Is UChicago undergrad a Wall Street (IBD) feeder or no?

Just got off waitlist, have two days to accept. Or should I just go to UVA as planned? Money isn't really an issue. I applied to Chicago at recommendation of a mentor. I know its dork rep, but allegedly that rep has changed?

 

Any citation on that? The college itself is of zero help. Lot of the older comments on WSO had people saying they rarely meet Chicago kids on the street. Or their analyst class only had one, or they heard the SF and Chicago office got 2-3, things like that. Not well represented. And if things have changed on campus, that means still some years before Chicago alums are in senior rolls - so paths aren't well plowed?

 

Met a few guys from UChicago at superdays and they all came off way too serious for their own good. UChicago has great placement into IB. Kinda sad to see all these threads of kids nitpicking which top schools give them a marginally better chance of getting in a bank & not considering the bigger picture. Some of these schools out there have strong placement, great sports, and a fun culture. Instead of developing themselves as wholesome great business individuals that know how to have a good time, they're becoming soft.

Don't break yourself on the way to making yourself
 

use linkedin to analyze the profiles/frequency of grads from each school in positions you'd want (since you said IB look for GS/MS/JPM/PJT/EVR etc)

with that said, as a Michigan student I can say attending a "fun school" with sports and greek life is great. I'm glad I don't go to UChicago.

"Truth is like poetry. And most people fucking hate poetry."
 
Best Response

UChicago undergrad here (2nd year going to JPM IB SA 2019)

OCR here is heavy—I honestly think it’s one of the best schools to recruit from at the moment. The idea that UC isn’t “fun” is long gone—I’m in Greek life here and it’s a great time.

 

How many kids got JPM offers - all Chicago or diff branches? I emailed UCIB for a recent internship or first-year alum employment survey and they blew me off. I mean every school has those but Chicago doesn't? Seemed weird af

 

Go where you think you'd be happier.

These two schools are polar opposites in terms of culture/geography/student life etc., you should not make the decision based on IBD recruiting as they both are very prestigious schools, but rather which student population aligns more with your interests. At the end of the day you're still going to need to network and bust your ass to break in from both, so might as well go to the school that you'd also enjoy on the weekends.

Best of luck

 

Go to UVA, you'll have a way better undergrad experience as long as you don't mind fratty brahs. Marginal difference between the two in terms of placement for IB and when it comes to buyside, the griffin class and pe class offered at UVA opens up your network and can be a good differentiator when you resume hits a buyside funds desk among 10902834 other similar candidates

Also think the fact that UVA actually has sports teams and a social culture is a huge leg up on Chicago, when you are in interviews/meetings it's a really easy thing to shoot the shit about it with anyone who follows college sports

 

I wouldn’t say this years ago, but today I think I would advise on UC. It’s up and coming.

But also depends on personality but seems like it’s a more well-rounded school.

I know a kid a few years back then just became a dj and travels around. So it has become more we’ll-rounded. I think you would meet far more interesting people there.

And you always have chicago. Which for an undergrad you can actually afford.

 

Wall St recruits at UChicago because it's prestigious and students are known to be smart; if the actual IB outcomes aren't commensurate with the school's prestige, it's more likely attributable to the cultural mismatch (UChicago culture is better suited for analytical roles and/or the buyside, which isn't IB).

The truth is you're the weak. And I'm the tyranny of evil men. But I'm tryin', Ringo. I'm tryin' real hard to be the shepherd.
 

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