UVA or WashU for ED

I'm stuck between UVA and WashU. I want to pursue a career in either IB or Consulting. I know that UVA does better in terms of IB recruitment, but I think I more less likely to get in because I am out-of-state and it costs 65k per year. I think I am more likely get into WashU ED because they have a 40% ED acceptance rate. WashU costs around 70k, but I think I will receive aid so it goes down to 55k-60k. What do you guys recommend?  

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4.1 W

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I don't know much about UVA but I'm willing to bet that they have higher IB placements than WashU. For the most part, my impression is that most students are on their own in preparation for IB recruiting (meaning without much institutional support from WashU, student orgs, or a strong student culture). There's an IB student org on campus that runs a sophomore program focused on junior recruiting but I think it's not as active now that a couple of key leaders of the program graduated. Of course, that could change by the time you're a sophomore. This is not to say that WashU doesn't place at great firms because you can find at least a few WashU alumni at every BB or EB. Guggenheim, Lazard, and Lincoln International in particular recruit a lot of students from WashU. My main point is that self-starting and talented students at WashU have no problem getting an IB offer but there isn't much of a guiding institutional or cultural pipeline that is consistently placing students at top banks. 

On the flip side, WashU is great if you want to pursue consulting. Olin's Economics & Strategy major is pretty much designed for future consultants. WashU's top talent consistently places into MBB and others receive great offers from other reputable consulting firms. Overall, I think the culture at Olin very much suits the consulting pipeline, especially if you join one of the three professional fraternities on campus. Feel free to ask any follow-up questions.

 

I guess that isn't a terrible idea. But I strongly suggest not to think of consulting as a rebound, especially when you're recruiting for IB. Instead, think about why exactly you want to do IB and commit to that 100%. Recruiters get paid to sniff out people who aren't serious and being at semi-target like WashU already puts you at a lower footing in their eyes. Make damn sure your "why IB" answer is solid. 

 

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