I am interested in investment management and have been accepted to Cornell Johnson and University of Michigan Ross. I need to make a final decision on one of the schools in the next few days. Please let me what you feel is the better fit for me.
My Goals[*]Gain experience in asset management / PE / VC (buy-side research, hedge fund, portfolio management, private equity, equity research)
[*]Eventually want to work in the Midwest (Chicago) after several years of experience.
[*]May consider working in a corporate development type role or starting my own hedge fund long-term
Cornell Johnson[*]Ivy league brand
[*]From 2002 to 2011, the Financial Times, US News and BusinessWeek ranked Cornell on average at #14 while UofM was ranked #11.
[*]Recent US News Finance ranks Cornell #12, while UofM is #11.
[*]Strong alumni connections (undergrad and graduate) in finance, asset management. Total alumni are almost half of the total alumni at UofM.
[*]Out of 50 hedge funds that I specifically looked at, Cornell ranked higher than Ross for # of alumni and # of funds with alumni.
[*]As a hedge fund feeder school, Cornell ranks #2 for undergrad, which provides great alumni connections. Ross is not in the Top 5 (
https://hfobserver.com/news/top-u-s-hedg ... r-schools/).
[*]For private equity, Cornell is ranked slightly below Michigan (#12 v. #13
https://www.wpen.org/article.html?aid=397)
[*]Opportunity to help manage the Cayuga Fund, one of the largest student-run funds
[*]Close proximity to NYC, Boston, Philadelphia, etc. Lower placements in the Midwest.
[*]Immersion program seems strong and helps prepare students for internship and full-time opportunites, strong interest in Capital Markets and Asset Management immersion.
[*]Smaller MBA class of 278 side may build stronger relationships with others
[*]Tuition is approx. $103,000 for 2 years (more expensive than UofM).
[*]Starting salary at Cornell exceeds UofM for Finance.
[*]From BusinessWeek, total career pay at Cornell exceeds UofM ($2.8 million v. $2.5 million)
[*]Cost of living is cheaper than Ann Arbor.
[*]Ithaca is similar to Ann Arbor, but doesn’t have as much to offer, is smaller, and there isn’t much else around.
[*]Johnson school of business not as state-of-the-art as Ross, but seems to have a great facility.
[*]Parker Center, Boas Trading Room
[*]Stock pitch competitions for top schools are sponsored and held at Johnson
Michigan Ross[*]Not ivy league brand, but is absolutely an elite school.
[*]From 2002 to 2011, the Financial Times, US News and BusinessWeek ranked Cornell on average at #14 while UofM was ranked #11.
[*]Recent US News Finance ranks Cornell #12, while UofM is #11.
[*]Largest alumni network in the world, strong in finance. Total alumni are almost double that of Cornell.
[*]Out of 50 hedge funds that I specifically looked at, Ross ranked below Cornell in # of alumni and # of funds with alumni
[*]Opportunity to manage several venture funds there. None as large or reputable as the Cayuga fund at Cornell.
[*]Close proximity to Chicago, which is not comparable to opportunities in NYC, Boston, Philly, etc.
[*]Close to home, family and friends. Easier to move to and find housing at, etc.
[*]Action-based learning and multi-disciplinary program (MAP) seem effective and prepare students.
[*]Larger class size (~500) may make it more difficult to make stronger bonds with students.
[*]Tuition is approx. $96,000 for 2 years (cheaper than Cornell).
[*]Starting salary is lower at UofM v. Cornell.
[*]From BusinessWeek, total career pay is less than at Cornell
[*]Cost of living is more expensive than Ithaca.
[*]Ross school is state-of-the-art and brand new, compared to Johnson.
[*]Great sports program, provides great way to network with others