<p>Perspective of a graduating Columbia College senior that did finance internships for a few years (will also do IBD upon graduation at bulge-bracket firm):</p>
<p>If your goal is finance, Wharton >>> Columbia >>> Penn.</p>
<p>Columbia will get you into any of bulge-bracket investment banks, and most boutiques. Compared to Wharton, what Columbia loses out on (in the sense that only Wharton has these opportunities) is direct undergrad buy-side opportunities. But that makes sense - at Columbia 33% of your time is taken up reading the classics, and the Wharton guys over there are taking classes in M&A Accounting. With that said, I would still choose Columbia > Wharton anyday.</p>
<p>With respect to Wharton vs. Penn CAS, Penn CAS I have to say really loses out big here. I’ve interned at a couple bulge-brackets the last few years, and only once or twice have I met a CAS kid doing banking - and immediately, everyone assumes he’s inferior to the Whartonite. </p>
<p>Anyway bottom line, in terms of recruiting, Wharton > Columbia > Penn CAS.</p>