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bbb1923
Joined: 27 Apr 2024
Last visit: 20 Aug 2026
Posts: 249
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 225
Location: Antarctica
Schools: Duke '26 (WL) Jones '26 (WA) Owen '26
GMAT 1: 670 Q48 V47
GRE 1: Q167 V169
Schools: Duke '26 (WL) Jones '26 (WA) Owen '26
GMAT 1: 670 Q48 V47
GRE 1: Q167 V169
Posts: 249
Kudos:
16
22 May 2026, 05:10
Kudos
Bookmarks
International from Southeast Asia, currently based in Europe with an energy trading background. My goal is to pivot into investment banking in Houston, with corporate finance as a backup path.
I’m currently deciding between UNC and UT.
UNC:
* I really like the community. From the administration to the students, everyone has been welcoming.
* Chapel Hill feels like a charming college town.
* They seem to have a decent IB pipeline into New York and Charlotte.
* However, I heard internationals did not place particularly well into IB last year.
UT:
* More expensive, but probably my strongest shot at Energy IB.
*A Bit larger class size.
* I have not connected as much with the administration or students.
* I was initially waitlisted.
From what I can tell, both schools place a similar percentage of students into IB overall, but UT appears significantly stronger for Houston and energy-focused recruiting.
* UNC students would be competing with T15 for NY and Charlotte offices.
* Is UT strong outside of Texas for banking and finance?
Would appreciate thoughts from people in IB, especially internationals. Also interested in hearing if there are factors I may be overlooking.
PS. I have only gre (\~330).
I’m currently deciding between UNC and UT.
UNC:
* I really like the community. From the administration to the students, everyone has been welcoming.
* Chapel Hill feels like a charming college town.
* They seem to have a decent IB pipeline into New York and Charlotte.
* However, I heard internationals did not place particularly well into IB last year.
UT:
* More expensive, but probably my strongest shot at Energy IB.
*A Bit larger class size.
* I have not connected as much with the administration or students.
* I was initially waitlisted.
From what I can tell, both schools place a similar percentage of students into IB overall, but UT appears significantly stronger for Houston and energy-focused recruiting.
* UNC students would be competing with T15 for NY and Charlotte offices.
* Is UT strong outside of Texas for banking and finance?
Would appreciate thoughts from people in IB, especially internationals. Also interested in hearing if there are factors I may be overlooking.
PS. I have only gre (\~330).
28 May 2026, 18:27
Kudos
Bookmarks
Hi. Congrats on your admits!
Being in Texas helps though Jones/Rice being in Houston is sort of the energy play ... or so they say.
IB is generally a tricky industry to place and you need prior experience in the industry so it is good you have it. In terms of competition, there is always plenty, and it is more about the caliber of the position. If is high end, then people from all over will apply vs. something more quiet and local with average comp.
I have not heard of McCombs or UNC being big IB placements so a lot of networking will have to take place off-campus. Being in TX is likely much easier to connect to people in Houston or take a quick trip if needed but it is a gamble. If $$ is a big deal, that's $30K for 2 years - probably not a big decision maker with all the other costs and investments - it becomes 10% of the cost if you figure opportunity costs and more. So perhaps McCombs makes more sense.
As to the cultures, it will be different. McCombs is in a city so it is possible to get lost and never run into your classmates but that will likely depend on you yourself - you can be in the midst of it if you make the effort. I think UNC wins on the community side but Austin wins on the fun and employment side of variety of opportunities to network and attend.
Being in Texas helps though Jones/Rice being in Houston is sort of the energy play ... or so they say.
IB is generally a tricky industry to place and you need prior experience in the industry so it is good you have it. In terms of competition, there is always plenty, and it is more about the caliber of the position. If is high end, then people from all over will apply vs. something more quiet and local with average comp.
I have not heard of McCombs or UNC being big IB placements so a lot of networking will have to take place off-campus. Being in TX is likely much easier to connect to people in Houston or take a quick trip if needed but it is a gamble. If $$ is a big deal, that's $30K for 2 years - probably not a big decision maker with all the other costs and investments - it becomes 10% of the cost if you figure opportunity costs and more. So perhaps McCombs makes more sense.
As to the cultures, it will be different. McCombs is in a city so it is possible to get lost and never run into your classmates but that will likely depend on you yourself - you can be in the midst of it if you make the effort. I think UNC wins on the community side but Austin wins on the fun and employment side of variety of opportunities to network and attend.
04 Jun 2026, 05:23
Kudos
Bookmarks
bbb1923 Energy trading background pointing at Houston IB is actually a sharper story than most career switchers walk in with, so the school choice here is really about which campus lets you convert that narrative fastest. A few things worth weighing that I don't see in the thread yet.
- The Houston energy IB desks are small, relationship-heavy teams that hire off conviction, not volume. They genuinely care about energy fluency, and your trading seat gives you something an average MBA cannot fake. McCombs gets you in the room for those coffee chats almost weekly, which compounds in a way Chapel Hill networking trips never quite match.
- Internationals struggling at UNC for IB last year isn't random noise. NY and Charlotte coverage groups lean heavily on sponsor-friendly profiles, and when banks tighten sponsorship, semi-target schools are where they cut first. UT in Houston has more energy boutiques and middle-market shops that have historically been more flexible on visas because the talent pool is thinner.
- Don't over-index on the 16k tuition gap. One full-time IB offer covers that difference inside a single bonus cycle, and the real cost is an off-cycle recruiting scramble if your primary city doesn't hit. Optimize for placement probability, not sticker price, when the delta is this small relative to post-MBA comp.
- The community fit point is real but easy to overweight. You're buying a recruiting platform for two years, not a friend group. Houston energy IB alumni density at McCombs is the lever that actually moves your odds, and you can build community anywhere if you show up.
If Houston energy IB is genuinely the goal and not just a backup framing, UT is the move even at the higher net cost.
- The Houston energy IB desks are small, relationship-heavy teams that hire off conviction, not volume. They genuinely care about energy fluency, and your trading seat gives you something an average MBA cannot fake. McCombs gets you in the room for those coffee chats almost weekly, which compounds in a way Chapel Hill networking trips never quite match.
- Internationals struggling at UNC for IB last year isn't random noise. NY and Charlotte coverage groups lean heavily on sponsor-friendly profiles, and when banks tighten sponsorship, semi-target schools are where they cut first. UT in Houston has more energy boutiques and middle-market shops that have historically been more flexible on visas because the talent pool is thinner.
- Don't over-index on the 16k tuition gap. One full-time IB offer covers that difference inside a single bonus cycle, and the real cost is an off-cycle recruiting scramble if your primary city doesn't hit. Optimize for placement probability, not sticker price, when the delta is this small relative to post-MBA comp.
- The community fit point is real but easy to overweight. You're buying a recruiting platform for two years, not a friend group. Houston energy IB alumni density at McCombs is the lever that actually moves your odds, and you can build community anywhere if you show up.
If Houston energy IB is genuinely the goal and not just a backup framing, UT is the move even at the higher net cost.
bbb1923
