I am having trouble deciding between these schools…so I want to study econ/math. I enjoy these subjects and also want to go into finance. I wanted to know…
What school offers more finance opportunities?
What school will better prepare me for what I want?
What schools is recruited heavier and has better networking for finance?
What school has a better social scene?
Thanks!
Wow, are people still making these momentous decisions? In answer to your question, Middlebury has certainly made the number of its graduates going into finance one of its selling points of late. But, I don’t think it has anything to do with the strength of its economics or math department; I think it has to do with the number of people who go there to study languages. An awful lot of their LinkedIn entries seem to list the foreign bureaus of major companies. Generally speaking, small colleges - even the elite ones - are not target schools. Each one relies heavily on an alumni contact to make sure resumes get read by the right people. At Wesleyan, Bain & Co. seem to be regular employers as well as McKinsey.
Socially, Wesleyan and Middlebury are very different. Middlebury is a very rural place and once the winter settles in, a lot of steam gets blown off by outdoor sports (Quidditch remains very popular there.) Wesleyan is on the edge of an up and coming small city and has one of the most active music and theater scenes of any college its size.
Career-wise, I think you’ll find more like-minded people at Middlebury although socially I’d give the edge to Wesleyan.
If you are more pre-professional, Middlebury would be better. If you want an intellectual and artsy environment, go to Wesleyan.