Which schools place best for Texas IB/PE?
Hi,
I'm currently a junior in high school interested in high finance. In order to keep this post concise and focused on schools, I wont go into the reasons why IB interests me. In August, I'll start applying to colleges. I do not currently live in Texas, but have spent a lot of time there and lived there shortly. Over our fall break I flew to Houston, checked out the city, and then toured both Texas A&M and The Univeristy of Texas. I love the city of Houston. I am enamored with A&M, but also like UT as well. My end goal is to get into IB in Houston out of college. Although my uncle trades on Wall St, I have no real interest in living in NYC (at least not for an extended period of time) and would prefer a city like Houston or Dallas. So, if want to do IB/PE in Houston/Dallas/Austin, which school(s) would best help me accomplish this? I should have no problem getting into TAMU or UT. Is SMU worth a look? Is UT really THAT much better than A&M? Replies from alumni and/or people familiar with IB/PE in Texas would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance
UT. Do the business honors program and you'll be in good shape. UT sends the most to Houston IB. You'll still be able to recruit just fine from A&M, SMU, but I'd choose UT unless scholarship money is some major factor. You should like Austin, everyone does.
If you really love Houston, why didn't you check out Rice? It's an excellent school with a pretty cool campus, though insanely expensive...which is probably why one would avoid it. And if Houston IB is your goal, no need to spend multiples more to go to Rice and be an econ major when you can study accounting (which UT is famous for) and/or finance. You're going to have to learn accounting and finance either way, might as well have a leg up on the liberal arts types and learn it in college. UT should be at the top of your list.
UT's business honors track is top notch. McCombs also provides a ton of different programs and opportunities to succeed such as the Financial Analyst Program. McCombs is THE best place to go in Texas to place into Houston IBD. They also place kids out in NYC and San Fran. One negative aspect might be if you're just a normal finance major that didn't/couldn't get involved, you'll be overshadowed by literally everyone else.
A&M isn't too far behind recruiting-wise if you get on a specific path within Mays. May's Business Honors -> Business Student Council -> Business Fellows -> Horizons Program would give you the best shot at becoming at big dog in the business school. Horizons is a program where they match you with alumni in IB and they have their own resume book where banks reach out to first/only. A pro to Mays is that there are less kids gunning for IB which gives your fewer competition.
Regardless of which school you go to, get involved quickly and soundly. And when I mean get involved, I don't mean join the basket sewing club or the send flowers to Uruguay club. Get involved with the powerhouse organizations on campus because it provides you a brand name as well as it provides you with the environment where you get connected with other big-time students on campus. Now I'm not saying solely focus on this stuff in college...because you shouldn't. Rush a fraternity (UT's greek life is insane) or if you go to A&M also check out their independent men's organizations like Aggie Men's Club, Ol' Ags, One Army, and branch out and party and have fun and meet new people and have fun with a lot of young women.
PM me if you have anymore questions.
^ This 100%. I've got some close friends in business honors at UT and they've had a (comparatively) easy time getting offers for Houston IB. The McCombs network made it incredibly easy for them to connect with just about every major bank in Houston IB.
Also, just curious if anyone knows how many (if any) UT / TAMU / Rice / etc. people get placed in energy PE straight out of undergrad. Does this happen?
I am not aware of any kids going straight to HF/PE out of McCombs, although I have seen some kids intern at HF/PE.
Thanks so much for the reply! While I don't anticapte much trouble getting into UT or A&M, I'm not as certain about Honors (I don't know how that procress works). However, it seems as if my current ACT score would definitely put me in the running. Worst case scenario: I don't get accepted into the Business Honors Program immediately. Would transferring into BHP sophomore year put me at a disadvantage? Thanks again for the reply, and sorry I couldn't PM you. I don't have enough banana points
Transferring into BHP is pretty tough but they do take a few people. You basically need a 4.0 to have a shot from what I understand. It wouldn't put you at much of a disadvantage if any at all though. That being said, there are plenty of "regular" finance majors who make it. As long as you're in McCombs and involved you will have plenty of opportunities in Houston and anywhere else if you really make an effort.
As far as your question about the difference between A&M and UT goes, I would say UT has a meaningfully better reputation among the banks. It seems that UT/Rice are in a separate tier from the A&Ms and SMUs.
^ I see McCombs guys everywhere. Smart kids.
