What came first, the Ivy League or the pretension? More

Which universities did private equity professionals at some of the largest firms attend?

More

Some stats on what we all knew to be true: more elite college grads are choosing high-paying careers these days. More

Got zero connections and attend the University of Hickville? Not a problem. More

Times have changed. The Ivy Plus (Ivy League plus Stanford & MIT) have more dough than they know what to do with. So say hello to complimentary hand soap and stables.
More

Not new info, but top private equity firms by AUM in table form.
More

You already know how tough it is to get into top schools, perhaps even a school you went to. There seems to be no formula; it’s all already been done. That once basic foundation of lots of AP classes, top SATs, “serious” participation in a sport or two rounded out with a dash of clubs or volunteering — it’s all positively quaint now.

So, in preparation, you’ve already started donating to pave the way for your as-yet unborn offspring.

And then of course there’s another out-of-the-box idea — don’t get accepted by a top school? Why not just go, anyway? That’s what 18-yo Azia Kim, a SoCal native, pulled off, at least for 8 months. Kim managed to even lodge in two separate dorms at Stanford, without an ID card or a key, leaving her room window open to get in and out.

The Stanford community seems pretty shocked, but I don’t think this kind of thing is that rare. I remember having a semi-imposter around in my college days as well. He slept in lounges and various places and got in through the help of students. My advice to those that are that desperate is to just enroll into Continuing Education or General Studies, or better yet, realize that big name schools don’t mean all that much except to those that go, of course
Related: Coverage on Stanford Daily

We’ve been getting a number of “corrections” on our old B-school rankings, so I guess it’s time to compile and publish this year’s instead of forcing everyone to look at the old lists. Keep in mind that the WSJ, BusinessWeek and the Economist seem to come out with their rankings in the fall, so they were left blank. This year we have added the FT.

Ties have been indicated with the rank in parentheses. Also, the BankersBall made-up ranking has also been left off for now … waiting to see how the rest of the pubs stack up.

Related Stories:
Business School Rankings 2006
Business School Rankings 2005

More

MIT, Stanford and Berkeley are among many schools offering their course materials, and in some cases, videos, online. MIT seems by far the most comprehensive, offering even courses from the Sloan School of Mgmt.

• Berkeley
• Stanford
• MIT, Sloan
• Learning Space (has several Business & Management classes
• Princeton — lectures only

via WSJ, Lifehacker

What’s with all of the school daze videos lately? Yes, being a “soulless corporate drone” is boring so we wish we were back in college. This latest funny via IvyGate.

Why some? Why not.

• I-Banker Working Hard, Playing Hard, Inviting Ridicule
• Are the Good Times Back at JP Morgan?
• The Ex-Working Girl Presents: The Guys Guide
• Hot, Hot, Hot! Private Equity Comp
• Seven Secret Skills of Highly Effective Bankers
• 2006 Bonuses
• The Natty Banker: A Wall Streeter’s Summer Agenda
• Stayin’ Alive: A Guide for the Summer Analyst or Associate

1. Good/passable writer. This is usually not something that analysts are judged on, but do not underestimate how important writing becomes later on. If you can’t write, you’ll just be a quant jock.
2. Culturally and socially astute. Many of you have come from humble beginnings. But as you rise through the ranks and get richer, you need to step up your knowledge to learn about things like art and wine. It sounds like a stereotype, but it’s true.
3. Able to delegate. This doesn’t apply for analysts, of course.
4. Baller. If single, must be able to hit on members of the opposite sex. Benefit of having a gf/bf is that you can always pass on this type of thing. Related to this is the ability to be attractive and appealing even if you’re not.
5. Cannot be pee shy. Business takes place everywhere. You must be able to keep the conversation going from the dinner table to the urinal and to dinner again.
6. Alcohol tolerance. We’re not talking about shots here, but you should be able to handle a good amount and still stay on the ball.
7. Ability to look older than you are. Also important as you get more responsibility. Glasses, style of dress, briefcases … all help project a more mature you.

Funny how the more publications come up with their methodologies for the best business school (and differing answers), opinion about which is truly the best among those who actually attend the school and have a vested interest in picking the best for themselves remains the same.

Of the four, I have to say that U.S. News has it about right. We’ve added our own ranking, based on nothing quantitative.

Related: B-School Rankings 2005