Application season was a disaster for me, need advice for which uni to attend.

I overestimated my chances to get into a target school for my college applications it turns out because I was rejected or waitlisted from all targets/semi-targets.

Currently, I have 6 offers from all my safeties from Canada and the US. I wanted advice as to which university I should attend to break into IB. Right now, my plan is to transfer first/second year to a target but I know it will be difficult and it's not a guarantee so I also want to choose a uni which would still provide solid chances of landing at a top firm.

I wasn't proactive about applying to any of my safeties so I missed many deadlines for the best situations at those schools because I was under the assumption I'd get into one of my targets.

For the US, I have IU, (not direct admit because I missed the deadline). If I go there I could stay for a year and transfer to a target, or get into Kelley and IBW. Kelley should be pretty easy but I can't guarantee that I end up in IBW, I'm not really sure what my chances would be.

I'm also wondering if the chances to successfully transfer differ applying from US vs Canada, if being at a US school increases my odds I'll definitely go IU but I haven't gotten any answers from the target schools I've emailed.

I also have waitlists from UW-Madison, Boston College, and UCLA, which if I can come off the waitlist I'd assume I definitely go to UCLA or BC, but I'm not sure about UW-Madison.

For Canada, I have:
Western (also non-direct admit, missed deadline), although I'm not sure how valuable Western non-Ivey is for a year or two and trying to transfer or applying to Ivey second year. Feels like if I did want to go I could transfer in second year from another school and transferring out could be easier at other schools so I really haven't considered attending Western much.

UofT Scarborough BBA co-op, I'm not really sure how good that is for IB but I missed the Rotman deadline. UofT is in Toronto which I'd assume would provide better networking opportunities and I'd enjoy living in the big city. My parents also want me to go there because they want me to come back and work in Asia (Singapore/HK), where QS rankings are important, although I'm hesitant as I'm not sure if the opportunities out of undergrad are good, and how easy it is to transfer out of Scarborough.

UBC International Economics, I grew up in Vancouver and I'd be comfortable in Vancouver, UBC is also in a good location but I don't know how well I'd fare landing a top spot in IB. As far as transferring I feel like it'd be easier at another school so I also haven't considered this one much either.

Queen's was the only school I was directly admitted into their business program. Queen's is probably what I'm leaning towards right now because the direct admit, I feel I'd have good opportunities out of undergrad while also having a chance to transfer. Although the drawbacks are its location and low QS ranking, although the same could be said about IU.

Right now I'm thinking of working in either the US or Canada, but I'm also considering Asia (HK or Singapore). Obviously ideally I can transfer into a school which is prestigious/target school for US/Canadian firms but also internationally recognized so I could also work in Asia, although with my current situation I'm likely to stay in North America unless I can transfer. My current plan is to finish undegrad, work in IB for 2 years, get an MBA, and hopefully find a well paying job with good work life balance. Based on that, I was wondering which uni would be best, both to transfer out of or provide a good chance to land at a top firm if I were to graduate from it.

Right now I guess the ones I'm mainly considering are IU, Queen's, and UofT but I can't really decide. Advice would be appreciated!

 
Most Helpful

Recusandae laboriosam et repudiandae eos illum. Recusandae itaque ullam excepturi laborum doloribus hic. Molestiae ut omnis quas similique. Quisquam ut nostrum dolor dignissimos maiores quo.

Career Advancement Opportunities

May 2024 Investment Banking

  • Jefferies & Company 02 99.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 19 98.8%
  • Harris Williams & Co. New 98.3%
  • Lazard Freres 02 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 04 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

May 2024 Investment Banking

  • Harris Williams & Co. 18 99.4%
  • JPMorgan Chase 10 98.8%
  • Lazard Freres 05 98.3%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.7%
  • William Blair 03 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

May 2024 Investment Banking

  • Lazard Freres 01 99.4%
  • Jefferies & Company 02 98.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 17 98.3%
  • Moelis & Company 07 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 05 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

May 2024 Investment Banking

  • Director/MD (5) $648
  • Vice President (19) $385
  • Associates (88) $260
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (14) $181
  • Intern/Summer Associate (33) $170
  • 2nd Year Analyst (67) $168
  • 1st Year Analyst (205) $159
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (146) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”