Evaluating Offers

Thanks guys, SB's for some insightful info

wow nice, grats. Take into account weather, cost of living, family/friend, etc.

If the money is better, and you're outside of NYC, then it should be significantly better. Keep in mind NYC is at least 10-15% more expensive to live in than SF and Chicago.

i think the real question is blair chicago vs. baird sf.

mac's comp is shit. cross it off your list

Congrats on the offers. Baird and Blair are the strongest of your list, and it's good that your WB is for Chicago (their HQ). Both of those firms have really great people; I've spoken with bankers at both firms and interviewed with both. Macquarie apparently does a lot of infrastructure deals (at least historically). Don't know much about D&P.

Relevant questions: What are your reasons for wanting NYC? What's your plan at this moment for post-banking? Who'd you like more, in terms of who you actually met?

I worked at a BB this past summer in NYC and living there was fantastic. I've also been to Chicago and SF (Chicago is cool but SF wasnt for me at all. but i liked NYC better than both). Mac's comp is absolute garbage and has been for the past few years but my offer is for their Principal Transactions Group which is essentially their PE arm. They made it sound like they were going to increase comp but i donno how true that will be.

For some reason, I felt that the people at Blair and Baird were really nice but acted like old people (i.e. they said that they go to bed at like 11 pm on Friday nights, some of the first year analysts are married, etc)

Post banking, I'm still unsure. Maybe PE or HF but I honestly have no clue.

Principal Transactions is believe mostly infra- and project finance-focused, which is not a judgement just something to keep in mind. I know a guy at an energy-focused PE fund and they deal with Macquarie a lot as both a coinvestor and leverage provider, though I'm not 100% sure if that's all in principal transactions in the US.

I take a dim view of D&P.

WB in Chicago is probably best in terms of exit ops (regionally-based MM PE funds)

Personally I'd take Baird in SF

From someone that is from Chicago and has lived in NYC. I can assure you that Chicago is a better place to live than NYC.

At least I liked it a lot more.

But if weather is a big factor, SF hands down.

Two other things worth considering that haven't been mentioned yet:

1. WB's analyst program is a first year generalist pool, and you don't get placed into a group permanently until after that, which is cool in that you get to experience more industries. With the others, you'll probably place immediately into a vertical.

2. Baird has a Scholars program that will pay for your MBA if you perform very well and commit to a certain amount of time to the firm post-MBA.

My 2 cents, take Baird but my bias stems from the fact that I interned there this past summer and am going back full time.

My 2 cents, take Baird but my bias stems from the fact that I interned there this past summer and am going back full time.

WB is a great MM firm. They are largely considered the best bank in Chicago. As far as comparisons go, I would recommend you go with a HQ over a regional when you start off (This is advice that has been forced down my throat, which I am now regurgitating to you). I have a friend at the firm who really enjoys the people he works with their, and had turned down an offer from a non-top BB when he started. Several top bankers at WB are originally from Baird, and from what I have been told (and I'm not trying to start a problem with anyone here), the lateraling between the two firms is pretty one way. I am biased as I have heard a lot of good things from my friend, and can only base it off of hearsay. I have no point of reference concerning your other choices.

Ultimately, weigh cost of living and weather into your choice. Winters in Chicago are long and brutal, but then again I was in the military going through bootcamp the last time I experienced a Chicago winter.

Hope this helps. Good Luck.