Berkeley vs. Brown for Consulting

New here. I know both universities are targets for top consulting firms (MBB). But I've also heard that the Ivy brand matters a lot in consulting. Which college would give me a better shot at consulting? Would Brown give me a substantially greater chance? (considering that it's more expensive than Berkeley)

I plan to major in CS, not EECS, at Berkeley (I'm not 100% set on consulting and want to keep entrepreneurship career options open). Also consider that I might not even apply to Haas, instead taking random (and more interesting?) classes in econ and the liberal arts.
At Brown I would major in CS, which is actually really good there, supplemented with econ/etc. classes. I do, however, like the quality of Brown's education. I also feel like I might be able to distinguish myself better at the less competitive environment of Brown.

Thanks for the input.

(I'm aware the deadline for accepting a college has passed, I got an extension)

 
Best Response

No contest. Brown.

For some reason, Brown is actually extremely strong in consulting. They place roughly the same number at Bain and BCG as HYPS. McKinsey placement is decent too, however, not quite HYPS level. All the tier-2 firms recruit there as well.

PS: At Brown you can take each and every one of your courses pass/fail. Anytime you feel you might not get an A in the course, just sign up for the P/F option. Furthermore, there are no core requirements whatsoever. It is perhaps because of these two reasons that the AVERAGE Brown GPA is around 3.65.

Also, Brown's CS department is the only one in the Ivy League (although, Harvard's catching up in a big way) that regularly sends programmers to Google, Facebook, Microsoft. While Berkeley has a significant advantage if you want CS-related jobs straight out of UG, just know that it won't be impossible at Brown.

 

Ryan and Marrisa went to Berkeley, as did Sandy and Kirsten for that matter, but Summer and Anna went to Brown. On that basis I'd choose Brown.

"After you work on Wall Street it’s a choice, would you rather work at McDonalds or on the sell-side? I would choose McDonalds over the sell-side.” - David Tepper
 

You should consider other factors as well, including how much you think the environment at each place fits what you're looking for. Both school are very good.

In a setting you love, you will have more fun, perform better, and get a more valuable experience overall - unlike at a college that you don't like that much! This will definitely correlate to how easily you secure jobs later, be it in Consulting or anything else;)

 

For consulting, an edge to Brown.

For doing something entrepreneurial with a CS degree, it's Berkeley by light years. Berkeley has a much stronger alumni presence in the startup scene. Brown might as well be a state school.

 

Hey, thanks for the replies.

Does Brown have really a tremendous edge over Berkeley? Because my parents are offering me 50k if I go to Berkeley (cause its cheaper), and I would probably have tech entrepreneurship options there. Although, realistically speaking, the chance of successfully starting up a company is tiny compared to the chance of getting a good GPA and extracurriculars and heading to consulting.

 

Brown by a mile. They send a ton of kids to MBB every year, despite having significantly fewer people actually interested in consulting than the othe ivies. And their CS department is one of the best in the country.

 

Porro praesentium natus et autem beatae labore unde. Reprehenderit voluptas facere cum eius unde suscipit magni neque. Enim labore non et eligendi ut saepe. Quia ut cumque quam voluptatem. Sunt debitis quo vitae ut est omnis fugit dolorem. Aliquid provident a omnis cum. Sed unde voluptas saepe qui hic.

Career Advancement Opportunities

March 2024 Consulting

  • Bain & Company 99.4%
  • McKinsey and Co 98.9%
  • Boston Consulting Group (BCG) 98.3%
  • Oliver Wyman 97.7%
  • LEK Consulting 97.2%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

March 2024 Consulting

  • Bain & Company 99.4%
  • Cornerstone Research 98.9%
  • Boston Consulting Group (BCG) 98.3%
  • McKinsey and Co 97.7%
  • Oliver Wyman 97.2%

Professional Growth Opportunities

March 2024 Consulting

  • Bain & Company 99.4%
  • McKinsey and Co 98.9%
  • Boston Consulting Group (BCG) 98.3%
  • Oliver Wyman 97.7%
  • LEK Consulting 97.2%

Total Avg Compensation

March 2024 Consulting

  • Partner (4) $368
  • Principal (25) $277
  • Director/MD (55) $270
  • Vice President (47) $246
  • Engagement Manager (99) $225
  • Manager (152) $170
  • 2nd Year Associate (158) $140
  • 3rd+ Year Associate (108) $130
  • Senior Consultant (329) $130
  • Consultant (586) $119
  • 1st Year Associate (538) $119
  • NA (15) $119
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (145) $115
  • Engineer (6) $114
  • 2nd Year Analyst (342) $102
  • Associate Consultant (166) $98
  • 1st Year Analyst (1046) $87
  • Intern/Summer Associate (188) $84
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (547) $67
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
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
7
kanon's picture
kanon
98.9
8
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
9
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
10
Jamoldo's picture
Jamoldo
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...”