Hi! Our junior is making her college list and we would like to get everyone’s opinion on the top undergraduate business schools within the SEC Conference? We live in New England and she wants to find a school far from home with lots of school spirit and a great undergraduate finance program. Also we are trying to understand which cities the schools place graduates into since ideally she would like to come back to NYC or Boston.
For International Business, probably South Carolina.
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Yes ty, that is an awesome program and very selective. She’s leaning towards a finance degree hoping to enter Investment Banking. Online all of the SEC programs seem great- any local intel? Insight into job placement.
My advice is worth about what you’re paying for it: where does she want to live? Then go to the SEC school in that state, or the one that has the biggest alumni base in that state.
It will be Texas as soon as they join SEC. After that it is likely Texas A&M, Florida, and Georgia. Then the remainder in any order.
Far away, great school spirit, great undergrad finance = Notre Dame (but not SEC)
Within the SEC - I’d say Georgia & Texas A&M
IMO Georgia is probably placing more students in NYC or Boston in IB…but none of these SEC schools are what I would call easy to move into IB in the Northeast. (I am ignoring Vandy because they don’t have a finance major, but all in all I expect Vandy is doing quite well placing students into NE banking jobs).
I also assume your D probably doesn’t know what IB really is, or all the various other types of analyst jobs in banking. I would encourage her to keep an open mind about her major if she wants banking, and talk to the career center starting freshman year so she can be educated on the career options, knows which clubs to join, what majors are most desired for various banking roles, and understands the recruiting timeline, which moves early for females.
@catcherinthetoast, what are your thoughts?
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@VirginiaBelle, isn’t your son a finance major in Terry?
In my experience the SEC schools tend to be underrepresented relative to their size and the quality of the students they produce. I don’t think an inherent bias against these schools exists, there just doesn’t seem to be a pipeline, alumni network or history.
What is changing is IBs are expanding their recruitment nets to satisfy diversity initiatives. Consequently most of the analyst “class” I have seen from these schools are either well qualified URMs or kids who found an in through a relative or contact.
Agreed that Vandy may be the exception but in all candor while I hold the school in extremely high regard I can’t recall any former grads that I have worked with.
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One can get lucky from any school if they hit up, even local banks, for internships. Most SEC aren’t going to hit top banks. Maybe Vandy (only a business minor though) and UT Austin.
Lots of IB moved south. Might be easier (not easy) to get a summer internship in Charlotte, Nashville, Atlanta, Tampa, etc and parlay the experience to NYC/Boston later. But even going to a top flight school up North doesn’t give you great IB odds.
Good B Schools are Bama, Auburn, UGA, UF, Arkansas, A&M. But that’s not to say a Mizzou, LSU, UTK, UK couldn’t get you to a similar place.
Does your student know what IB is ? A lot know it’s ‘big paying’ and perceived prestigious and little more.
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What are her stats? Cost constraints? Some of these schools will be $50k/year OOS. Is that worth it for a public school?
Most big state schools are not direct admit for business schools. She’ll have to meet certain requirements after sophomore year. Direct admit is preferable. Also, some of these B schools have 5k+ undergrads.
Why SEC? Why not ACC or Big 10?
Florida, UGA, and FSU for finance. Penn State or Indiana Kelley if she likes the Big 10. Those might place better in the northeast. UNC KF or UVA will place anywhere if she has the stats.
Georgia Tech if she likes math. Scheller or ISyE for a more quant path.
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Actually, the USC IB program might place well in the NE. There were many students from the NE when I was there many years ago. I remember several placing in the NE when I graduated from their MBA program.
The Masters in IB was very competitive even back then. The students they attracted were Ivy caliber. I’m guessing the undergrad IB program is also very competitive.
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