How does Wharton compare to economics at another top school (Harvard, Yale, Princeton, etc)? How does Wharton compare to Stanford MSE? Which one is best for preparing you for a business career?
I’ve heard that Wharton/HYP econ/ Stanford MSE will all probably get you the same starting salary of ~80k, but are any of them better for getting connections/climbing the corporate ladder/etc.?
They are all outstanding.
You are studying very different things between a Wharton undergrad business degree and an HYPS Econ or a Stanford MSE degree. I think your entry level job prospects will have more to do with how you did in school, how well you networked while in school, and how well you interview, than the degree or the school. For future prospects it will be 99% based on your job performance and the connections you make at work (and some fair amount of luck – are you in right sector, did you get the right project, are your immediate supervisors/mentors the rising stars, etc…).
They are all good and are the most difficult programs to get admitted into at the undergraduate level. To move up in the business world, it is your connections, who your mentor is, great soft skills and what your goals are.
All are outstanding. Getting in is incredibly difficult - virtually all candidates are qualified so don’t think about “which one is the best” but rather “I’d be lucky to get into any of these”, and focus on finding two affordable safeties you really like, because it’s usually much harder than finding dream schools.
In most cases the decision is made for you based on if/where you get accepted. 95% of students applying to these schools are rejected.
Pro tip: You don’t have to major in business or economics to have a great career in “business.” Top firms recruit art history majors from these schools.
Thank you for the reply. Though I somewhat respectfully disagree. It is much easier and better to apply to business jobs and internships as an econ/biz major. You’ll also probably make more an better connections as an econ/biz major. There are exceptions, of course. Thoughts?
At a state college, probably. At HYPSM? No.
I wouldn’t be so focused on “connections” at this point. When you land internships you’ll get to know people, and they will be your connections. Nobody will ask you what your major is when you meet them at your internship.
Exactly. There’s an inverse relationship between prestige of your college and importance of major. That’s the beauty of going to HYPSM. Major in whatever you want. You’ll still be recruited for investment bank and consulting jobs as a sociology major. BTW, I hope you realize you won’t learn about business as an economics major. Major in economics if you enjoy the subject matter, not to get an edge on internships and jobs. A history major who interviews well will get the job before an economics major who doesn’t. The reason banks and consulting firms recruit so heavily at HYPSM is for the credibility factor with their clients, not for any special knowledge fresh grads bring to the table. They just want to be able to tell clients that they only hire the best minds from top schools.
Bottom line: IF you get into one of these top schools, congrats. Major in whatever is interesting to you. And be a good, interesting person.
OP, what makes you believe that? I was directly involved with hiring for a major bulge bracket IB firm. Yes, an art lit major may have more first glance “resume” challenges than an econ or bus major, but if the art lit major at HYPS has a high gpa and has taken quantitative classes (math, physics, stats, CS, etc…), he or she will likely be viewed more favorably than a below avg Wharton student or HYPS econ major. This is not even considering how the persons interview. The career placement centers at HYPS (and most colleges) don’t allocate campus recruiting time/events by major. To the extent there are business/finance/consulting related clubs or activities at these schools, they are also not limited by major unless it is specific to a class(es) within that major.
I do concur that at as the prestige/feeder factor goes down by school, the major becomes more important in terms of entry level opportunities.