Meh, Wes punches so much above its weight in the arts (Lin-Manuel Miranda 02 and Thomas Kail 99, networked themselves into the 21st century’s biggest Broadway hit) that people tend to equate it with having fewer finance bros. Nothing could be further from the truth. Wesleyan has a definite Athlete>Econ>Finance pipeline. Alumni often host virtual events and offer advice about how to approach their company’s application process. A look at Wesleyan’s Board of Directors suggests a deep bench of younger alumni in IB and management consulting, including:
Souleymane Ba `03, Partner Leapfrog Investments.
Chad Malinowski `19, VP Investment Banking, JPMorgan.
Kevin Curtain `13 Director Cloud Infrastructure, JPMorgan.
Also, not for nothing, Wesleyan is the closest of your choices to NYC. I can’t tell you what a blessing that is in terms of staying in touch with campus events, reunions, homecomings, not to mention the 16 trips, back and forth you’re likely to make during the four years you are still a student.
Hi everyone– thank you so much for all your thoughtful responses!!
I’m planning to visit Bowdoin, WashU, and Middlebury in the coming weeks! All covered by the schools. I’ll be talking a lot with current students, and the offices to really have a good understanding of campus recruiting, clubs, and student life.
To me- I don’t mind what my undergrad career looks like, whether that be a formal business education vs a liberal arts education (business v econ consideration mentioned in some replies). I care purely about outcomes (and buying a home for my mom lol).
I’ve been doing so much research and outreach to the career centers of WashU/Midd/Bowdoin and all of them have solid numbers. But (and something I failed to consider) in terms of placement, is “nepo” placements. All of these schools are undoubtedly very nepo focused and I know I’ll have to work extra hard to get in a firm. So, I’ve also considered adjacent roles in finance, including but not limited to: consulting (MBB), corp finance, or Big 4 accounting. That has moved Bowdoin a bit out of consideration and narrowed it down to WashU and Midd for me. WashU has very powerful placement in MBB so it’s something I will need to keep in mind.
For any other seniors in a similar predicament - WashU-Olin will be releasing outcomes for the class of 2024 in early-mid April, which will help me make my decision even more.
But, and to be frankly honest, It’ll probably come down to the on campus vibes. I know wherever I’ll go, I’ll work my *** off and get an offer somewhere amazing. All of you have given me really great things to consider and I’ll start my networking as soon as I get to campus lol.
**btw: NYU Stern was my #1 choice but I was deferred in ED2 and rejected
Good luck on your visits - and i think is the right thing. You want comfort. You’re there for four years, day after day. Of course, you said NYU was #1 so Olin will be most like it - not to throw a wrench in.
Don’t over think this. Many firms now have robust policies against nepo hiring- your dad playing tennis with an MD isn’t as powerful as it used to be. The one exception is Private Wealth Management, where your social connections and golf game and ability to distinguish a fine Merlot from a merely adequate Pinot Grigio ARE important. But being socially connected isn’t the on-ramp it used to be. I would NOT make a decision with this as a factor AT ALL. Having money makes lots of things easier, but there are fine firms out there which actually prefer the “wooden spoon” hires, not the silver spoons, all things being equal.
Good luck. And as you know- there is NO “placement” involved. At the end of the day, companies hire who they want to hire.
I missed it despite the fact that it was hiding in plain sight right in the middle of the subject line. Oh well. Lesson learned: read the OP’s other threads.
Okay…I guess were I to caution against anything, it would be against the idea that college is purely about any one thing. The pressure to find a career is going to be there whether you like it or not - you don’t have to add more fuel to the fire. It’s also about personal growth; you will be a different person in four years. I’ve already experienced one transfer thread this year where the OP outgrew their school’s “vibe”. I’m going to give you the same advice I gave her: pick the bigger school.
EDIT: @blossom - we cross-posted. You answered my “nepo” question.
But also connections help get jobs. And these connections are available to you, potentially, at these schools. One of my sons got his second job after college with the guidance of his college roommate’s mother, for instance.
Based on this post, it does sound like WashU may be the best academic fit for you.
I would be concerned at some of the NESCACs that the hiring for IB, MBB and/or other similar internships/jobs can be focused/even limited to certain well established pathways. For example, alum of X school and X varsity athletic team recruit not only from their school, but from the current varsity athletic team. A relatively high proportion of students being hired into some of these jobs are varsity athletes. That is something to get a handle on when you visit. Another pathway is a preference for students in certain clubs…again, ask about this and also understand if access to said clubs is application based/highly competitive. Perhaps these examples are what you meant by your ‘nepo’ statement, I’m not sure. My point is you want to make sure that the pathways to the jobs you are interested in at a given school are really open to you.
I have no doubt that you will work hard wherever you end up. Pay attention to recruiting processes and timing. For first gen and/or females, IB recruiting will start in late freshman year (with applications for special programs that also include an internship interview.) IB recruiting will be in full swing by fall of soph year. MBB recruiting is creeping up too, but not as early yet.
