[asanwal]

With respect to recent grads (bachelors, master, PhD), if you have loans to pay off, the allure of Wall Street is significant and understandable as it puts more money in your pocket tmw vs. 99% of startups.

In the case of these grads, it's not an issue of profile but simple arithmetic that results in Wall St winning.

[yannickt]

I would say that Wall Street is probably more appealing to experienced professionals than it is to recent grads. People have goals (e.g. comfortable retirement) and very real needs (paying the house, providing for family, etc.) that take money to accommodate. Most people would gladly accept a salary that allows them to reach these goals faster than most alternatives.