SMU alternative assets program arguably places better for Houston IB than UT BHP on a percentage basis. I can send you the placement list privately if you would like to see it. Just do a LinkedIn search and see how many SMU kids are in Houston IB right now. SMU will give you a better scholarship if you have good enough stats, has less people to compete with, and the fraternity/social life/women are just as good if not better than any school in Texas. No worrying about getting into alternative assets at admission, you wait until your junior year when you have time to get intersnhips and keep your grades up. Dallas also has way more hedge funds and AM/PWM firms than Austin does to get internships at. Encap takes an intern from SMU every year but they do not give out FT offers they help you recruit for Houston banking. After all, the SMU alternative assets program is funded by Encap.
Thanks so much, this is really interesting. I was not aware of the alternative assets program. Please feel free to message me the placement list, along with any other information about SMU you think I may find interesting. Thanks again!
Thanks for all the replies so far. Obviously (and unfortunately), one of my main concerns in choosing a school is cost. While I haven't applied and seen what kind of financial aid packages I will be offered, I predict that UT and SMU will cost significantly more than TAMU. While TAMU is perhaps less prestigious than UT and SMU (or Rice), the low cost of attending is appealing. If anyone has more information on A&M in general and its placement in Houston/Dallas IB let me know. Thanks again in advance!
UT and SMU will cost significantly more than A&M, more so SMU. I don't find the cost benefit of SMU to be worth it coming from out of state like yourself.What do your grades in HS and SAT scores look like?
I do know that the AAP at SMU is pretty damn good; however if you're not in it then it's a lot harder to break into banking.
Also if you have grand designs of going to the Street and end up at A&M be sure to apply for Aggies on Wallstreet. You can make some really good contacts in NYC, there are more Aggies and A&M affiliates on the Street than you probably realize.
You will get to interact and pick brains of some of the big players on Wallstreet at some of the larger institutions.
EDIT: Looks like A&M now has an Investment Banking program which the Aggies on Wallstreet Program is part of, which you apply for in your junior year and must be in the Business Honor program.
does anyone have information on SMU's masters in finance program in terms of placing IBD in Dallas? or would A&M MS-F be better and just go Houston IBD?
I've seen a few kids in IB from UT Austin. I know firsthand it's a great place, although I didn't accept my offer to attend there. There's my 2 cents for what's that worth.
I've seen a few kids in IB from UT Austin. I know firsthand it's a great place, although I didn't accept my offer to attend there. There's my 2 cents for what's it worth.
Since you've asked for a little more info on A&M, here's my quick two cents.
The Investment Banking Program there is super new, so I don't know if it has much pull on many Houston branches. The Horizons Program is an independent program from the Mays Business School, and it has been the main source of IB placement for Aggies in recent years. GS SSG is really the only group that recruits there from Dallas, so your best bet with A&M is to go after Houston IB, which A&M has enough of a presence in to get your foot in the door...and that's really all you need anyways.
All in all, I do believe that getting into IB from UT or Rice would be easier due to more exposure, but if you know that you want to do IB early on, and utilize what is offered, then you should be totally fine at A&M.
You're correct that Aggies on Wall Street is now part of the new Investment Banking Program. However, you don't have to be in Bus. Honors to apply for it. This program essentially wants to become the premier IB program at Mays but personally I don't know how it will do in the future considering Horizons already has solid footing in the business school and in Houston.
Agree here. If you know you want to do IB and do all the right things when you get to A&M, you'll be fine. Just remember that Houston is a different culture than New York. Someone that would be a good fit personality wise in New York might not fit in well in Houston and vice versa.
I currently at A&M as a freshman, and can give my view. A&M has a great program called Trading, Risk, and Investments (TRIP) that puts a lot of guys straight into houston. Best of all, you get a little taste of risk management and trading. Best of all, you get two internships guaranteed. I have never felt like I was missing out (I turned down McCombs) for several reasons. There are several profs at Mays who have done what we want to do. Just today a guy who was a BB MD gave me all kinds of advice during his lunch hour. In addition, don't underestimate the Aggie network. There are a lot of guys with rings all over Houston/DFW in the finance world.
Plus, I love being an Aggie and wouldn't trade it for anything. PM if you have more questions about a&m or its business school.
.
I think if you plan on remaining in Texas, than any of the decent to top schools in Texas (UT, A&M, Baylor, SMU, TCU etc) will give you good enough name recognition to get your foot in the door. Just be sure to make really good grades, participate in extracurriculars, and land good internships. Although I'd take into account the networking factor, A&M and UT have the biggest networks in Texas (obviously) and I have personally tapped into those with varying degrees of success.
