Sophomore at a non-target, looking for transfer advice
Okay, so this is going to be one of those threads where the clueless undergrad has to ask for advice from people who couldn't care less. Basically, I go to a pretty-well regarded university (Case Western Reserve, if you know it) that usually ranks between 30 and 40 for national rankings. It's mostly known for STEM, however, and coming out of high school business wasn't really in my sights so I thought it would be a good fit. Midway through freshman year I decided I might want to try business, ended up liking it, got interested in Investment Banking, etc. The problem is that opportunities for banking are extremely limited, outside of one MM that's okay but not great--I stand a decent chance of getting an internship there this summer, at least.
So, I'm looking to transfer. The problem is that my GPA is probably not quite where it needs to be to transfer into an elite program, considering I barely showed up to class for most of Freshman year. It's not awful, and will be about 3.6 after this semester with a strong upward trend (should have a 4.0 this semester and ideally can have one for a midterm report next semester on applications). I have good but not great EC's, a really good ACT score (for what it's worth at this point), and should be able to write convincing essays, so I don't think I'm completely out of the running. I'm planning on applying to UVA, UNC, USC, Cornell, Stern, Northwestern, and Georgetown; the only place I feel good about my chances is UNC, but not only does that seem like the weakest program, but you have to apply separately to Kenan-Flagler once you get on campus, and I'd rather not have to risk staying as an Econ major there. The rest all seem to range from "reach" to basically a 0% chance, but I'm hoping that taking a kind of shotgun approach and applying to all of them will have at least one of them be willing to pull the trigger.
Basically I just have a few questions regarding some alternatives, assuming the worst would happen and none of those schools would accept me.
1) I've seen a bit on this site but nothing that is super specific regarding a Masters of Finance. Assuming I have to do the two last years of undergrad at my current school and I'm not able to slip in to a bank from a non-target, is doing a program at a target school like MIT or Princeton a legitimate way to break into IB? While it seems like work experience isn't as important to have beforehand, unlike an MBA, I'm not sure whether banks would recruit Masters students, or if by that point the ship has sailed and it's too late to try and get an entry-level position since they'd prefer undergrads.
2) I'm not bothering to apply to schools like UM and Emory, since you need to spend three years in the program and I'd rather not have to do another year of undergrad. Is that a good decision? My thought process is that if I'm going to spend an extra year, I may as well do a third year at my current school and try for another two semesters with a 4.0, which might let have a decent shot at transferring in at one of the higher regarded targets as a Junior. On a bit of an unrelated note, Michigan does have a minor in Business through Ross which I believe would give access to OCR. Would it be worth applying as an Econ major and trying to declare the minor afterwards, or would not being in Ross be too big of a disadvantage to make it not worthwhile?
3) I've seen that some of the liberal arts colleges like Williams, Amherst, Pomona and Claremont McKenna are considered semi-targets to some degree. How do they compare for placement against the schools I'm applying to, both in general and for NYC (all things considered I'd rather work in NYC, but at this point I recognize that I need to take what I can get)? The GPA needed to transfer there seems to be a bit lower than the places I'm considering, and it seems more fit based, which I think I can use to my advantage. Is there any specific one that would be best for IB, or would any be acceptable? I'm not a big fan of the liberal arts experience, and visited Williams but didn't apply out of high school, but I'd be willing to live with it for a much better shot at IB.
4) Are there any "sleeper" schools, which don't rank as highly for IB placement but are still a viable option, and would be easier to transfer into? I noticed University of Wisconsin as one mentioned here on this site, but they require that you do a year there before you can transfer into the business school so it doesn't seem feasible. Are there any others like this?
Sorry for the massive wall of text, but it's hard getting an answer from someone on campus that doesn't amount to "if you work hard here there are plenty of opportunities." Any help in regards to any of these questions would be much appreciated!
Itaque id mollitia exercitationem id dolorem sed cum. Quis molestias non debitis dolorem sint repudiandae voluptatem reprehenderit. Ullam reprehenderit ducimus asperiores atque qui quasi numquam. Libero aut est tenetur porro. Sapiente repellat placeat et facere non voluptatem dignissimos repudiandae. Quis accusamus dolore quos vitae quaerat.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...