Target College Rankings Guide (BACKED WITH INFO)

https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forum/investment-banking/target-college-rankings-guide-backed-with-info

Tier 1: HYPSM

Harvard, Wharton, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, MIT

 

Tier 2: Top Targets

Columbia - Top Ivy. Con - extreme competition due to being in NYC and recruiting vs hardos. 

UChicago - T10 School. Con - grade deflation and a horrible school environment.

UPenn - Mid Ivy. Con - extreme competition with Wharton and Dual Degree Students

Duke - T10 School. Con - recruiting is very frat-heavy & non-div spots go to nepo hires.

 

Tier 3: High Targets

Cornell - Low Ivy. Con - extreme competition with a large student body.

Dartmouth - Low Ivy. Con - huge % of hires are nepo or connected. 

Northwestern - T10 School. Con - poor network compared to peer schools. 

Brown - Low Ivy. Con -  poor network compared to peer schools. 

 

Tier 4: Mid Targets 

NYU Stern - Feeder Private. Con - most competition of any school on the list, no school spirit.

Georgetown - Feeder Private. Con - high competition and not enough prestige to compensate.

Michigan Ross - Best Public. Con - very competitive recruiting due to club culture. 

 

Tier 5: Low Targets 

Williams + Amherst - Top LACS. Con - vast majority of spots go to nepo or diversity. 

Notre Dame - Decent Feeder Private. Con - very little prestige outside of Catholic circles.

UC Berkeley - Best West Coast Public. Con - sweaty school culture + large student body. 

 

Tier 6: Semi Targets 

UVA - Strong Public. Con - very connections driven and only the top kids recruit well.

WashU - Decent Private. Con - most non diverse just don't place well. 

Emory - Decent Private. Con - most non diverse just don't place well

USC - Decent Private. Con - only really places on the west coast

UT - Strong Public. Con - lots of competition with most spots going to diversity

 

Tier 7: Low Semi Targets

Johns Hopkins - T10 School. Con - Virtually zero rep in finance.

Vanderbilt - T20 School. Con - Just doesn't place very well.