Most of all gain a really good understanding of the industry - don't just be able to recite how to find FCF or the transaction process but have a deeper understanding, that will really help separate you from other candidates.
Best school in Texas for IB? (Originally Posted: 07/03/2012)
Hi all, I'm new here, so forgive my noobish questions. First off let me start off by saying I am going to be a freshmen at a community college. And before y'all start snarling your nose, I'm not dumb, stupid, or lazy. I chose a CC for financial reasons and becuase I figured what was the difference ? Basic classes are basic classes...
Anyways, I started taking classes early (as a junior in HS) and have 18 hours complete with a 4.0. I played basketball and ran track for my varsity team, was in a few clubs, and plan on joining a few more at my CC. So, I hope my EC's are good.. As for grades, I'm fairly confident that I can keep my grades up, so I should be set there as well...
Now my question is: Which school in TX would give me the best shot at a IB role? I am very interested in energy, so I'd ideally end up in Houston. I have 'used the search function on the website' and I have found that it's UT vs Rice..
UT- Due to the courses they need for transfer, I would most likely end up being a junior when I would be able to transfer.. The CC makes you jump through hoops just to get to cal I and cal II... Would this kill me?? Rice- I don't know much about this school tbh.. Any insights would be great.
So, would transfering as a junior look like complete shit on my resume? Or would it even show up? Also, I looked at UT's external transfer stats.. they're not encouraging.. 17% got in last year as opposed to 71% for internal transfer.
SO! # Which school? # Which program from that school?
Thanks!
I'm probably a bit biased, but Rice, while a very good school, seems more geared toward the sciences than business. Personally, I'd choose UT Austin, and try to get into McCombs (honors if possible?), though I don't know the exact process with regard to applying as a transfer student (to either school). Houston IBD recruits pretty heavily out of UT (due to the significant alumni presence in addition to UT being a good school in general), but I don't know how it is at Rice.
Even ignoring that, if financial reasons are a concern to you, then I would suggest UT. Rice, while a relatively cheap private school, can't really compare to the money you'll be saving at UT (assuming you're in state).
It is UT hands down. I work for an energy group in Houston and when I was interviewing with the different banks I may have come across one Rice candidate out of every five UT candidates. UT's business program (especially honors) is relatively highly regarded throughout the banks in Houston while Rice doesn't have much of an edge aside from location.
As far as transferring into UT, I would speak with a transfer admissions rep from there, and they can point you in the best direction as far as how to go about preparing to transfer. Most times the info on the website isn't exactly right regarding what you need to take to transfer in, such as other classes that can be substituted at your specific CC to count as the courses they require for transfer.
The good thing about Houston banks is they aren't quite as obsessed with pedigree as offices in nyc, so having a good GPA, decent EC's, and networking a little can help you out no matter where you're coming from.
UT (McCombs) > Rice > SMU > A&M although the lack of interest in IBD at Rice might work in your favor... also the possibility of interning during the school year if you're at Rice. UT is by far the best feeder to Houston IBD however.
I would say your best bet is UT Austin, just don't pull a jeffrey chiang over there.
I'm surprised that hasn't been added to the BIWS and WSO guides yet.
UT or Rice. SMU will be fine for Southern banks like Stephens and BB&T
SMU has actually had a lot of candidates getting SA and FT offers at BB's down here over the past couple of years. It seems like they are outnumbering the Rice candidates from what I've seen.
UT>Rice/SMU/A&M>TCU>Baylor>Everything else.
Follow this degree plan: http://www.mccombs.utexas.edu/~/media/Files/MSB/BBA/Advising/Degree-Pla…
Make sure the classes you are taking will transfer over to UT.You can check that here: http://www.tccns.org/
As far as getting into McCombs, you need a 3.6 if you will be doing an internal transfer. Not sure about external, but I think its same to assume 3.8+ range.
Collin college (CCCC) has a program with SMU where you attend CCCC for 2 years, and assuming you maintain a GPA of ~3.75, will receive a scholarship to the bschool at SMU. Thats something else you can look into. I was recently browsing through linkedin profiles and saw a number of SMU kids landing SA and FT gigs at BBs in houston, as well as JPM and HLHZ in Dallas (most of these kids seemed to have been in some program where you manage some investment fund)
I second what cpt. koolaid just said. Don't discount SMU, though UT would of course be the first choice.
