HPSW vs.... tier 2 (Dartmouth, Duke, Columbia)

I'm sorry if this question has been asked a million times, but it's really bothering me.It's much more of, just an envy/ego question, but anyways:

Do students at the TOP targets (mainly just HS and W) really have that much of an advantage on students from a school like Duke or Dartmouth (which almost seem like Ibanking factories)? If there is a difference, is it negligible or is it pronounced? Are Duke/Dartmouth students less prepared in interviews? Are they dumber, overall (be honest)?

 
Best Response

there are great kids at all of those schools. and people dumber than rocks in all of them. seriously. and some of both types will be successful.

i have friends at what you call the "tier 2" schools who would rock the shit out of most of the kids that i know at my tier 1. really the only recruiting advantage that HYPW kids have is that more places come to recruit there and allocate more spots for those schools. so the odds are more in your favor. don't worry about it--you're clearly at a great school. now that you are where you are, have fun, work hard, find some things you enjoy doing, and the rest will take care of itself.

i know that sounds trite, but im not kidding. i also know kids at my tier 1 who have not worked so hard, did not really find things they enjoyed doing--and theyre now either heading to no-names, or worse, gunning their way into the back office.

 

Agree with DevilsAdvocate. I'd say the average student at a top 15-20 school is going to be smart enough for any of the others.

On an absolute scale, the "tier 1 targets" (a label that is dumb) do have more opportunities but you are not limited at all coming from D/D/C. Columbia has a sick NYC network obviously, Dartmouth commands an incredible amount of respect in some top-tier firms, and Duke has a great alumni network and recruiting. It's actually funny, I know a friend of a friend from Duke who is in a circle of ex-Dukies who are all at large-cap PE funds (KKR, BX, etc.) Given the number of positions at their level, it is truly impressive that a bunch of friends all ended up at those firms coming from Duke.

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