Are These Good Schools for NYC Investment Banking?

I'll be applying to college this coming fall at these schools (in order of preference):

NYU
Cornell
Boston College
Michigan
UVA
Georgetown
Duke
Villanova
Dartmouth
Carnegie Mellon
Notre Dame
Vanderbilt
UNC - only since it is in-state
NC State - only since it is in-state

What other schools should I add for NYC IB?
What schools should I drop from this list for NYC IB?

 

An argument could definitely be made for some, just not the HYPS type targets a lot of people think of when hearing target. I would eliminate NC state, Vandy, Carnegie, and Nova if you're dead set on IB. After that I really don't think it will change your chances much and you should just go to the school you would enjoy the most.

 
Best Response

Though the target semi-target distinctions have been debated on this forum multiple times, many people on this forum would put NYU, Cornell, Michigan, UVA, Georgetown, Duke, and Dartmouth as targets and the rest of the schools on the list as semi-targets.

Looking solely at your chances for getting into NYC IB, try to aim for the targets. It would be easier to get into NYC IB from the targets. Though if you hustle, you can get into NYC IB from any of the schools on your list.

 

Given the proximity to Charlotte, even though I don't know much about the Charlotte banking scene, I would think that UNC is a target and NC State is a semi-target for Charlotte IB. Most people on this forum in previous such discussions have deemed UNC to be a semi-target and NC State to probably be a non-target for NYC IB.

Are you confident that you would be able to convince your parents or be able to afford to go to a target if you got into one of the targets but also got into UNC and/or NC State? A parent that does not know much about finance let alone IB would be inclined to think that the cheaper, in-state college would still get you the same opportunities as most other schools (though obviously excluding schools like the Ivys).

 

Thank you for your advice. I might try to get a PWM internship in NYC the summer before my sophomore year. Do you think this'll help? I know PWM is frowned upon, but any finance-related job naturally interests me and it can serve as an eye-opener for the lifestyle and hustle on Wall Street. Plus, I don't know if it hurts my application. I assume it can only help my resume.

 

No problem. Honestly, I think if you really really want to do IB why do a PWM internship. I am sure you can find some small boutique if you network that will take you on as intern. I think you should focus less about being in NYC as of now. I think it would be better to start of being an IB intern or summer analyst at some random small IB, and then work your way up etc... to really show you are interested and committed to IB. You may even be able to land a sophomore gig then as they are getting more and more common. Why not try to find something in IB near/around your school that you choose to go to. Then you can brush up on studying for interviews/take some finance/acc classes and intern at the same. Idk just my two cents

 

I think you definitely need to factor in what school you would be happy at also. I know at boarding school everyone would just be competing to get into the "highest ranked" school regardless if it was the right fit for them/in high school also. and then ppl hated it when they got there b/c was not the right school for them

NYU Stern is definitely a large feeder into just IB-but you need to check if the culture is right for you (just as with the other schools). Also Cornell does send a lot into IB and Michigan.

I think you should ED where you would be happiest not just because it is top ranking etc. As I said again though, any of the top schools you listed, if you start networking your freshman year since you know you want to do IB - you should be fine. i.e(Cornell, Vandy, Michigan, UVA, NYU-Stern, BC-Carroll, Duke, Dartmouth...) I cannot really speak to CM ND or the others

 

I would drop CMU and NC State. If you go to Nova, however, you need to make sure you are near the top of your class.

All of these schools are not ultra-targets like the top Ivy's, but would say are targets with BC, UNC, Vandy on the lower-end

 

I have a few older, out of state friends who go to/went to UNC KF. Check out this link http://www.kenan-flagler.unc.edu/programs/undergraduate-business/career… KF's #1 city is New York and their #1 career outcome for finance concentrations is IB; over 50% of the finance concentrations do IB full time. UNC is less represented because its so heavily in state and many of the kids self select to work in Charlotte to stay close to home, also KF has a lot of international kids who go back to their own countries. My friends have said there is an abundance of opportunity for NYC if you want it, especially at BBs. They have less recruiting from the EBs, but they still get some boutiques like guggenheim. My friend who is a sophomore in KF has already been to coffee chats for IB divisions of JPM, GS, BAML, and MS. All with reps from NYC. UNC's OCR for NYC is pretty strong as long as having less EB exposure is a deal breaker. Also have older friends at Notre Dame, Villanova, Vandy and BC who seem to be having a much harder time for NYC recruiting. Also UNC is the most fun school on that list along with Duke Michigan or UVA.
Edit: Do yourself a massive favor and don't even bother applying to CMU, youll thank me later.

 

Two questions if you don't mind answering:

  1. Why is everyone shifting on CMU? They have tons of hits for NYC I-Banking on LinkedIn and doing business there seems more personalized for me because a lot of the kids are into tech.