Agree with others about SMU, I have a buddy that worked in energy IBD in Calgary then went to Houston/Louisiana and he says tops schools down there are UT and SMU. Tulane is pretty well-regarded as well but not sure how it would work for a Texan CC transfer.
Thank you for all of help guys!
I think I am leaning more towards UT, but will leave an open mind about SMU and Rice (will probably apply to all 3, just in case I don't get into UT). So, let's assume that I get into McCombs: what program do I enroll in? iMPA, BHP, or BBA (Again, assuming I got my first pick and pretend that I like all of them equally)?
PM'd you.
OP, when you're admitted to McCombs it's for a BBA. BHP (honors program) is a separate application and from what I've seen, very few external applicants make the cut. If you get into BHP it's actually an extra degree on top of your BBA. However, its not essential to get into BHP because there are other ways to differentiate yourself at UT. To get an external transfer into McCombs you need around a ~3.85+ with good ECs and essays.
I second what everyone else has been saying regarding IB recruiting, UT places very well in Houston and NYC as well. I know quite a few (~10) SA's in NYC this summer for IB. Most of us go to Houston for oil & gas IB and placement is very good. If you have any specific questions feel free to PM me.
Socially, Rice is pretty tough for a transfer, because of its small size. UT is the best if you can get good grades, which isn't super difficult at McCombs. Rice has less interest in banking because of its focus as a science/engineering/pre-med school for sure. Percentage-wise, I think probably more people at Rice that are interested in banking get internships, because there's only like ~50 people applying each year. Still, UT has a better relationship with most of the banks, because they know they can come to UT and get many qualified applicants. Banks like DB and Tudor Pickering are pretty Rice heavy, but I would ultimately pick UT.
SMU is good as well, although only if you can't get into Rice or UT.
Do TRIP if you want to do sales/trading in IB...you don't need to do it if you want to work in the IBD
More of an accounting background could actually give you a leg up on the competition, and A&M has plenty of good resources and programs for that as well
Best Texas College For IB into HF (Originally Posted: 06/25/2014)
I'm a sophomore in high school and want to get into IB and then maybe transfer to HF.I was thinking of McCombs UT Austin. What are y'all's opinions on the best plan for IB to HF staying in state for college. Also, With the income of an IB or HF analyst will I be considered rich with no kids. Understand money isn't my only motivator but it is a big one.
Thanks
Rice IMO. I have a lot of friends that attended both schools, but more of the friends who went to Rice placed into IB jobs (with business and non-business majors) For example, I had two friends at Rice who were Bio and Sociology majors that both joined BB's upon graduating. I could be wrong, but idk if McCombs has a large presence in IB, at least on the East Coast. I'm not saying Rice has a large presence either, but I think the prestige and alumni network of Rice opens some doors and OCR access that only the top students at McCombs would have, if they would have access to some of those doors at all.
At the end of the day, you're GPAand hustle is going to be the main decider for the type of job you'll get (college prestige does matter significantly, but it can be overcome much more easily than a poor gpa/lack of hustle). So if I were you, I would focus more on getting your high school GPA up, extracurriculars solid, and those SAT I and SAT II test scores, and then when you get those acceptance letters, worry about what schools are better for banking later. They're both high quality, and the schools alone won't prevent you from gaining access to OCR to work in IBD.
UT and Rice are the two best with A&M slightly behind placing a decent amount every year and SMU/TCU placing 1-3 each. Don't go to Tech or UH.
UT > Rice >>>> A&M. This holds doubly true for NYC.
A lot of this will also depend on your major. If you are a business major at UT you will have a good shot, but I felt most of the students I spoke with were more interested in something else. Although, if you are a Business Honors student there is a very high placement in banks in Houston. Other UT programs don't really place in banking and I have heard from fellow students that the business school restricts a lot of these interviews to just their students. I was a UT Engineering major and can tell you they come to career fairs but are mostly looking for risk/trading type roles. From Rice I have seen people of all majors place in banking but mostly engineering and economics.
Apply to all three schools though, you never know where you'll get in and the top 10 rule doesn't really apply to either Rice or UT. Hope that helps.
My ranking was based on McCombs entry.
McCombs > Rice > UT >>> A&M.
Use the search bar, this question has been asked 3 times in as many weeks now ._.
UT Bus Honors > Rice > A&M Bus Hon > McCombs > Mays > SMU > TCU.
