Dartmouth vs. Brown vs. UVA vs. Cornell
Hi everyone,
Ivy results just released yesterday, and I'm lucky enough to have been admitted to Dartmouth, Brown, UVA, and Cornell (non-Dyson).
I'm looking to go into investment banking (focusing on tech), growth equity (Insight, GA, etc.), or venture capital.
Out of these four options, my initial thought would be to choose between Brown and Dartmouth. Cornell is non-Dyson, and UVA doesn't seem to have the prestige of the other two.
I know that Dartmouth has a large presence on Wall Street (with a tight alumni network) and a fun culture, but it isn't the greatest for tech-focused teams. I'd probably study economics at Dartmouth.
Brown, on the other hand, is definitely better at placing kids into tech, but practically none of the students are looking at careers in finance. However, I've heard that this lack of competition means that the kids who do want to go into finance get more looks during on-campus recruiting.
Rankings-wise, Brown seems to beat out Dartmouth (#9 vs. #18), but I don't want to solely base my decision off of this.
As someone who wants to go into investment banking or growth equity, which of these four schools would set me up the best for my future career?
Thanks guys.
Dartmouth. Brown is for potheads.
And Dartmouth is for alcoholics.
I’d rather work with an alcoholic than a stoner.
I think Dartmouth by far unless you'd also major in CS, in which there's an argument for Cornell.
In what rankings is Brown over Dartmouth? Everything I see via Google has Dartmouth ahead of all these schools (not that ranking matters).
USNews has Brown ranked over Dartmouth. I think that these are the most "official" rankings on the internet.
Woah. They were just #8 a while ago. Looks like they dropped nearly 10 places because of their "diversity enrollment" number. That's pretty BS.
Dartmouth comes with the highest odds of placing into IB or PE. The fact that you’d be going into tech IB doesn’t matter — it’s IB, you’re not actually writing lines of code. However, Dartmouth is not for everyone, surely isn’t a culture that just anyone could fit into. The other schools you name are more culturally diverse and accommodating.
Brown may have the most “lay prestige,” but does not place as well into finance. Cornell does well in raw numbers, but you’re just competing with so many candidates, it’s easy to drown in the crowd if you’re not in the right circles. Same is true for UVA, but Cornell is probably a bit of of a target, meaning more spots/student, and a clearer recruitment process.
If you think you can thrive at Dartmouth (which, again, not everyone can), that’s probably your best bet…but, if not, I think Cornell would be the second best choice if you can get into the correct clubs/meet the right people.
What’s so unique about Dartmouth culture other than it being in the middle of fucking nowhere and being isolating?
Very heavy on Greek life vs. the other Ivy League schools, and it's the only social outlet in town really. UVA on this list is comparable though.
I generally agree with this, however, I'd say that Brown places extremely well on a per capita basis, especially when you consider the number of kids who are actually serious about pursuing IB (< 30/year back when I was there). Among these "serious" candidates, I don't know anyone in my class +- the 2 graduating classes above/below me who didn't get a good offer.
Dartmouth is definitely the best finance feeder among these 4 (from my perspective, it's right below Harvard/Wharton/Princeton and on par with Yale and Columbia). But it's a very self-selecting school, so if you don't like being in the middle of nowhere and aren't big on frat culture, better to go to Brown or Cornell vs. going to Dartmouth for slightly better finance placement.
Spot-on re: Cornell.
Just added a poll. Hopefully that should get some more responses and help me decide.
go to whichever of dartmouth or brown you fit into best. will be easier to place if you fit with the alumni network’s vibe while networking.
I would personally choose between Cornell and Dartmouth, but that’s just my two cents.
Went to Columbia. I would say (assuming culture is not an issue at any of these places): Dartmouth > Cornell = Brown. Wouldn’t really consider UVA here unless financial reasons
Would personally take either Cornell or Dartmouth. Dyson’s extremely small, and the rest of Cornell places well too. Same with Dartmouth, and the alumni network is tight and pulls hard.
I agree, Cornell AEM = Dartmouth but op mentioned it is non Dyson
Here's my take as a Cornell (Dyson) alum:
All four of these will get you into IB if you know how to interview, do your preparation, and network. If UVA will save your family hundreds of thousands of dollars, I'd honestly go there. Otherwise, I would just pick the school you feel like you'll enjoy the most. My class at Cornell placed kids at pretty much every BB/EB and some MFs. I don't think there's a significant advantage to being in Dyson besides taking classes directly applicable to IB technicals. Just recruit for finance clubs and take related classes if you can. You also can transfer into Dyson or the Hotel school if you want more access to business/finance classes (I don't think it's that easy to transfer into Dyson though, but it is possible).
If you just want the best possible chances of getting into top BBs and EBs in NYC specifically then I'd say pick between Dartmouth and Cornell.
I chose Brown over Cornell back in the day, and I'm very glad with my decision. UVA is a great school and places very well, however, I wouldn't take UVA over any Ivy unless it came with a full-ride merit scholarship.
The truth is all 4 schools will set you up well for IB/PE. Dartmouth is probably the best from a pure "placement" perspective (I'd argue it's right below Wharton/Harvard/Princeton, on par with Yale and Columbia), however, if you don't want to be in the middle of nowhere or aren't a big fan of the frat culture, then I absolutely wouldn't suggest going there. There are more important things than marginally better IB placement.
Brown and Cornell are probably equal for finance recruiting. Cornell has more placements in terms of absolute #s because it's a significantly larger school and more students are interested in pursuing finance. At Brown (at least back when I was there), maybe only < 30 kids every year seriously recruit for high finance roles (seriously as in regularly attended info sessions, networked efficiently, did relevant frosh and soph summer internships, etc.), and all of us ended up with good offers. I remember back during my junior and senior years, when CVP and PWP visited campus, I swear there were only 20 people max who attended... goes to show how little relative competition there was. Fwiw, I didn't even know what banking was until my sophomore year, and I ended up at a "top EB".
Current Brown student — I would say that has changed a bit. Definitely more of a finance interest here (ex. 50+ at the CVP info session, PWP didn't come this year). I definitely know a few people who have "struck out" who did network and had relevant internships, and while maybe they would've been more successful if they did a little more work, it still is unfortunate. Imo, it is good to see a larger chunk of the student body pursuing finance, but I feel that there are not enough spots for everyone to be successful these days. Many BBs (MS, JPM, Citi, UBS, DB) don't even come to campus, and BofA only brought their markets team, not IB. I think greater interest is good long term for Brown's rep, but it will take a few years for the banks to adjust to this newfound interest.
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