<p>I am currently a sophomore at Carleton College. There is a program in my school with Columbia SEAS (operations research, financial engineering) to get dual degrees (both undergrad) in 5 years, and there have been some juniors doing that. Ultimately I would like to work for a top consulting firm, so the reputation of Columbia seems a great plus. The draw back is that I am pretty confident to graduate from my school in 3 years with 3.9+ GPA, so I could spend the extra two years to get a master degree (in IE/OR/FE) from a top school too.</p>
<p>Which seems to be a better approach to break into the industry?
Does undergrad brand name really matter that much in consulting/ banking?</p>
<p>Thank you for any input.</p>
<p>^yes absolutely the brand name matters. What is your major at Carleton? if it’s something in the humanities then going to a good (but not top law school) will not get you into a consulting or banking firm. They tend to hire from masters of engineering a little but mostly from MBA and undergrad schools. You aren’t going to get into a top MBA program without great work experience. Having a dual degree in engineering and humanities is looked upon very highly on wall street especially for consulting. Columbia is a top five school for consulting recruiting. The top consulting firms recruit at very few schools at the top, it is elite. To me it’s a no brainer.</p>
<p>This year recruiting is down, as it is across the board. But Columbia is hit less by it because, when companies cut recruiting budgets they cut schools farthest away first. I’m not an amazing candidate, but managed multiple finance front office offers for the summer. My friend who isn’t fantastic on paper (good interviewer) is interning at a top 5-10 consulting firm this summer.</p>
<p>Check your posting on wallstreetoasis, i assume you’re the same poster.</p>