SMU alternative assets program. Places better percentage wise than any of those if you can get in. Placed at almost every BB/EB in Houston (2 at Goldman), 2 BB NYC, and 1 interning at Apollo PE in NYC out of a class of 30. That's just this year, the Houston IB's are filled with SMU alts grads now.
In regards to the 2 posts above -
Rummy is probably right with that order. A&M's Business Honors won't actually help you get into banking (unlike UT's BHP), but your average A&M Business Honors kid probably has a better chance than your average McCombs kid who isn't in UT's BHP program.
I know nothing about SMU's alternative assets program, but I can pretty much guarantee that it doesn't place better, even on a percentage-wise basis, at banks than UT's BHP or even A&M's Horizons.
You will find more UT analysts than any other school by far. Rice and A&M are close for 2nd/3rd. SMU and TCU are close for 4th/5th. Having said that, there will be many more kids at UT gunning for banking jobs than there are at the other 4.
A little late to this post, but figured I'd chime in.
I'm at UT right now with an Econ major. Plenty of my friends are both in McCombs and the BHP program. From my experience, McCombs students really have a wealth of rescources to draw upon when trying to land ibd jobs. Their OCR is much more extensive than CoLA (obviously), and if you're in BHP and have motivation to get into banking you have a really good shot at landing something in IBD (there's a guy who graduated last year out of BHP and now works for Blackstone PE fresh out of undergrad).
BHP majors take separate business classes that are restricted to only BHP people. I am not doubting that these classes are any easier than regular business classes, probably to the contrary, but what I have observed is that they get more favorable curves in those classes. And it makes sense. Place kids who have a bright future in BHP, put them is classes that will pad their GPAs which makes them more attractive for good SA positions to then land FT offers at the big banks. This makes McCombs look more credible, so it's a win-win. Students gets good job, university can tout how many people they place in high finance. Note: what I am NOT saying is that once you get into BHP you can coast and expect to have a 3.8. These kids are very smart and highly motivated. Also, you can't be a complete doofus during your SA gig and expect to ride your BHP education to get asked back.
Now, this perspective is strictly secondhand considering I'm neither BHP nor McCombs. Just what I've heard/seen from my friends within those programs. It really helps that you have as much perspective as you do being a sophomore in HS. That'll really help you hit the ground running and getting into organizations within the bschool (TUIT comes to mind). Wish I had been more gung-ho about finance when I was your age. Definite uphill battle trying to get into banking with an Econ major.
Can't expand upon Rice/TAMU/SMU/TCU.
My advice-- If you're well connected now, try and get an internship within an IB, HF, PE firm in high school. One of my friends did this and now is in BHP. It won't be the most fun summer you've ever had, but would get you a leg up. Go either to Rice (especially since you're in proximity to network with plenty of energy IBD guys) or McCombs (BHP if you can get in).
Just wanted to point out that you're a high school sophomore. I'm very impressed you're thinking ahead, but you're looking about 10 years down the road. Before you're thinking about HF recruiting, you're gonna have to make the grades in high school to get into a good college. Enjoy high school, make good grades, and see where things take you from there.
UT if you want a shot at NYC. UT or Rice for energy banking.
Our recruiting hierarchy runs:
UT BHP / SMU Alts / Rice / Vandy / TCU
Tier 2: UT Regular / SMU Regular / A&M
This isn't a strict cuttoff (e.g we're not going to toss an aggie resume for the next Vandy kid), but it's simply a volume game. We know we can fill our class with kids from our top schools, so we don't bother going through the 50 regular UT resumes before we've vetted the BHP ones. It may have just been that way this year due to the accelerated nature of recruiting--which we all hope is not the case next year, but that's how it worked for us.
Another important point is that the tiering of schools really depends on the bank you are recruiting for. The groups that have MDs from A&M or TCU etc that are particularly active in recruiting will value their schools more highly. The second tier players will also not get their pick of the top kids from UT BHP or SMU or Rice or the other selective programs at A&M or TCU (although I wasn't very impressed with the guys we talked to from either) and will focus on those schools more heavily.
If you got into BHP or Rice or SMU (and if you're in the running for BHP, you'd probably be a good alts candidate in a year, would just have to prepare), then those would be where I'd start.
You just also have to consider a number of different things. School culture at SMU vs Rice vs UT is COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. Top kids from each of those places will get good looks at every bank in Houston, and in the case of BHP/Alts/Rice, NYC as well. But college is about way more than just your IBanking placement 3 years down the line...
Surprising to see SMU and TCU so well thought of, maybe its has that private school allure.
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