Undecisive HS Senior about Stern

this is my first time here but I have a bid headache regarding choosing where to go to school. I was accepted to Stern and Berkeley and idk what I am going to end up in altho it will prob be finance/consulting/trading or whatever. How is Stern for undergrad? Is it really very far behind HPSY+Wharton when it comes to recruiting? because I fell like if I am going to be severely disadvantaged then might as well go to Berkeley and possibly go into tech? feel free to say anything

also, pls keep in mind that i would graduate class of 2024 and given the current outlook on the economy I'm really worried about not being able to find a job when I get out

 

Obviously Stern isn't on the level of HYPSW but other top schools don't to HYPSW either when it comes to recruiting. There's a reason HYPSW is considered another tier and it's not like Berkeley doesn't have to compete against Stanford and other top schools. At the same time, going to Stern will give you exponentially more opportunities in finance than what you're going to have at Berkeley. Keep in mind that if you want Haas you have to eventually apply there junior year which is extremely competitive and many people don't get it. Since, both are great schools and I would pick based on fit, where you want to work, and what you want to do.

 

Dude relax. You'll be just fine at either school. College is 4 awesome years, Get excited. Don't be stressed.

If you'd get in-state tuition at Berkeley, I'd definitely take that. I wouldn't just look at slight recruiting advantages of the schools. They're very different environments: traditional college campus in a college-ish town vs. very urban setting in Lower Manhattan without a traditional campus. One is a better fit for some than others. You should figure out what works for you. You're gonna spend 4 years there, You don't want to be miserable

 
Most Helpful
thexfactor336:
Dude relax. You'll be just fine at either school. College is 4 awesome years, Get excited. Don't be stressed.

If you'd get in-state tuition at Berkeley, I'd definitely take that. I wouldn't just look at slight recruiting advantages of the schools. They're very different environments: traditional college campus in a college-ish town vs. very urban setting in Lower Manhattan without a traditional campus. One is a better fit for some than others. You should figure out what works for you. You're gonna spend 4 years there, You don't want to be miserable

This x1000. SB.

OP - If you are a good student at either school you will do just fine. There is so much more to college than recruiting for some job. OP you mention the economy. If the economy is awful - ain't no one getting finance jobs out of college no matter where they go.

Go where you will learn more, enjoy life more, and get a better feeling of where you will get more out of life (classes, partying, clubs, campus, sports, theatre, whatever). Remember that you may change radically in four years and not even consider finance jobs or whatever.

Both are great schools and you have a great problem to have to choose between two fine schools. Pat yourself on the back

Congrats!

Good Luck

I used to do Asia-Pacific PE (kind of like FoF). Now I do something else but happy to try and answer questions on that stuff.
 

Assuming tuition isn't a factor, do you want to work on the East Coast or the West Coast? Are you sure you want to do IB, or are you seriously considering tech?

If you're sure you want to do IB and you want to do it on the East Coast, Stern hands down wins. If you're sure you want to work on the West Coast, and you want to do IB, Berkeley wins. If you're pretty location neutral and aren't sure about IB or tech, or if you're leaning towards tech, do Berkeley.

 

I go to stern. I’ll be fully honest. I’m kinda a hardo so I love it here. As long as you get in the right finance clubs, you’ll have mentors that’ll guide you throughout recruiting. Its a small school so reputation is very important for better or worse (and sorta dictates how seriously clubs and upperclassmen will take you). Amazing placement for IB (I have nothing to compare it to but basically as long as you have drive and a 3.7, you’ll get an investment bank and if on top of that you’re in a club you’re basically guaranteed a bb or eb). We get looks from buy side firms and some kids go straight there. Super shitty for consulting. It’s not a good environment for corporate finance because there are few upperclassmen/networking resources. I love stern because of the friends I made here but you’ll definitely feel something’s missing from a normal college experience. I can’t speak much about Berkley.

 

I also go to Stern and the above comment is a pretty accurate depiction. I however wouldn’t say that it’s shitty for consulting, just not as strong as it is for Finance and not on par with HYPSW consulting recruiting. At Stern undergrad, consulting is essentially Big4 Advisory + Strategy (Parthenon, S&O...), tech consulting (Accenture, Capgemini...), and specialized boutiques like A&M or FTI. Some also go to MBB but definitely not as many as MBB targets like H/W.

OP, to answer your question about Stern vs HYPW, going to Stern will bring you similar recruiting opportunities in Finance, but in Finance alone. For Consulting, the school is a clear tier below.

 

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