Washu or Rice-literally just got off the waitlist
So I was committed to Washu until yesterday but I just got off rice waitlist and I’m confused. Both full rides including housing and all that. My thoughts are such, 1. I don’t like Houston or NYC much, Chicago(90% of NYC at half the price) was my go to forever and Washu was my path there. But now I’m thinking this, Houston ib from rice is so easy that if I go there and land JPM/MS/Evercore/GS or another top prestige bank, I could just internally transfer while going A2A(plan on staying a banker) and realistically that might be better then whatever result I get from Washu. Also WUIB(Washu ib club) worries me because what if I don’t get in and get cooked. Wwyd. I really like both schools and they were 2 of my top 5.
Bump facing similiar issue
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Went to WashU and was in WUIB, then went to banking in Houston for what that may be worth.
Especially more recently, as far as I’ve heard, WUIB is not the be-all-end-all for getting into a strong group / bank, but it’s definitely a huge leg up. Generally, WashU allows you to recruit competitively anywhere, but I personally found I never had a particular advantage anywhere over other lower semi-target students with the possible exception of Guggenheim where WashU is a target (this may have changed since I graduated). BBs and EBs definitely possible for any office, though you’ll have to have a better story if you want something regional and focused (HTX energy, SF tech ect). Would say the largest group went to NYC, followed by a large handful in Chicago. Very few do SF, HTX, LA, but certainly possible. For the most part your success depends on you and the work you put in (like almost every school).
I had a good time at WashU, and would consider it to have given me a strong enough brand for recruiting and with the help of WUIB and personal connections / effort I was able to secure multiple strong offers. I would not worry terribly about your chances of recruiting successfully for at least a decent bank in Chicago if you’ve already done some thinking in high school. WashU has good connections in Chicago and your placement will primarily depend on you, but you’ll have decent advantages over kids further away.
All that said, Rice is a fantastic school. I think comparing the two is splitting hairs, and honestly you should go to the school you like more and feel the most excited about (should have written this higher). Rice is a good enough school to recruit anywhere if you put in the effort. Obviously you have a strong advantage in Houston, and are one of the choice targets if you want to work in energy (not recommended unless you love energy, HTX banking is rough). If you talk to people, prep technicals, create a good story and just do your due diligence you can certainly recruit for Chicago and I would be surprised if you would not have success. A lot of people say they do all this, but having been on the other end of it most kids struggle in at least one aspect which likely impacts their ability to get an offer. Would not worry terribly about placement from either school, if you’re set on IB and driven you’ll get in. Go to the school that makes you happiest and makes the most financial sense.
Best of luck!
Just to add, rice has had the least penetration into chicago. After Houston, then it’s nyc and then sf. Hope that helps
10/10 elite response. Thank you man. Congrats and good luck for pe or whatever is ahead. I’m sticking with Washu.
Cheers, and best of luck! I’m sure you’ll have a great time and a successful recruiting experience at WashU. Enjoy campus!
This is kind of off topic but congrats on getting off the waitlist for Rice. They usually only take 1-2 off the waitlist since Covid. In my year, they took 0 ppl off the waitlist lmao.
Both schools are great. Rice is pretty much a guarantee for any Houston IB placement, and maybe an uphill battle for NYC, SF, and CHI. Whereas WashU has better placement throughout the country, but wouldn’t call them a massive target for any particular location.
I would take a look at where alumni from both schools have gone - the top students and average students at both schools’ finance clubs place well. Everything from BB IB to even large cap PE for both schools.
congrats on both offers
What are some of these placements like for the “top” kids in the finance clubs at Rice and WashU?
Multiple posts on Wso on this topic - check search
rice kids are very weird - i've liked the washU people i've met much more. fit is huge where you pick a school.
Also - internal transfer (offices) from houston to anywhere else is very hard to pull off - you should not expect that to be a reality.
Tour both schools. Talk to some kids there. It’s much more important that you fit in and like the school than splitting hairs on placement as both are good enough to get into IB. You will enjoy the next four years a lot more and likely be more successful if you’re somewhere that feels natural to you.
Current WashU student here, WUIB is not super hard to get into. They take about 50% of applicants, but if you study technicals and show you are really interested then you will get in. About 70% of people in WUIB get offers. Also plenty of people not in WUIB get offers
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It’s either that or pe. We gone see ig. Being vp+ in ib would be nice though. Basically a salesman
If you're interested in energy (and not just on the IB side, commodity trading as well), it's very hard to beat Rice. I would weigh that heavily if that's a sector you're interested in. Yes, you can still have a kick ass career in energy. Molecules aren't going away in our lifetime.
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