Does College Matter Anymore?

Do top PE shops care about what college you went to and your GPA or is it all about your analyst ranking and what group you are in?

I managed to get a banking job from a non-target with a 3.7 GPA, but I am wondering if that is going to hurt me in the PE recruiting cycle.

 

"I think Ivy's always look good. Other than that it probably doesn't matter."

You don't believe that a Stanford degree would open up a few more doors than one from Cleveland State?

 
Best Response

School name plays a different role during exit recruiting than when you're trying to get into a bank.  A big part of the reason that school name is important when you're coming out of college has to do with your proximity to recruiters (e.g. target vs. non-target, etc.) and the likelyhood that a top group at the bank will give you a spot.  If you're coming from a top group at a top bank, this will be less of an issue.

Furthermore, PE recruiters can judge you based on your bonus bracket, on referrals from your senior bankers, on your deal sheet, on a modelling exam, and (possibly) on work you've done for them (if the firm is a client).  I won't even address the networking aspects of colleges because your question was about "brand name" rather than college intangibles.

In summary, your brand name college will be less of a big deal than when you applied to banks but ceteris paribus, college brand name can still help you a lot.

 

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