LSE vs UC berkeley vs Columbia vs Wharton undergrad for IB?

Hello,

I'm new to the forum and was wondering if i can be offered any advice. I've been fortunate enough to get offers/accepted into the above universities. For LSE i have an offer for Maths and Econ. If i go to any of the US universities, i plan to major in (double major or major minor) in Maths and/or Econ.

I would like to work in an investment bank in the future. I have an interest in Australia and the Far east (Hong Kong, Japan etc.). However, would also like a university which places strongly internationally in case i change my mind to work in Europe or the States.

My parents are financially prepared to pay for any of the above university fees so that won't be an issue.

I have visited all the universities and funnily enough can't rate one above the other as i felt they had Pros and Cons in different areas.

Which university do you recommend will give me the best chance to break into an investment bank or business or finance?

Many Thanks

 

I'm not as hung up on Wharton as most folks on this board, but I guarantee that is going to be the answer you get from those schools you listed. Even for overseas gigs, you can't really go wrong with Wharton. A good friend of mine went from Wharton to UBS to PE in Tokyo.

 
djfiii:
I'm not as hung up on Wharton as most folks on this board, but I guarantee that is going to be the answer you get from those schools you listed. Even for overseas gigs, you can't really go wrong with Wharton. A good friend of mine went from Wharton to UBS to PE in Tokyo.

Hey, thanks for the reply. Yea, i would have thought Wharton or LSE will get the most recognition. However, will going to Columbia or Berkeley hurt my chances?

 
Best Response
storeyup:
djfiii:
I'm not as hung up on Wharton as most folks on this board, but I guarantee that is going to be the answer you get from those schools you listed. Even for overseas gigs, you can't really go wrong with Wharton. A good friend of mine went from Wharton to UBS to PE in Tokyo.

Hey, thanks for the reply. Yea, i would have thought Wharton or LSE will get the most recognition. However, will going to Columbia or Berkeley hurt my chances?

Columbia or Berkeley are great schools, but probably give you slightly less in terms of brand recognition, number of opportunities, alumni network - specific to IB and Finance. So, it feels a bit odd to suggest that you're "hurting" your chances by picking one of those schools. You would certainly have a number of IB opportunities coming out of either of those schools, but if you're playing the best odds, you have to go with Wharton. If you weren't being that specific, I'd pick Berkeley over Wharton any day, but since you seem hung up on IB, I think Wharton is your choice.

 

This should really be about LSE vs Wharton, and it probably all comes down to what you want as a far as location goes. Do you want to live in the UK or the US? Being in London is going to help you big time when networking, plus you can't compare livinig in London with anything else (also cost wise). LSE is a 3 year course, Wharton is 4 i think.

It really all comes down to these two and what your personal preference is. Just be aware that if you go to LSE, the costs will be much higher than what you estimate at the moment.

I'm talking about liquid. Rich enough to have your own jet. Rich enough not to waste time. Fifty, a hundred million dollars, buddy. A player. Or nothing. See my Blog & AMA
 
Matrick:
This should really be about LSE vs Wharton, and it probably all comes down to what you want as a far as location goes. Do you want to live in the UK or the US? Being in London is going to help you big time when networking, plus you can't compare livinig in London with anything else (also cost wise). LSE is a 3 year course, Wharton is 4 i think.

It really all comes down to these two and what your personal preference is. Just be aware that if you go to LSE, the costs will be much higher than what you estimate at the moment.

Yes, i've narrowed it down to LSE and Wharton, although i'm slightly leaning over to LSE. Do you think what the other guys say about LSE is true? Do you think it isn't really known in Asia?

 
mynameistizzle:
LSE has a lot of clout in Europe, but on an international scale (US and Asia) LSE isn't that well known

This is true -- Oxford and Cambridge are really the only two schools in the UK with widespread name recognition.

Anyway, @OP: I wouldn't rule out Columbia, especially if you want to spend your college years in NYC. Wharton is far and away the best undergrad business school in the country, but, well, it's no HYPS. It shouldn't be an automatic decision for you.

 

I don't have any hard facts, but given that half the campus is from Asia, I'd imagine that relevant people do know it. It's not gonna be the "Harvard Effect" (as in random people on the street will know what it is) but in Finance etc. you shouldn't have any problems whatsoever

I'm talking about liquid. Rich enough to have your own jet. Rich enough not to waste time. Fifty, a hundred million dollars, buddy. A player. Or nothing. See my Blog & AMA
 

No doubt man - Wharton! And I think it should be Wharton vs Columbia, rather than vs LSE. LSE is a a good school and seems like it gets even more credit in Europe & UK area, but for those living in the states, Columbia sounds much more prestigious than LSE. And Wharton - it's probably the best undergrad choice you can ever find to drive you onto IB/financial industries!

 

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