<p>I recently visited William and Mary and had an amazing time looking around the campus, and I am considering applying there early decision next year. My only concern is whether William and Mary will be viewed as a top school when applying Wall Street type jobs, especially investment banking. Or at least whether it will keep the option open to get those jobs, assuming I do well there. I also wanted to know how it is viewed by tops business grad schools (especially since obtaining a high gpa would be more difficult at W&M than at many other top schools). I would appreciate any feedback! Thanks!</p>
<p>My partner's son graduated from W&M in 2003 and today has a fabulous Wall Street career. Started at DBank and now is on the private equity side. Very happy...no trouble advancing his career.</p>
<p>I assume you mean he went to W&M undergrad right? If so, that's great to hear! Anyone else?</p>
<p>W&M is a respected school... People know that any degree you earn from there was achieved through hard work. You should be fine doing whatever graduating from W&M.</p>
<p>I have a relative on wall street, and iv talked to him about this a lot. the verdict seemed to bee that W&M has a SOLID reputation on wall street. The W&M name isnt going make all doors of opportunity fly open like Yale, Harvard, Wharton, or Stanford would, but it is a well respected school and it should get you in the door at big banks (which isnt easy). </p>
<p>The business school is also getting better every year. Its currently like 29th i think, but with the new school going up and all it should comtinue to climb a few spots each year.</p>
<p>jobs currently posted at WM, by a quick browsing:
Financial Consultant - Ameriprise Financial
Investment Analyst - DC Energy
Jr. Financial Analyst - The Columbia Group
Investment Analyst - RV Kuhns and Associates
Investment Banking Analyst - England and Company
Hedge Fund Analyst - Stevens Capital Management</p>
<p>... I think these are along the lines of what you are talking about. I have no interest in this area, so I just browsed the "upcoming application deadlines"</p>
<p>this might also be of interest to you:
<a href="https://alumni.wm.edu/magazine/fall_2007/feature_3.shtml%5B/url%5D">https://alumni.wm.edu/magazine/fall_2007/feature_3.shtml</a></p>
<p>My customers include many large Wall Street firms, and have had the occasion to bring this subject up on a few occasions. Everyone I've asked, at least (small sample size), have been more than aware, and very impressed by W&M's reputation. </p>
<p>That said, I think "Wall Street" will still be more impressed by more familiar or well-known schools like Wharton, Cornell, NYU, Emory, Stanford, Virginia (McIntire), and Michigan. And W&M's connections to DC/NoVA are stronger than to NYC. But I don't think you'll be doing yourself a disservice by attending W&M. If you're in-state, you <em>have</em> to consider UVA - but UVA isn't for everyone, it's a much different environment - if it's a better personal fit, I wouldn't worry about W&M somehow limiting your career. </p>
<p>I assume you've seen these:<br>
Undergrad</a> - BSchools
[url=<a href="http://www.businessweek.com/bschools/rankings/undergraduate_mba_profiles/williammary.html%5DCollege">http://www.businessweek.com/bschools/rankings/undergraduate_mba_profiles/williammary.html]College</a> William and Mary: Undergraduate Profile </p>
<p>My son is a junior at WM and recently accepted a position on Wall Street for a summer internship. WM is aware of the challenges facing their students, who are not recruited as heavily ON campus by Wall Street. as students from the top schools. Wall Street doesn't really come to WM, WM goes to them. WM brings a small group of students to NYC over Christmas break, selected through an application process. I believe they meet with other WM alumni from various investment banks and small investment firms and are given an opportunity to interview at these institutions. Both the alumni and WM appear to be solidly interested in building WM's presence on Wall Street, however, I do not know how many of those students actually received offers. You might want to call the Business school and ask about their "Wall Street Program". If the OP would like to talk with my son, he can PM me and I will try to put you in touch with him. My son does, at times, wish he had applied to one of the top feeder schools to Wall Street but he fell in love with WM and applied there back when he wanted to be a lawyer and not on Wall Street (smile).</p>
<p>I also wanted to mention that he may have had a better shot at the position being from WM than being one of hundreds applying from the Ivies.</p>
<p>Thanks to all who posted! You have been very helpful. I would be very greatful if you could put me in touch with your son Rileydog! I would PM you for more info but when I tried to it said you weren't allowed to receive messages?</p>
<p>Could you open your PM box, Rileydog?</p>
<p>DB is the only major NY firm that comes for IB on campus recruiting and they take 3-4 summer analysts a year. JPM also comes down but only for Private Banking and Management Services. There are kids going to other banks such as GS, Lehman, ML and UBS for IB and S&T but they did so through their own networking and not through the school. </p>
<p>Ultimately, if your goal is to go to Wall St. after undergrad, then you would be doing yourself a disservice by not going to somewhere like UVA or Georgetown, assuming you wanted to stay in the Va/DC area. This may sound a little harsh but I would rather not sugar coat it. </p>
<p>While it may be easier to stand out here since there aren't hundreds of applicants for these spots, you have to be a rockstar since the number of spots are so limited. </p>
<p>Disclosure - I am one of the lucky few to have landed a NY IB job for after graduation.</p>
<p>Dont go to a college based on what you "think" you want to be when you grow up. W&M is a LAC which will force you to read, write and think. You can take those skills anywhere and do anything after graduation. If I had a penny for evry pre-law/pre-med/pre Wall St that changed their mind later,, I would have become a wealthy man much sooner.</p>
<p>The odds of you, as an 18 yo, knowing what you want to do with your life at 22 or 25 or 45 is slim to none. Here's the good news; thats ok. You dont have to know. Life is a journey and you need to enjoy every step of it. ESP the four years of college. If W&M suits you than go. If you dont like it go somewhere else. You will get a job, no matter where you go based on how well you do in classes and who you are as a person. not whether your diploma says G'town or W&M.</p>
<p>Disclosure: I work for a Wall St firm,get paid more than I desrve, and wish I had majored in History as opposed to Finance. i would be evn better at my job than I am now.</p>
<p>Thanks for everyone's input, it has been very helpful! Anyone else?</p>
<p>U could definitely land up with a job on wall street.. if not then an equally good job</p>
<p>I can answer the OP's question with one answer. YES, William and Mary is known and respected on Wall Street. Rep's from many major companies come to speak and recruit at the business school. William and Mary can take you anywhere you want to go. </p>
<p>I am in the undergraduate business school. I just landed a sweet (and I mean really sweet) internship with a major company as a financial analyst tech for the Summer. I had three very good positions to select from. The companies do want to see your entire course selection and your GPA. All you have to say is William and Mary and any HR person is going to be calling you back...................this is true.</p>