<p>Basically I have been accepted at UNC with a full scholarship (Carolina Scholars), Notre Dame (Reilly Program), Northwestern, and Duke and have been waitlisted at Columbia and Cornell. </p>
<p>I need help deciding where to go next year. </p>
<p>I am interested in business/finance and am looking to get internships on wallstreet during my 4 years of college and a job on wallstreet after college (preferably at the bigger banks such as GS and JPM). I would especially like to get into private equity and hedge funds straight out of undergrad which I know is very difficult. Would these schools give me the opportunities to do so? Will UNC (considering i work my ass off) give me these opportunities? </p>
<p>I really need help deciding where to go, especially since the deadline is in 11 days. Thank you and I appreciate all feedback both positive and negative.</p>
<p>First, let me tell you now that to even have a fighting chance at breaking into respected PE/HF shops straight out of U Grad you need to be in the top tier schools - HYPSW - and even then it is very tough. </p>
<p>That said, you can do a few years or so in BB IB and then move to PE - if you are in a top BB, you will have an even better shot. </p>
<p>For schools, I would choose Columbia, then Cornell, if you get in. Out of the schools you are currently accepted to, I would go with Duke first and Northwestern second, though it can be reversed based on fit if there is a big diff in your mind as to where you fit best.</p>
<p>These two will give you the most BB IB opportunities. </p>
<p>Thanks for the info. I would go to Duke or Northwestern but I am not receiving any aid. I am therefore kinda leaning towards UNC. I am in the honors program there and have already received assured enrollment in their Business program. Will going to UNC affect my chances to get a solid job at a top investment bank on wall street straight out of undergrad? Is UNC well represented on the street? I need advice because this decision will play a pivotal role in my future.</p>
<p>In my view the best college to go to get into I-Banking is the one that get I-Banks recruiting every year in large number. From all the school that have their career offices present any meaningful data MIT seems to be the best for I-Banking. Look at their career office and see the all the top I-Banks recruiting undergraduates there.</p>
<p>I don’t know how convinced I am that this is true. At Dartmouth–a good school but not a “top tier” ivy–BX PE, Bain PE, a ton of MM PE, AQR, DE Shaw, Bridgewater, Millennium, Citadel, Sankaty Advisors etc. all recruit.</p>
<p>I know Wharton does have an advantage with Silver Lake & Fortress, neither of which recruit at Dartmouth. I don’t know of any other big names though.</p>
<p>Here’s the thing: recruiting at a school for IB means you’ve got a great shot - and that is the way to go - and the more heavily recruited your school the better. </p>
<p>For HF/PE - reputable, larger shops - you want to be in the top schools that I mentioned above. While a few of these shops might recruit at a few other schools, the fact is that unlike IB, these shops don’t bring in 50, 80 kids a batch, therefore, they can be far more selective and while someone might occasionally break in from outside of the core schools I’ve listed, you have a much better chance there than at other programs even if they recruit from there.</p>
<p>It’s possible, of course, just less likely and with more difficulty. Dartmouth is a great school and I would say just 1 tier below, which is why I am not surprised in the least that they see some action. That said, there is still a difference and that is all I was trying to say. I don’t want someone thinking that going to a good school means breaking into PE is easy, or even breaking into IB for that matter. </p>
<p>Again, to the op, you need to see this as an investment. An honors program at a good school is not the same as attending a great school. Columbia, Cornell, Duke, Northwestern are great schools and that is, in my opinion, where you should go for the most exposure to IB and then, down the line, the schools that will open more doors post IB because work experience matters but even after 2-3 years in IB, for B school, PE, etc, your U Grad still counts. </p>
<p>I agree with BankonBanking. MIT is recruited heavily for S&T as well as by top hedge funds and prop trading shops. Dartmouth, Columbia, Cornell, Duke, and Northwestern are all great schools, but it’s harder to break into PE/HF from these.</p>
<p>Although may top PE/HF do recruit at non-HYPSMW schools, they focus on those schools because they can take their pick of best students (over GS IBD and McKinsey) at those schools. Each firm has its favorite schools. For instance, although BX PE interviews not just at Harvard and Wharton, they hire almost exclusively from the top of the class at Harvard and Wharton. Same goes for Sankaty (which also likes Yale), DE Shaw (which likes MIT), Jane Street (which likes MIT), etc.</p>
<p>Do you know why you want to do these things, other than you perceive a big pile of money at the end? I would just urge you to think about what schools will develop you as a person, not just be entry-tickets to Wall Street.</p>
<p>I didn’t read your full post OP, but if you do end up getting into all of your schools, and are just looking for WS entry-tickets, see the following ranking:</p>