Georgetown vs. Penn

Colleges and Universities A-Z Georgetown University
1

<p>So I recently flew out to the East Coast with my parents to visit some colleges to complement Stanford on my list since I most likely won't get in. While I enjoyed my Penn visit, it seemed a little too gloomy. However, when I visit Georgetown I was absolutely blown away by their campus and surroundings. Everything seemed so vibrant there and I absolutely loved it.
The problem is that there seems to be a discrepancy between Penn and Georgetown's academics. Do you guys think Georgetown's campus/community is enough to overcome this gap and is that gap really that wide?? (Personally I always thought they were close in prestige?)</p>

<p>PS- I plan to go into business/finance and may explore law if I can handle it with a possible minor in something international</p>

2

<p>If you were thrilled by Georgetown’s campus, then i say go there. I have been there too and i think it is one of the best college campuses. Prestige wise, although Penn is an Ivy, Georgetown is very prestigious, especially when it comes to business.</p>

3

<p>Penn is better for business hands down, but keep in mind 10% of Georgetown majors are Finance. Georgetown is also great for law and you can’t go wrong with something International there. If you’re looking for Wall Street both produce students going towards that path. Comparing the two, the gap in prestige is not too large, go where you are going to fit in, that part is up to you.</p>

4

<p>Wait till you’re deciding between acceptances from the two to think about that.</p>

5

<p>Overall, there is little difference in academics between the two, and some might even argue for a Georgetown advantage. In the field of business, however, there can be no doubt that Wharton outclasses McDonough. When it comes to “something international”, though, Georgetown simply can’t be beat. I would say that the decision depends on how certain you are that you want to do business/finance.</p>

6

<p>If you do well at Georgetown, you will have your pick of post-grad opportunies. S has many friends in McDonough and they have been recruited by all the elite firms in NYC (i.e. Goldman, Morgan Stanley). Believe it or not, some of them have had multiple offers.</p>

7

<p>I’m a junior in the MSB. ALL the bulge bracket firms come here to recruit for banking, S&T, AM, and etc. Having multiple offers is very common, most people decide to stop interviewing after they get their top choice.</p>

<p>Although at Wharton, you’ll definitely get more recruiting for buy-side jobs that you probably won’t see here at Georgetown.</p>

8

<p>If you get into Penn and you want to go into business, go into Penn. Unless Georgetown has some other advantage other than the campus, I would definitely go to Penn. For one thing, it might have just been a down day on your visit and it should be easy to adapt as a young freshman college student.</p>

<p>The difference in prestige between Wharton and MSB is wide. Although, I must admit that several MSB graduates still enroll into top firms (as the others have said). The largest difference between the two is probably a good signing bonus and a couple thousand dollars on your paycheck.</p>

9

<p>Georgetown places a greater emphasis on Liberal Arts than Penn Wharton. If you have any intellectual curiosity outside of accounting, finance, real estate and marketing then take a close look at Georgetown. You can pursue a degree in the College of Arts and Science, msb, or sfs and still be well positioned for a business/finance career. Georgetown excels in creating leaders and professionals in business, politics, law, medicine, government, religion, journalism, academics, media, athletics and military because its mission is to educate the whole person. mind, body, spirit.</p>

<p>If you would be interested in taking advantage of opportunities that Washington, DC has to offer as far as politics, government or with international organizations such as the World Bank, IMF, or IDB, then Georgetown would also be a good option for you.</p>

<p>Do you care about intercollegiate athletics? How about Big East Basketball,Soccer and Lacrosse? Georgetown has also recently won championships in Golf and Sailing. This adds a lot to campus life and community.</p>

<p>The weather is also better. Winter comes later and Spring comes earlier allowing students to enjoy Georgetown’s beautiful campus more often and fostering fellowship. </p>

<p>Georgetown’s nightlife is better than Penn’s. Excellent restaurants, music venues, bars, and clubs. Shopping ditto.</p>

<p>If you are focused like a laser on a business education and little else Wharton is obviously it. If you would like a more traditional college experience I think Georgetown would enable you to explore your interests without sacrificing a potential career in finance and business.</p>

<p>You are only a college student once in your life. Go where you’ll have the best experience for you. An mba is always an option too, just in case you want to study business more intensely at a later date.</p>

10

<p>“The largest difference between the two is probably a good signing bonus and a couple thousand dollars on your paycheck.”</p>

<p>This may be true for smaller shops or maybe some buyside shops (which I don’t know much about their compensation structure). But at BBs, all analysts receive the SAME compensation. There might have been an exception here and there, but for the most part, no matter where you graduated from, you receive the same salary.</p>

11

<p>Wharton isn’t that far off from stanford in terms of admissions difficulty so you should wait until you actually get in to even worry about this decision.</p>

12

<p>I agree that you should wait to make this school-to-school comparison, except as far as you need to go to make a decision about where to apply early, if you are stuck between doing Penn ED or Georgetown EA, until you are accepted to both.</p>

<p>At that time, I think the decision should come down to where you feel that you would fit in the best. Do not worry about post-graduation opportunities for jobs or grad school admissions, even in the business world, coming out of either school. While Wharton will open a lot of doors on Wall Street and elsewhere for you (I’m also assuming here that you will indeed apply to and matriculate at Wharton, since you are interested in business.), but someone who does well at Georgetown is going to have just as many opportunities in finance and consulting as a Wharton grad, even if you aren’t in the business school. If you are accepted and attend a GAAP (admitted students) weekend, you will hear many, many graduating seniors talk about their job offers in investment banking and consulting, even in this difficult job market, with majors ranging from English to Finance. Believe it or not, at times, Georgetown students have even been known to be chosen over grads of Wharton and other Ivy schools.</p>

