For a career in Finance, BC vs. William and Mary?

<p>I’m choosing between BC (Carroll School of Management) and William and Mary (Out of State). I’ve been really concerned about both the ability of WM’s business graduates to find jobs and the social aspect of William and Mary as a whole. Since BC’s business school seems to be more respected and it has access to a major job market, is it worth the extra $12,000 per year? Despite the fact that my parents are footing most of the bill, I definitely want to maximize my investment. I’ve seen and love them both, so I’m quite confused. If you were in my situation, what would you do? Thanks.</p>

<p>I know my username may signify a bias, but I’ll try to be as objective as possible. CSOM has a very well-respected business school with an alumni network that is extensive and expands from Boston to NYC and beyond. W&M has a business school that is not quite at the level of CSOM but on the other hand, it will provide you with plenty of alternatives if for some reason in your four years you choose a path other than finance, business, etc. What matters most about any business school, all the way from Wharton to CSOM to W&M to your local no-name community college, is what career it will set you up for. After you get your first job, you make your path from there. That being said, as you probably already are aware, in the finance field, 99.999% of graduating students are aiming for either banking jobs or consulting jobs. If you go to CSOM compared to W&M, you will have a better chance of landing an interview and then a job with a bank or consulting firm that is reputable and provides you with a good, scalable position. Of course, it all depends on what you put into it. At W&C you could have the same outcome if you work harder – However, a lot of firms from the finance field do not come to W&M to recruit, which will make your job significantly more difficult.</p>

<p>Beyond that, you are going to need an internship at some point in your four years to be competitive. You will find better internships in Boston, MA than you will in Williamsburg, VA. It is true that at CSOM you will face some tough competition for those internships from the likes of Harvard and the like, but at least you have the opportunity in your geographical area. Oh, and if that sentence (competing with Harvard students) scares you, it shouldn’t, because CSOM students don’t actually have problems with landing these internships. There are so many available opportunities everybody can find if they have the initiative to look (what firm doesn’t want you to work for free for them?).</p>

<p>Now, is it worth the extra money? This question is posed very, very, very often in these parts. The answer is always the same – that is up to you, your parents, and how much they love you. [JOKE]. It’s really how much your family can logically put forth, and if the return is going to be worth the investment. If you are SURE that you will use BC to the extent of what it can offer you (which is a lot, with CSOM) and if you are 100% confident that you will not be homesick or whatever, GO, work your butt off, and make your parents proud.</p>

<p>Congratulations on getting into CSOM!</p>

<p>Currently weighing the same schools for business.</p>

<p>Boston College–9481 students
ACT: 29-33
Admission Difficulty: 32%
National Rank: #31 (U.S. News & World Report)
Business School Rank: #6 (Bloomberg Business Week) </p>

<p>• Higher ranked business school
• Location–proximity to Boston for internships, job prospects, entertainment
• T-station gives access to Boston–the quintessential college town with 15 Nationally celebrated Universities
• Housing is a fiasco (see the Hitler gets his BC housing parody video on youtube)
• BC has a fractured campus (Newton Campus & Main Campus)
• more expensive
• More than twice the size of William & Mary
• Freezing cold weather</p>

<p>William & Mary–5760 students
ACT 28-35
Admission Difficulty: 33%
National Rank: #33 (U.S. News & World Report)
B-School Rank: #27 (Bloomberg Business Week) </p>

<p>• Lower ranked business school
• You must apply to William & Mary’s business school before your junior yr, it is competitive with only a limited amount of spots so some will get rejected
• workload at W&M is notoriously heavy
• W&M is known for it’s grade deflation
• jobs after graduation will mostly be in DC area gov’t & military contract work
• $13,000 if you are in state!
• quirky, more academic student body
• quiet campus, not a party school
• strong sense of campus community
• Busch Gardens & Water Country USA right next door; VA Beach only an hour away
• great for U.S. history buffs</p>

<p>Just a thought - CSOM isn’t really known to have a tough workload! Everyone will have their own opinion on that but that is the general attitude here on campus.</p>

<p>At the university level, the schools are basically peers in terms of selectivity and undergraduate academic quality.</p>

<p>For business, especially finance, CSOM would definitely be the better choice with regards to the strength of the finance program/faculty, alum network, and OCR. I have not heard about W&M’s program all that much.</p>

<p>At the end of the day however, it really comes down to how hard you’re willing to work, put yourself in the position to succeed, and maximize your resources. BCbound2017 hit the nail on the head earlier with BC being more likely to land you an interview with Barclays IBD in NY or Deloitte S&O. But with more intensive networking and a solid GPA, you can get the same opps at W&M.</p>

<p>@bcgirl2: I’m guessing your not in CSOM. My friend and fellow CSOMer alluded me to this fairly telling fact. </p>

<p>Ask a pool of A&S kids how many extra-curriculars they do. Then ask a pool of CSOM kids how many extra-curriculars they do. You are bound to find that A&S kids do a lot more extra-curriculars, largely due to the fact that A&S curriculum is generally less time intensive than CSOM. Granted, other variables may exist, but there is definitely truth in this. After all, you don’t become a top 10-15 business program by doing no work.</p>

<p>I have friends in CSOM who agree with me, and who also have more than enough free time.
A&S curriculum is difficult to compare because it varies a lot based on major.</p>