  2. I understand what you mean when you vouch for UNC, but I feel like it's too big of a risk. I only got upwards of 400 hits when I searched up NYC IB on LinkedIn and it feels too much of a risk for OCR when compared to Cornell, NYU, or Michigan.

 

Yeah of course,

  1. Everyone I know, and I've heard of, hates CMU. I visited and was being recruited for a sport, and it was very much a work only atmosphere. The kids seemed pretty unhappy as a whole and the dating/party scene makes you go to Pitt. There are a ton of good schools, it just makes no sense to me why anyone would pay ~70k to go there unless you're doing CS.

  2. You will have much, much less competition for NYC IB at UNC than Cornell, Stern, and to some degree Michigan. This should be a major factor. I really considered Stern and I know a lot of kids there, I'd say 70+% of your class is gunning for the same job you are and a ton of them are Wharton rejects who all already know they're going for IB. The only OCR difference is EBs. Also if you wana work in NYC after graduation why go to school there. Cornell is a great school, and I have a couple friends there, but the social life isn't great unless you're in a frat and the grade deflation is pretty severe in the AEM program according to the kids who I know. Michigan is great, and you'll get similar looks as UNC with more EBs. Ross is roughly 2x the size of KF and more kids are from the northeast going for the NYC IB jobs. UNC is a lot smaller from a business school perspective than Cornell or NYU. KF has ~300/grade compared to NYUs ~600/grade and cornell a ton of kids not in AEM are also going for IB jobs. It might be different in NC bc its in state, but in the northeast UNC is viewed on the same level as Mich, UVA, Cornell, Georgetown type of schools. It has "Prestige" in the northeast if you're worried about that. I'm not saying that UNC blows Mich/Cornell/NYU out of the water for placement but if you know you want it you'll find just as many opportunities at UNC. Also one of my friends knows a UNC kid going to blackstone so theres really no lack of opportunity in chapel hill.

 

If you use the search function on this site and look up UNC, you'll find that it isn't really a "risky option". It is definitely high enough up on the list of schools to get looks from people on Wall Street. Plus, you would have Charlotte as a backup city.

Overall, being on this site and talking to people in finance has shown me that it isn't all about the school you graduate from. Sure, going to Wharton or Harvard will give you more opportunities but outside of the major target schools, it is all about your resume and networking. There are endless stories about people getting into great finance jobs in great cities coming from small non target schools. Seriously, choose a school that you will enjoy going to and network/work your ass off through college. If you do that AND attend any of the colleges you listed, you should probably be in good shape.

 

Here's an easy way to narrow your decision, come back once you have official acceptance letters from those universities. Don't throw shade at a university because they "only got 50 hits on LinkedIn." Their alumni are far more successful than you will probably ever be with this entitled attitude you have going here given you haven't been accepted to a school yet. You are still in high-school, kid.

 

Member For: 40 min 3 sec

Can't really take advice from someone who isn't in the finance world or someone who hasn't made a contribution on WSO

Entitled? I'm grateful to all the people that has given me advice on this thread. Don't be an asshole just because your real identity will be masked. Use your real account instead of the one you created 40 min 3 sec ago and own up to it.

 

Those are all fine for your career. If I was going to elminate any, I'd eliminate:

  • Villanova - unless this is a safety this just seems like a tier below the other schools on your list. And you already have your in-state options which will be cheaper
  • Carnegie Mellon - I've heard the lifestyle here is terrible. Good school, but not fun, and more quanty
  • Notre Dame - again on the lifestyle thing. If you're going to go midwest go michigan
 

UNC has a good bschool, but you have to apply after freshmen year which is a risk. How do you know you want to go IB? Most people change their majors in college, so I would go with a school that is well balanced. Also, find a school that you also will be happy at NYU Stern and Duke are amazing, but different. Do you want a traditional campus? Do you want a school with a lot of Greek Life? Etc

 

you're rly taking unc for granted. people from certain states really shouldn't be considering that many OOS options and north carolina is one of them.

also I highly doubt your linkedin searches are getting what you're hoping for. are you searching specifically for investment banking analysts in product/coverage groups?

 

I was debating between 3 schools a few years ago. 2 were ranked 10-15 and the one I chose was ranked in the 40s. Size is really important to be honest. Location and student body were second. Prestige mattered to me, till I realized that it only matters to a certain extent. Try to ignore it and focus on programs. I went from science to finance, so I'm glad I made the choice I did. I got into vandy and turned it town, just my 2 cents.

