Where does Stern undergrad belong?

It's a very well respected finance school. Maybe not the absolute elite, but you can definitely make it from there to the top banks, if you have good numbers, experience, etc.

wustl, emory, vandy, etc...

i would actually put it up higher. good comps IMO would be schools like cornell, northwestern, michigan, etc..

stern does very well in terms of banking recruiting (not so well for consulting jobs though).

What are your thoughts on attending NYU's College of Arts and Science and majoring in Economics? Is it still possible to break into IBanking with that degree and school? I understand that it would be better if one graduates from Stern / Finance major but I don't really have that choice.

Stern for finance rocks. Damodaran for one.

Stern vs Michigan ROSS?

eesh, if i had to pick, i would pick umich

Stern produces some cocky and arrogant kids though. They believe they have the panache of Wharton, but lack the humility (which is gained from the intense workload, selectivity, and diversity at Penn).

I decided against Stern and transferred to Michigan. I'll be in the city for the rest of my life, I grew up there too. A nice diversion doesn't hurt.

I have a friend who goes to Stern and he is the nicest most down to Earth kid I know but all his Stern friends seem to be arrogant pricks who all want to do Ibanking. I guess thats the problem when you go to school in NYC.

Don't worry, I bet Damodaran thinks MBA students are just as stupid.

I was thinking of transferring to Stern, but all this negative talk about it is making me double guess...

on the orientation, there were group of kids who were comparing/fighting about who had higher grade/SAT/ blah.

I can't say all the bad talk is false, for sure, but as a Stern undergrad who IS in Damodaran's class can say that the school is on the upward trend. Students can also have assholes (not the majority, but a sadly existent minority), but it's not like you're not going to find the same types of people at the Ivies. And the MBAs couldn't cut it in the undergrad school, I can bet you that.

In terms of getting a job, you'll be fine esp if you're interested in finance. As far as intense workload, diversity and selectivity, it's all there, you can get by by taking easy courses, but you'll get railed by kids who flat out know more than you (go to Courant if you want some "fun"). Diversity is there (it's NYC), and the school is pretty damn selective in terms of test scores and leadership the y look for in HS.

This isn't to say that I don't have my regrets, but I'm doing pretty well and frankly so are my friends (who aren't douchebags). If that's your measure.

I agree completely with fangoria.

There will always be the kids that blow this rat race far too much out of proportion. But this is surely not an indiginous problem, I'm certain that there's a flock of wharton toolboxes, ross toolboxes, etc.

Stern is very respectable. Damoderan is actually teaching Financial Management to undergrads next semester. Pretty damn remarkable, I'm almost certain that a bunch of random sophomores and seniors will simply audit the class, sitting in on lectures without credit.

Although it's tough to ignore the sore thumbs that stick out, if you look at the kids that get the best jobs leaving school, they're not the tools - they're the really down to earth kids who are exceptionally intelligent, but also talented, easy to chill with, and humble.

Don't let the outliers skew the entire distribution - you know what I mean?

btw- the tools are often ostricized (Did I spell that right?) because everyone knows they're no fun. They often roam the schools alone, with no friends. We all have a great time outside of class and such.

Biggest con about being a Stern student- all the damn group projects. At least 1 massive one in each class. sigh.

I went to stern UG and then columbia law - ended up turning down the corporate law gig and went to a BB ibank. The recruiters at the banks were way more drawn to the stern degree, grades, coursework, than they were the law degree. was told on interviews that it was the stern finance background that got me the interviews.

stern

stern

stern less than michigan business less than uva business (mcintire) less than ivies

nyu is a depressing school where the faculty doesn't give a care about their students. stern is in nyc. that's the prime selling point of nyu - always has been this way.

Yea that's the stupidest comment I've seen in a while, and that's saying a lot. I just told you about one of the most senior professors at the school who cares about students. I can give you more examples if you like. It's not Yale or Harvard, but don't shit on it unnecessarily

northwestern > cornell duh

Every business school is a magnet for kids who think they are superior to all the other colleges in the university; it is the nature of the beast. The competition and arrogance is an asset because it makes kids work harder to have real proof that they are better. Sooner or later people come to the realization that they really are not the shit, or if they are, no one really says anything because they are in fact the shit.

what are some resources (career-wise, picking up extra skills) that current students would recommend at Stern? I'm an incoming transfer student...