Hello guys. I’ve been admitted to Yale (Applied Math) , Columbia (Applied Math, Fu Foundation), and Wharton (Finance) but I’m having a tough time deciding between them. I’m interested in Finance, Social entrepreneurship, and startups. What are the most important differences? Thanks
Wharton has the best reputation for finance/business, and they have been pushing recently to become more tech-oriented. In fact, there are dual degree programs available with the business school and engineering school that you may be interested in. Wharton is also arguably the best undergraduate business school in the country.
Yale and Columbia are both known more for social sciences/liberal arts. Columbia is well known for its extensive core curriculum that takes up a large number of credit hours relative to similar schools. If you’d like to focus more on math/finance/tech classes and avoid required social science classes, steer away from Columbia.
All 3 schools should be roughly equal in terms of finance job prospects after graduation. All 3 are known as feeder schools to NYC banks and other Wall Street firms.
The other massive difference between the schools is their locations. Yale is located in New Haven, which is quite the experience if you haven’t been. It’s much more sequestered from the surrounding area than Wharton and Columbia. Wharton is in Philadelphia, but still maintains a nice campus feel. And Columbia is in NYC, which is a city orders of magnitude bigger than Philly or New Haven.
Overall, for your interests, Wharton is probably the best choice academically. The schools are close enough though that it should really come down to fit. You can visit all 3 in a weekend - I’d recommend doing so, and seeing what feels right.
PS - this post assumed financial aid / cost is roughly comparable across all 3