 

Current UNC student and agree with what's been said. Focus school for all Charlotte banks. Large presence at southern MMs. JPM, MS, GS, BAML (NY and CLT), WF (mainly CLT) all have UNC teams and come on campus. JPM, MS, GS usually take a few SAs each year. Have friends/know people at most BBs in NYC as well as MMs and boutiques across the US. Little EB presence. LAZ came to campus a couple years ago but don't know of anyone who received an offer. Significant disadvantage if not in KF but still not impossible.

Feel free to PM if you have questions.

Also agree with @greenflamingo that UNC is the most fun school on this list.

 

Quick question? My brother is double majoring in Biology and Computer Science, but I really haven't asked him about KF. Can you apply for KF when you submit your first year college application. In other words, is there a direct admit program like Indiana or Michigan?

 

It's possible to receive Assured Admission through something called Excel @ Carolina. There's no application for it; they just pick you through the normal undergrad application process. If you get Excel, you rank your top choices of programs with Assured Admission being one of the options. You then cross your fingers that they'll give it to you. So not only do you need to get Excel but you need to then get your top choice of picks. Overall pre-admits makeup a very small % of each KF class. If you get it you just need a 3.25 GPA to keep it. Receiving Excel @ Carolina is also not as straight forward as being in a top % of incoming class on some hard stats categories. All parts of your application are weighed.

 

Being a large public school there's definitely a wide range. Nothing pre-college is looked at when applying for KF, so no matter how smart someone was before college everyone has a blank slate to set themselves up with. Admission is also not based solely on transcript but also on resume, interviews, and essays. This gives you multiple opportunities to show why you're a good candidate. If you don't get in it isn't the end of the world. There are UNC econ majors in the world of IB. Will definitely take some more persistence, but that seems like something you're capable of/willing to do.

 

Perspective from Nova grad for ease of NYC IB: Cornell Michigan UVA

Dartmouth

Duke Carnegie Mellon Notre Dame Vanderbilt

UNC - only since it is in-state

NYU Georgetown Boston College

Villanova

NC State - only since it is in-state

Yes I know NYU is in NYC - but keep in mind the grade deflation and people don't really push to hire NYU people. It's actually a problem for those people.

Lot of good schools on your list.

 

This list is pretty bad... First off, NYU Stern (excld. NYU CAS) is one of the most competitive schools out there for IBD (it'll be a cutthroat competition for the three years but since you already know that banking is what you want...). Secondly, schools like Duke or Dartmouth get much more respect in the street than schools like Ross/UVA. What's more, they give you that much more laid-back liberal arts education that NYU Stern seems to lack. I've seen some good outputs from Georgetown as well so definitely wouldn't place it that low either.

 

Voluptas fugiat in quasi et quibusdam dolor qui. Fuga nostrum et harum qui maxime. Vero deserunt vero ut temporibus et. Voluptatibus ut consequuntur rerum beatae molestiae et quisquam. Velit alias eveniet maiores nesciunt atque dicta eligendi. Sequi iusto aperiam corrupti commodi.

Nesciunt vel sed aut quae iusto dolores et. Officiis ut ab qui quas numquam praesentium accusantium distinctio. Sapiente in nobis laborum. Et laboriosam aut omnis odio. Incidunt qui voluptatum qui et ea sed nisi.

Dolor non ut et beatae non. Sequi odio dolores temporibus. Ex autem perferendis ea sed. Quos vel omnis totam iusto minus ut recusandae.

Aut tempore ea rerum aspernatur aperiam pariatur. Tempora sint corrupti beatae eveniet amet fugiat. Nemo aliquid laborum ut quidem deleniti. Pariatur quas corrupti dolor est quidem cupiditate qui. Laboriosam tenetur et est omnis minima ea nobis dolore. Est harum vel facilis aut ipsam consequatur.

Career Advancement Opportunities

March 2024 Investment Banking

  • Jefferies & Company 02 99.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 19 98.8%
  • Harris Williams & Co. (++) 98.3%
  • Lazard Freres 02 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 03 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

March 2024 Investment Banking

  • Harris Williams & Co. 18 99.4%
  • JPMorgan Chase 10 98.8%
  • Lazard Freres 05 98.3%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.7%
  • William Blair 03 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

March 2024 Investment Banking

  • Lazard Freres 01 99.4%
  • Jefferies & Company 02 98.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 17 98.3%
  • Moelis & Company 07 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 05 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

March 2024 Investment Banking

  • Director/MD (5) $648
  • Vice President (19) $385
  • Associates (86) $261
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (13) $181
  • Intern/Summer Associate (33) $170
  • 2nd Year Analyst (66) $168
  • 1st Year Analyst (202) $159
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (144) $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
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
8
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
9
kanon's picture
kanon
98.9
10
numi's picture
numi
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...”