Do the visits, then come back with impressions/questions. I’d pick Bowdoin or Midd for IB (and I like the vibe at Bowdoin a bit better), but IB might not be where you end up – for any number of reasons including a change of heart by you along the way. (You wouldn’t be the first to find a passion for something completely different in such a rich academic environment!) And even if your goal doesn’t change, college is 4 years of your life, and you want them to be fulfilling in every way.
Pick the one that excites you most and where you feel most comfortable. Being FGLI at any school puts you in a minority and can have challenges, so picking the place where you feel the most comfortable and supported matters. Several amazing schools have confidence in your ability to succeed there, so also know that you are optimizing for you and that whatever you pick is a good choice.
Good luck with your visits. These schools (and their environs) are different enough that one should stand out above the others, based on what you’re looking for.
Not for the first time, @Mwfan1921 has expressed what I’ve been trying to, but in far more eloquent terms. There is so much more to the NESCACs than what can be inferred from “outcomes”. In so many ways, it depends on who’s interested in what and when. And whether the school is supportive of them. It’s really that simple. (P.S., I’m still of the opinion that there will come a time when as a FGLI student, the OP will regret not attending a school closer to NYC. But YMMV.)
Congratulations on your great acceptances. If you were my child I’d recommend that you go to the school where you feel the best fit and where you think you’ll be happy - career-wise you can get where you want to go from any of them. Also, keep in mind that the career landscape may be different in 4 years than it is today. Most of your success will come down to you and not what school you attend.
This is good to hear. You have to show well to get a job at any of these places (says the guy who has worked at a Big Bank, MBB and Big 4). Showing well requires happiness (hard to crush it in school and on campus if you’re miserable).
Not sure if you’re a URM (may have missed that) or where you went to High School, but you’re an FGLI from NYC, so as others have been politely hinting, culture shock/fit is a real consideration as you plan to conquer the Universe. Bowdoin, Middlebury and WashU ain’t Science, Tech or Stuyvesant, if you know what I’m saying. Very distinct cultures. Pick based on where you can find sources of happiness, not Wall Street Oasis posts.
Living in New York may be more valuable to you than where you choose to go. Pick the school that feels most right/least wrong, and work LinkedIn to reach out to alums or folks with like backgrounds at the various firms you’re interested in and ask for advice on what you should be doing as a Freshman/Soph/Junior etc., to increase your attractiveness at firms like theirs. You won’t get responses from everyone, perhaps not even many, but if you’re appropriately persistent and authentically earnest (not thirsty), some people will respond; et voila - connection. It’s good practice for the dialing for dollars you’ll be doing for the rest of your professional career, I’m guessing. By the way, if you accept Bowdoin, that doesn’t mean you can’t reach out to someone from Wesleyan. The NESCAC’s are all one big network, quiet as it’s kept.
I still think you can make not truly wrong choices, but I would tend to agree if you are a little open-minded about possible directions than just IB in NYC (which I agree is a very prudent attitude), then WashU could be a great choice.
In fact, there is a sort of eternal “confusion” about what WashU is supposed to be “good for” outside of just premed. Like what exactly is its branding?
But that is really in a way its actual strength. It has a very flexible curriculum good for exploration and combining of diverse interests. It isn’t necessarily strongly affiliated with any one part of the country–a decent fraction of recent graduates do stay in St Louis for one reason or another, but sooner or later (and often sooner) they scatter all over the country. i used to joke about a similar city where I went for grad school (and, to my surprise, eventually settled down for a family and career) that being in the middle of nowhere means somewhere is all around you.
But again, if you already are confident you know what you want to do and where you want to do it, then all that flexibility becomes less of a relative strength. But if you are open to following your best academic path, best career path, and so on as they emerge, without trying to map it all out in advance, then I think WashU becomes a strong option.
I’ll add - I’m sure they chose NYU for “placement” and not academics - or it would not be a discussion - but major should always be the discussion - because why study something you’re not truly interested in??
I agree if the OP really wants the option of an undergrad business program, there is nothing to discuss.
But I would think that means the OP does not necessarily really want the option of an undergrad business program.
At least in my circles, this is not very unusual. A person might be interested in a business career, but they are less certain they actually want to do an undergrad business program. They are willing to try it out if available, but they are also willing to consider other colleges where it isn’t available, because they understand it is not in fact a necessary step to a business career.
This is a nice thought - but I don’t think this is what is happening here. It’s clear from OP’s posts - this is what’s happening - and I just hope - it’s not a long four years for them. I wish OP luck in his travels and final choice.
4th is Columbia, an example of a college without an undergrad business program that nonetheless has a lot of graduates going on to Wall Street positions. #6 is Harvard, same deal. #10 Chicago, #14 Yale, #16 Princeton, #17 Duke, #20 Dartmouth, and so on.
And in fact, Columbia, Yale, Dartmouth, and Princeton then jump to the top of the per capita list. This list is where the LACs also start showing up, CMC at #8, #10 Amherst, #11 Williams, #12 Middlebury, and so on.
All this is underscoring you don’t need to go to an undergrad business program for these purposes. But you can.
So why couldn’t the OP be one of those people who is open to the idea, but not treating it as a necessity?
Oh well. Lesson learned: read the OP’s other threads.
