Can we talk about Targeted universities?

[HardyPlants]

This is for general conversation only.. Oxbridge, LSE and UCL are targeted universities for IB. I'm surprised the likes of Bath and Durham, Loughborough who also have very strong business departments are not targeted? should it be important at all in university choice?

What do you mean Oxford, UCL and LSE are targeted universities for IB?

What has IB got to do specifically with Business courses?

Most universities accept theIB - if you mean the International Baccalaureate?

Investment Banking rather than International Baccalaureate, I suspect?

There'd be a page and a half of responses on the subject of target universities by now, @Hardyplants, if you'd posted this on TSR, btw.

Sorry meant investment banking not the IB qual.

Went to one of those. Also did IB. You could add a few others.... Warwick for example. The others you mention are also targets, but usually not for front office roles. Know a number of bath spa grads that ended up in operations. The people I knew in front office roles rarely had business degrees (though many econ and some MBAs). More classics and humanities than business.

@MarchingFrogs Funny you say that but started the thread based on something I read on TSR. never heard of targeted unis before that but always happy to educate myself. I don't see it mentioned much on MN but it seems quite important for those studying Economics, Business & Mgt type courses. I did a quick google and was surprised not to see the likes of Loughborough etc with excellent business departments. Just wondered why and how important it is.

Also.... do you really want to push IB on your kid???? Esp at undergrad level? If they find IB really floats their boat.... they could always do a masters in econ at Cambridge after their undergrad at Durham. But!!!!! Having lived the life of 100 hour weeks and ‘magic roundabouts’ my advice is think twice.

@BeardyButton I'm not talking about IB qualification, IB is also an abbreviation for 'Investment banking' as clarified above and how did you jump to pushing IB on kid! MN is a great place for advice most of the time but posters like you sound completely bonkers.

I think beardtbutton was talking about investment banking @HardyPlants

@chopc Fair enough, but where have I said anything about a dc or pushing them into IB? Beardy sounds like one of those presumptuous know-it-alls of which there are a few on MN. They no doubt mean well, but they really need to calm down and just answer the question in the OP or move on.

Gosh, not at all sure what beardy said that deserved that reactionOP.

Presumably it depends on role within Investment Banking and the degree taken by the student. UCL, Warwick, Cambridge and LSE are considered to have the most mathematical economics degrees, which may interest those hiring ‘quants’. And Oxford is, well, Oxford.

I understand that Imperial is also popular with City recruiters.

Having said that many go elsewhere, then choose one of these for a Masters.

Really? the OP was about targeted universities and beardy jumps into admonish against "Pushing things onto your kid". They don't even know if I have kids! I don't take too kindly to presumptuous people pretending to know more than they do. Not every thread about education has to do directly with the OP's own personal circumstances, sometimes people just ask questions out of interest.

I did a quick google and was surprised not to see the likes of Loughborough etc with excellent business departments

Because Loughnorough isn't exactly a research-intensive university which attracts the brightest undergrads. I went to one of the most competitive, difficult to get into universities in the country to read a degree in a humanities discipline. I was "targeted" by a merchant bank (as they were called back then) in a recruitment drive.

They weren't interested in the area of my degree - they wanted high flyers.

So pleased I didn't take them up on the trainee post - there was a huge crash a few years laters. I remember catching in a taxi driven by a former stockbroker who'd lost the lot ...

@Needmoresleep That makes a lot of sense. I hadn't thought about the Maths content at each uni v IB recruitment for specific roles.

This is a parenting forum. It’s a reasonable supposition that a poster w a question like yours is thinking of advising their own child.

Actually If I were to guess, I’d say you are thinking about which university to go to, to max your chances of getting “targeted”. My point wasn’t about so much about “pushing” as to why you’d want it in the first place.

Having done the job, I can say that the glamour doesn’t last past the New York training. It is beyond gruelling and often quite dull.

In any case, your first port of call would be to understand the different roles within a bank. Front office, middle office, back office. Different roles will “target” different skills and degrees. Front office roles (M and A, Investment Banking, Sales) tend to look for intellect, polish etc and so look to Oxbridge, LSE etc. I take it, it’s front office you are looking for.

My point is - it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. Certainly, I don’t think it’s worth choosing a degree program with IB in mind. Having been there, done that..... I wouldn’t be encouraging my children down that path.

Actually If I were to guess You guessed wrong. Next time just ask.

If you aren’t a parent asking for a child... and you aren’t asking for yourself, who are you asking for? Are you “asking for a friend”?

In any case, as someone who has done what you are trying to do, my advice stands.... I wouldn’t even consider basing my choice of university / course on getting a front office IB job. What a depressing prospect. And actually .... having also interviewed prospective new analysts.... you’d stand a better chance of getting the job by choosing a degree based on love of subject and genuine interest. Your interviewer will be much more interested to hear about your intellectual curiosity than your life long commitment to becoming a trader.

Beardy the reason I told you to F off (but not quite) in my first reply to you, is not just because of your assumptions but your aggressive posting. Who am I asking for? No one. I’m just interested, I had a lose conversation with a neighbour, we looked on TSR together and I thought I’d ask a bit more about it on MN. No dc wanting to go into IB and certainly not me, I’m well past all that. Sometimes people on MN ask questions just because they can.

Have a look at your language... “F off” “presumptuous” “pretending to know more than they do”.... And it is me who is aggressive?!?

I think not! In any case, good luck with your endeavours; whether they be getting a job at JP Morgan or delving into the specificity of which universities should be labelled “target” in order to inform your neighbourly conversations.

OP I don't think it's Beardy who is being aggressive.

Also, while you did start the post these boards are also here to help future readers and beardy's answers are helpful in that regard.

I think not! In any case, good luck with your endeavours; whether they be getting a job at JP Morgan or delving into the specificity of which universities should be labelled “target” in order to inform your neighbourly conversations.

I doubt we will see a whole lot of targeting by investment banks in the City in the coming years. Minimising job losses will be their main concern.