So I recently finished up with the college process and have Stern and Northwestern as my top two choices. I know that I want to work in high finance on the east coast so I was wondering which school I should choose based on prestige and job prospects. (Cost is similar at both schools)
NYU-Stern for finance is the better option for opportunities on Wall Street / NYC/ East Coast.
Northwestern University is a great school, but better for management consulting unless in one of the small, highly selective, intense, specialized undergrad certificate programs in conjunction with the Kellogg School of Business–which is a grad school.
NYU-Stern (along with Penn-Wharton) for finance is as elite as finance programs get for undergraduate study & placement on Wall Street.
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Thanks for the information! Which school do you think private equity is more attainable from?
Hello? Any other input??
Can anyone else add some info???
@idkanymore231 While both are high quality schools, for finance, wall street and private equity, Stern has more connection and higher-quality finance focused professors than Northwestern. I would still go for undergrad to which school costs less.
All major banks recruit at Northwestern. Northwestern does not have an undergrad business school (it used to), and IMHO will be friendlier. Almost no private equity firms recruit undergrads. If you want to go down that path, I suggest first doing a 2 year stint as a financial analyst at a Wall Street firm or a business analyst at a top tier consulting firm. NYU Stern might have a slight edge solely due to proximity, but Northwestern has a very strong reputation and career development office.
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For management consulting + campus life + college experience, pick NU. For Wall Street IB and being in the middle of a bustling city, Stern.
While Kellogg is a graduate school, it does offer two certificate programs to undergraduates. It probably offers a better chance of placing into WS given the competition at Stern (everyone at Stern is applying for the same positions). That said, it’s no guaranteed you’d get in (I heard in the past 2/3 get in) and the pre-reqs are math heavy.
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https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forums/investment-banking-university-recruiting-report-key-takeaways
As you can probably see, NYU in terms of IB placement on WS is second only to Wharton. In terms of job prospects - in NYC especially - NYU decisively beats out NU. This makes sense considering all of the top investment banks are little more than a walk-down-the-street from Stern’s building.
However, for most other professions, whether it be consulting, real estate, insurance, etc. NU places just as well - if not better - in the Midwest and West Coast. So, if you were to choose NYU, just know that you’re pretty much locked into working on the East Coast. Consequently, you better be very sure that that’s what you want to do in 4 years.
^ Eh, NYU undergrad is also several times the size of NU undergrad. Per capita numbers would be more meaningful.
I think hes referring to NYU Stern (class size: 600). No other schools within NYU go into those professions
Yeah, I was specifically referring to Stern. But PurpleTitan’s point is still somewhat valid considering that more Stern students probably apply for IB jobs than at NU, which lacks even a business program. As a result, the per capita numbers for both schools may be a little bit closer - but I was unable to find any data concerning that. And on the flip side, a school that is more IB-oriented would offer an education and networking opportunities more in line with the interests of a future banker.
So, I think it’s fair to say that Stern is the place to go for IB despite the perceived difference in brand name between the two schools.
Hey everyone thanks for helping me with my school choice! I ended up choosing NYU Stern over Northwestern for a couple of reasons. First, even though there’s a marginal prestige difference between Stern and Northwestern, I thought that Stern was the better name brand in the business world. Second, the NYC location appeals to me much more than Evanston. Lastly, I really clicked with all the students in the Stern Facebook group vs. the Northwestern one, and I thought that I would be a better fit there. Hope this help someone in the future making their college decision!
Just as a minor point regarding post #7 above. I believe that Northwestern University offers three, not two, certificate programs in conjunction with Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Business. All three certificate programs are quite hard, but very rewarding for those brave enough & bright enough to handle the material.
Also, with respect to PE (private equity) positions. Not a typical offering to those without several years of post-undergraduate IB / M&A experience.
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It’s not probably; the number of students applying for WS jobs from Stern absoluately far exceeds those from Northwestern. There’s no uncertainty whatsoever. NU students, even the ones in business oriented programs, have traditionally been more “into” consulting. The number of econ majors at NU is around 200 per year; on the other hand, Stern has almost 700 students per year and that’s not even including the econ majors at NYU, whose number is likely larger than that at NU (NYU’s undergrad population is more than three times larger than NU). Considering NYU’s size, location and students’ aspiration, their placement number may even represents underperformance.
Kellogg offers two, not three. The “third” one you were thinking is probably the Integrated Marketing Communications, which is housed at Medill School of Journalism.
NYU has econ majors and others.
Just reviewed Northwestern University’s website for offerings that may interest OP.
Northwestern undergrads have two–not three as I mistakenly thought–certificate programs available in conjunction with the Kellogg School. Each certificate requires 4 courses. Certificate options: Financial Economics or Managerial Analytics
Additionally, for those Northwestern university undergrads strong in math, NU offers a “highly selective” MMSS “adjunct major” (Mathematical Methods in Social Sciences)
https://www.mmss.northwestern.edu/undergraduate/employment-placements.html
Also, Northwestern offers a masters degree: MS in Management Studies open only to recent (less than one year of post-undergraduate degree work experience) Northwestern University grads. The 10 month program does not require any standardized test scores for admission.
MS in Management Studies courses (through Kellogg):
Accounting for Decision Making
Business Analytics
Leadership in Organizations
Finance I
Finance II
Management Communications
Operations Management
Marketing Management
Business Strategy
Global Initiatives in Management
Marketing Research
Analytical Decision Modeling
Negotiations
Managerial Accounting
The 10 month masters degree–MS in Management Studies–should be less challenging than the MMSS undergraduate math based program and probably less demanding than either 4 course Kellogg certificate program (Financial Economics or Managerial Analytics).
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For your goals (I want to work in finance on the east coast), NYU Stern is a no brainer.
Congrats on your decision! I’m glad you found a place with your fellow Stern students via Facebook - since you may have not been able to meet them face-to-face. Even if you don’t end up choosing IB, I wish you luck in finding a career that you’re passionate about and enjoy pursuing.