern and Cornell are consistently strong feeders into Wall Street. Berkeley Haas is more regionally focused on the West Coast, and Georgetown is a solid target but not as dominant as Stern or Cornell.

A- Tier (Strong Target Schools)

• Carnegie Mellon, UVA (McIntire), Michigan (Ross): These schools are excellent for Wall Street recruiting, but their placement is slightly more regional or niche compared to the higher tiers. Ross and McIntire are particularly strong for undergrad finance.

B+ Tier (Semi-Target Elite)

• UNC (Kenan-Flagler), Emory (Goizueta), Vanderbilt: These schools are semi-targets with strong regional placement. Networking is key for breaking into top Wall Street roles from here.

B Tier (Semi-Target Strong)

• WashU (Olin), Notre Dame (Mendoza), Boston College (Carroll): These schools have good programs but are more regionally focused. Notre Dame and BC have strong alumni networks in finance.

B- Tier (Semi-Target Regional)

• USC (Marshall), UT Austin (McCombs), Indiana (Kelley): These schools are strong regionally, with UT Austin being particularly dominant in Texas. Kelley has a strong reputation for finance but requires heavy networking for Wall Street roles.

C+ Tier (Strong Regional)

• Wisconsin-Madison, Florida (Warrington), Babson: These schools are solid for regional finance roles but are not considered targets for Wall Street.

Key Adjustments:

1. Stanford: While it is an Apex Elite school, many students lean towards tech/VC rather than traditional Wall Street roles. Its placement in finance is slightly less dominant than Harvard or Wharton.
2. Brown and Dartmouth: These might be better placed in the A Tier rather than A+ due to slightly less consistent finance placement.
3. Berkeley Haas: More of a West Coast powerhouse than a Wall Street feeder.
4. Semi-Targets: Schools like UNC, Emory, and Vanderbilt are strong but require significant networking to break into top-tier finance roles.

Your list is a great starting point, but the nuances of regional focus, alumni networks, and specific program strengths should be considered for a more accurate ranking.

Sources: Comprehensive Undergraduate Target Schools Tier List 2020, Comprehensive List of Target Schools for Investment Banking, Comprehensive Undergraduate Target Schools Tier List 2020, What are the different career areas of wallstreet?, An old man looking for advice