I was recently admitted into Williams College and I want to major in Economics there. However, my parents are completely against the idea and want me to go somewhere cheaper and more “well known” for undergrad. Rutgers is right around the corner so they want me to go there instead. I want to either go into IB banking and/or get a cpa and go into accounting. My personal plan was to go to Williams, major in econ, go to business school, master in accounting, take cpa and find a job like that. Williams has a lot of prestige, alumni connections, and a less restricting curriculum that I was looking forward to. Would it be best to pay instate tuition at RBS and major in accounting or to go to Williams with Econ?
You were admitted to Williams ED? If so, you are bound to go unless the financial aid package is not affordable. Is that the case? Does the FA offer match what their net price calculator said it would?
Although I am someone who prefers business over economics, you should absolutely go to Williams. Investment Banking is a viable option from Williams, and less realistic from Rutgers. Accounting would be a possibility from either school. I would prefer to let others discuss cost considerations. Good luck to you and congratulations! Please tell your parents that Williams is more “well known” by people who know colleges, graduate school admissions officers and hiring managers at banks, hedge funds, PE firms and even accounting firms.
Unfortunately parental finances dictate where (and if) most students go to college. I agree that Williams is superior to Rutgers for IB placement, but if going to Williams would require the family to take out more than the $27K max student loans over 4 years, then it’s not affordable. Dealing with the financial implications is the most important piece of college admissions (for most students).
If you are serious about accounting, Rutgers is actually the better choice. If you do well studying accounting there, you can land an internship and job with a big 4 accounting firm. It is a safer if less lucrative path.
Investment banking is hard to break into from almost any school. It would be easier from Williams, but again, if you are at the very top of your class at Rutgers, all the large banks will interview you.
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I agree with all of this…adding that many of the Williams students who go into IB have personal connections into that world.
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I would agree on Rutgers being perfectly fine for accounting.
Even if the big banks will interview top Rutgers kids, the bulge brackets are rarely hiring them the last time I checked. Check Goldman, Morgan Stanley, Barclays, Bank of America… not many state school kids.
Didn’t the current CEO of Goldman Sachs graduate from a NESCAC?
Hamilton
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Good one. I had to look it up.
Seriously though, for people who know the banking world - they have choice colleges and then they accept resumes from other colleges. The resumes from the “other colleges” are heavily scrutinized before they offer an interview. From my experience, a connection can help anyone get an interview…but will never get someone the job.
Congratulations for your acceptance to Williams.
I hope you can attend there.
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My son had a short stint at a Boston IB firm. Three of his fellow newcomers were Williams graduates.
IB and accounting are different creatures. How much do you know about the fields?
Still, if costs are quite different, that would be a deciding factor.
Of course, it is not accurate that Williams students who go into IB have more/better personal connections into that world than any other students who go into IB. I will admit that a good number of smart and hardworking D3 athletes are in IB.
Actually, BBs have ramped up their recruiting at Rutgers, and you might be surprised by the number of Rutgers alums on Wall St. It is quite a network now, and some banks prefer the scrappy, bootstraps vibe there.
The well connected or athletic Williams student is always well represented on Wall St, but I don’t think OP is either.
Love Rutgers and state schools in general. Just not looked at as favorably in that world as the top liberal arts colleges in the nation.
My 24 year old graduated RBS with a masters in accounting, got it done in 4 1/2 years. She got in internship at Wilkin Guttenplan junior year and they made her a job offer (salary same as big 4 which she didn’t want). They actually let her delay her start date because she wanted to bang out her CPA exams, which she did. She’s been working remotely since March.
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