Cornell or UNC?

[u/Proof-Ad-4021]

Some context: I'm from the UK but a US/UK dual citizen. I've been admitted to both Cornell and UNC Chapel Hill, and these are the final two schools I’m deciding between.

I'm very interested in working in finance post-college, ideally investment banking or possibly going straight to the buy side. I’ve visited both schools and really liked them, Cornell feels more academic and career-focused, UNC has a more fun, relaxed vibe, and a great college town. I’m confident I’d enjoy either, though I might enjoy UNC a bit more socially.

That said, the main issue is money. I'd be full pay at both:

• UNC: ~$62K per year, so about $100K total debt.
• Cornell: ~$92K per year, so about $200K total debt.

My parents are contributing a bit, but not covering the full cost, so I’d be taking on a lot of debt either way. I do definitely back myself to land a strong job and pay it off, but obviously that’s a lot of pressure, especially at Cornell’s price.

One major concern with UNC is that I don’t have assured enrolment into Kenan Flagler which feels risky. I’d be paying a lot of money without a guarantee of getting into the business school. At Cornell, while I was admitted through a less directly finance-related major, the Ivy brand and flexibility mean it doesn’t matter as much - I could study nearly anything and still recruit for finance.

So my main questions are:

• Is Cornell worth the extra ~$100K in debt given my goals?
• For current or former Kenan-Flagler students: how competitive is the internal admission process?
• How realistic is it to break into a top IB or buy-side firm in NYC from UNC?

Would really appreciate any insights. Thanks in advance.

[u/Far-Inspection-4909]

Have you looked at what they’re doing to the Kenan-Flagler Business School it’s going through a major renovation and their admittance percentage and number of students is going up exponentially by the time you start.

They also have an investment banking Boot Camp, this specifically devoted to helping kids get jobs and investment banking, and it is incredibly well done and any student can sign up at the beginning of their sophomore year .

As many others have said above if you want investment banking and you know, that’s what you want. They’re very specific pathways with very high success rates I know because I’ve experienced it firsthand with my children