For a career in management consulting or investment banking, which school do YOU think would be more valuable to earn a degree in economics from? Including not just academics, but location and connections.
@david_p There is no difference really. As an economics department, the Stanford department is stronger than the Yale department, but for undergrad and for breaking into banking, consulting there is no difference.
A thing to consider is that banking and consulting is slightly less popular amongst Stanford kids as it is amongst Yale kids, and both schools are very sought after by top firms, so you would probably have slightly lower competition from Stanford. But that won’t make a huge difference. At Stanford about 20% of grads go into finance/consulting vs about 30% grads at Yale. MBB and Deloitte are amongst the top employers for both schools.
You choice should be about fit i think. Stanford and Yale have distinct cultures and vibes.
Stanford hands down, and there are 8 schools above Yale in the USNWR rankings for MBA. Go Bears! #7
Lots of misinformation here. Stanford GSB or Yale SOM’s ranking barely has an effect on undergrad recruiting for Wall Street or Management Consulting. Both Yale and Stanford are target schools for the Big 3 as well as for most investment banks, and certain PE/Hedge Funds. Once you get an interview at any of these firms, what you did at school matters far more than which one of the top-5 schools in the nation you went to.
“so you would probably have slightly lower competition from Stanford” - This isn’t true. Firms don’t have hiring caps by college. If they see more qualified students from Uni A, then they’ll hire more from Uni A.
The only conceivable advantage I can foresee is that Yale is closer to NYC which makes it more logistically convenient to network, interview or intern there. But apart from that, the opportunities available at Yale and Stanford in this respect should be pretty similar.
@flenolex1 “This isn’t true. Firms don’t have hiring caps by college.” - not necessarily. while firms do not have explicit caps by college, they do recruit college by college and they try to have representation from many top schools and cannot compare applicants from top schools in real time. so when they go for on-campus recruting and they receive more applications at Yale compared to Stanford, then yes it is fair to say thee is a bit more competition going on at Yale for these kinds of jobs. But as a said it is not a major difference.
“The only conceivable advantage I can foresee is that Yale is closer to NYC” - not really. firms come to campus to recruit and hold networking sessions. Also they hold on campus interviews AND practically all of the top banks and consulting frims have branches in SF so any on site interview is not a logistical issue.
If you have to borrow ~$200k or more for the degree like your other thread suggests, you may have trouble getting a job. I think people with high debt are considered a financial risk in investment banking.
@austinmshauri ok but finances aside?
You have put up multiple posts asking if Yale or Stanford is more impressive. They are both equally impressive – in the end it will become come down to what you do at each school – what you make of your opportunities (ex. coursework, grades, internships, research etc.) that will ultimately matter more than if you attended Yale or Stanford.
And finances should never be taken out of the decision. Graduating with huge level of debt will impact your life decisions for years and years.
It is frankly insane to borrow $200K for a degree. You will regret it later.
They’re both great in Econ and quality differences will be minimal at the undergrad level.
If you make intelligent connections, nab an internship and work hard to get good grades, recruiters will be interested in you – regardless of which academic behemoth you choose.
So choose based on fit and finances.
If you want to go into management consulting, read something other than economics. Indeed, they hire just as many grads with English and (especially) foreign language degrees. And of course if you want to ascend the ladder in management consulting, you will eventually need an MBA or graduate degree.
@prezbucky If you go to Stanford or Yale, you don’t even need top-notch grades. I can testify to that.
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@preppedparent Yale undergrads have no problem getting jobs in management consulting, regardless of its supposed USNWR rating. Indeed, when you go to someplace like Yale, you don’t need to concern yourself with ratings.
In my view location is the issue. Do you want to travel cross- country? Where do you want to intern/work? Do climate and location matter to you? In the case of Yale, are you attracted to its college system?
They’re comparably great institutions. I think that Yale places better into the Northeast whereas Stanford will place better into CA.