<p>I'm looking for input from Duke-experts on the quality of job prospects for Duke undergrates post-graduation. </p>
<p>I've been accepted to Duke economics and NYU Stern Finance....so I'm not sure which one is a better decision. What are your opinions on the quality of education from both schools, the overall reputation of both schools, and also the respective majors in both schools?</p>
<p>Thanks!!!</p>
<p>bump!!!~~~~</p>
<p>Duke is a bigger target than NYU Stern in terms of recruitment by top firms, but Stern may have a slight edge for banking (due to the sheer convenience of its location). </p>
<p>Stern is a lot more cutthroat and competitive though - you have to be at the very top to get good offers, whereas at Duke, you can have a 3.6 GPA and still get ibanking offers. </p>
<p>In all other career prospects (sciences, engineering, grad school, consulting, etc.), Duke is clearly the better choice.</p>
<p>As you probably already know, there is no prebusiness degree at Duke. I think most people do economics or something else instead. The thing about going into finance is that you can do it with any degree. Top companies look for certain traits in people, not predetermined knowledge. As a result, many engineers from Pratt actually go into business and I met one ME who’s now an Ibanker at JP Morgan. Having been to NYU b/c my friend goes there, Stern is a great school, and NYC is an awesome city, but keep in mind NYU basically has no school spirit and no campus. Duke will offer you a much more traditional college life style. In terms of summer internships and jobs, i think they’re pretty much the same, you just have to be ambitious and apply for them. Top companies recruit at Duke and we place a lot of people into the finance sector. I’m sure Stern does too. Hope this helps. (Oh and Duke’s economics is a relatively easier major as well 
so you’ll have some free time to pursue other interests. It’s also rather theoretical than practical i’ve heard)</p>
<p>Does anybody have the info on what the recuitment status of previous undergraduates - ie, percentage of hired/ going to graduate school? </p>
<p>What the major clients hired the undergraduates? Location - ie, any chance to work in New York?</p>
<p>Thanks!!</p>
<p>[Duke</a> University | Student Affairs | Career Center | Senior Exit Survey Results for Undergraduates](<a href=“Duke Student Affairs”>Duke Student Affairs)</p>
<p>The majority of Duke grads end up in NYC with DC being a close 2nd. About a 1/3 of Duke grads start working immediately, another 1/3 go to graduate school for professional/PhD degrees and another 1/3 do volunteer programs/fellowships/TFA as they take a gap year or two before law school, medical school or business school.</p>
<p>Duke is a stronger target than NYU Stern on Wall Street and offers a much better college experience.</p>
<p>echoing the above</p>
<p>Duke does have a finance concentration within the Econ degree (though I disagree that Duke’s econ is an easier major than Stern’s, econ is so popular here that they really try to weed you out at first). Duke is so much more fun than Stern, especially since you’ll probably living in NYC for most of your 20s if you do go to Wall Street.
Duke’s interdisciplinarity will benefit you so much more than Stern’s “practicality.”</p>
<p>-I’m an Econ major btw</p>
<p>I think the choice is very easy, and honestly if you crap up here it won’t really matter where you went to school will it?
All that truly matters is how you work and how hard you try to succeed. If you work your a$$ off and build up your resume you’ll be a lock on WS, regardless of where you go (it’s just easier at places that they recruit more).</p>
<p>I mean, I know a guy who went to the University of North Dakota for undergrad and ended up getting a MBA from Harvard and working as a CFO for a few major corporations. Ergo, where you go for undergrad matters so much less than what you do while you’re there.</p>
<p>Go where go because of how it feels, not because of the strength of one academic discipline (you could very well find yourself switching majors, making your initial decision to go to X school because of X program useless)</p>
<p>Thanks a lot on the response with regarding job placement from Duke economics. It is much clear now!</p>
<p>I am also wondering how difficult to apply for the finance concentration for a student majored in economics at Duke? </p>
<p>It would be very appreciated if someone can help me on this!!</p>
<p>No problem, the finance program here is intense but there is no competition to get into it as far as I know. You take the courses you get the concentration.</p>
<p>If you want to know a lot more about the program email Professor Emma Rasiel (read her duke professor bio 1st though). She is AWESOME and in charge of the finance aspect of econ & a lot of its classes
[Emma</a> Rasiel](<a href=“http://www.duke.edu/~ebr4/erasiel.htm]Emma”>Emma Rasiel)</p>
<p>Anyhow, I’d suggest you post a similar thread on the Stern forum as well. People who’re already at either of these places, must be loving them and will give you enough reasons to attend their respective school. </p>
<p>As for prospective students or accepted students who’re yet to go (including me), none of us have been to either of those places, so our guess can only be as good as yours, your best friend’s, your parents’ or anyone else’s for that matter.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Otherwise, both the places are good enough to end you on Wall Street, in the sense, you won’t have the disadvantage of going to a non-target school if you attend either place. </p></li>
<li><p>Duke is definitely more prestigious than NYU, but the Stern name ais just as good (perhaps better?) thank Duke.</p></li>
<li><p>Also, Stern is much more pre-professional. Duke will be a proper college experience - sports, proper campus, bball, and everything else. Going to Duke will give you the advantage of being able to study whatever you want, and even change your subjects if after a few months/years you feel attracted to another subject apart from Econ.</p></li>
<li><p>However, the fact that you have ALREADY decided decided what you want to do, what you want to study (and that is in no way a bad situation to be in), you might want to go to Stern. The only disadvantage of going to an undergrad B-school is the fact that you can’t change your mind in the next four years. But since you’re certain about what you want to do, going to Stern will help you remain much more focussed and getting a job out of Stern will be easier thank out of Duke. Not to say that Duke’s job placements are bad, they’re just as good as Stern’s, but Stern has the obvious advantage of location.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>For those interested in a career in finance/investment banking, Duke has the Financial Education Partnership program led by Professor Emma Rasiel. Lots of students who participate in that end up working in NYC. </p>
<p>[Duke</a> University | Economics: Financial Education Partnership](<a href=“Duke Financial Economics Center | Economics Department”>Duke Financial Economics Center | Economics Department)</p>
<p>There is also the Duke in NY program: [Duke</a> University | Economics: Duke in NY: Financial Markets and Institutions](<a href=“http://econ.duke.edu/DukeinNY]Duke”>http://econ.duke.edu/DukeinNY)</p>
<p>And a finance minor, for both econ majors and non-majors: [Duke</a> University | Economics: Major/Minor](<a href=“http://econ.duke.edu/undergraduate/major-minor]Duke”>http://econ.duke.edu/undergraduate/major-minor)</p>