<p>That said, having personally considered both schools closely, although not as a prospective business major, I think that you will find the environment in each university’s business school to be very different. At Penn, Wharton is really its own entity distinct from the larger university and you are going to find a lot of high-strung, competitive Type A’s, and a rigorous core that does not leave much room for non-business courses. While Georgetown’s MSB is no walk in the park, and, like any elite university, by necessity has its share of Type A’s, it is more closely integrated with a university that is known for marrying a stimulating academic experience with a wholesome social experience. Each school has a unique character and vibe that will appeal to some and be a turn-off to others. If you are in fact accepted to Georgetown and Penn, first pat yourself on the back, and then try to get back for a second visit to both schools. You know, or should know by now, that each one has a superb academic program in the areas that interest you. Focus on finding the one where you will be happiest. If your gut is telling you that place is Georgetown, follow it. Or follow it to Penn. Or wherever.</p>

13

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<p>can’t do both. Georgetown’s EA prohibits applying ED elsewhere.</p>

14

<p>several things I’d like to correct:</p>

<p>Wharton gives you an excellent liberal art education if you want it. 40% of the courses (2/5 you take per semester) will be outside The Wharton School to satisfy graduation requirements.</p>

<p>Penn is a much more “traditional college experience.” That’s due predominately to the Greek life but we also have some fun traditions like Spring Fling. As far as restaurants - downtown is a trolley/metro/cab/walk away and is full of clubs on every corner, restaurants, shops, etc. It’s more of a “city” feel and I admit that GTown is a really nice place to walk around in the evening but for hardcore partying, I’d give the advantage to Penn. </p>

<p>Also would like to note that aside from Wharton’s uncontested superiority in buy-side opportunities strait out of college, Wharton also places more kids in top firms. So if you’re paying for your future, Wharton gives you a higher chance at a comparable price.</p>

15

<p>^^^^^^^^
The strongest differentiating factors appear to be location, chances at buy side opportunities right out of college, educational philosophies, the presence of Greek fraternities and sororities in campus life and Big East athletics vs. Ivy League.</p>

<p>Therefore,
Consider Penn Wharton if: you’d like more buy-side opportunities straight out of college and slightly better chance at getting a job at a top firm on Wall Street or in consulting; want to focus on studying accounting, finance, marketing, etc and have an opportunity to get a liberal arts education if you really want it; prefer Philly over DC; and want to join a Greek fraternity or sorority.</p>

<p>Consider Georgetown School of Foreign Service if: you’d like a slightly worse chance at getting a job at a top firm on Wall Street or in consulting; you are considering law school; have an interest in international affairs; have an interest in becoming proficient in a foreign language; want a truly unique education that will prepare you to excel in a global society; value Georgetown’s emphasis on liberal arts and educating the whole person; want the option to transfer to the College of Arts and Sciences or McDonough; prefer DC over Philly; and joining a Greek fraternity or sorority is not important to you because Georgetown’s campus/social life is more than adequate without it.</p>

<p>Consider Georgetown McDonough if: better buy-side opportunities straight out of college are not critical and you can overcome a slightly lower chance at getting into a top Wall Street firm; are considering law school; would like to major in accounting, finance, marketing or management, but you also value Georgetown’s emphasis on liberal arts and educating the whole person; prefer DC over Philly; want the option to transfer to SFS or the College of Arts and Sciences;and joining a Greek fraternity or sorority is not important to you because Georgetown’s campus/social life is more than adequate without it.</p>

<p>Consider Georgetown College of Arts and Science if: you’d like a slightly worse chance at getting job at a top firm on Wall Street or in consulting; you are considering law school; would like to major in something other than accounting, finance, marketing, etc; value Georgetown’s emphasis on liberal arts and educating the whole person; want the option to transfer to SFS or McDonough; prefer DC over Philly; and joining a Greek fraternity or sorority is not important to you because Georgetown’s campus/social life is more than adequate without it.</p>

16

<p>well if you wanna do business, then wharton is probably just as hard to get into as stanford. so… but hey its still worth a try! :slight_smile: and even though wharton might have a better rep than mcdonough, last year mcdonough had a higher average starting salary. it was the highest out of any undergrad business programs. so by going to gtown, you wont be able to brag as much, but you’ll get just as good a job. this should be a no brainer if you really liked gtown’s atmosphere that much better than penn’s</p>

17

<p>

Apologize if my post was unclear. I know that the OP can’t do both, and my point was that the only circumstance under which s/he should be doing a head-to-head comparison of the two schools pre-acceptance was in the process of deciding where to apply early.</p>

18

<p>^ no problem. I just have seen several cases where applicants think they can do both. It is confusing because Georgetown’s EA plays by different rules than, say, University of Chicago’s.</p>

19

<p>If you get into Wharton, I think the gap is big enough that I would recommend Penn. However, the gap is much smaller between Georgetown and non-Wharton Penn, so I would go with Georgetown then, since you like the campus more.</p>

20

<p>Georgetown’s early action has little advantage other than knowing earlier. The acceptance rates are actually lower during early action.</p>