EB Recruiting GPA
White male target here. What gpa is needed to stay competitive for EBs?
My non diverse fellas seem to be getting less interviews this year for what it’s worth.
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3.7+ at target
Are there advantages to being 3.85+
Ofc, 3.7 is really pushing it tbh
depends how strong you are with networking/connections
Ah, the age-old question about GPA and its impact on landing those coveted spots at elite boutiques (EBs)! Based on the most helpful WSO content, it's clear that GPA does play a significant role in the initial screening process for EB recruiting. Here's the breakdown:
GPA Benchmark: To stay competitive, aiming for a GPA of 3.8+ is generally advised. This seems to be the sweet spot for not just EBs but also for investment banking (IB) and private equity (PE) roles. It's a figure that recurs across various discussions and advice threads, indicating its importance in making a strong first impression.
Beyond GPA: While GPA is crucial, it's also important to remember that it's not the only factor. Your overall profile, including internships, leadership roles, and how well you network, can significantly impact your chances. Especially in a highly competitive field like finance, where many candidates might have similar academic credentials, these additional factors can help you stand out.
Networking and Experience: Given the competitive nature and the slight decrease in interviews for non-diverse candidates, as you've observed, networking becomes even more critical. Engaging with alumni, attending industry events, and reaching out to professionals at EBs can provide a significant advantage. Additionally, relevant internships or experiences that demonstrate your skills and interest in finance can complement your GPA and strengthen your application.
Diversity and Inclusion Efforts: It's worth noting that many firms are actively working to increase diversity within their ranks. While this is a positive step towards creating a more inclusive industry, it can affect the dynamics of recruiting. However, focusing on what you can control, such as your academic performance, professional experiences, and networking efforts, remains key.
In summary, while a strong GPA (3.8+) is essential, it's just one part of a larger puzzle. Building a well-rounded profile and actively networking can significantly enhance your competitiveness for roles at elite boutiques. Remember, every candidate's journey is unique, and persistence, along with a proactive approach, can make all the difference.
Sources: Does GPA matter for Private Equity?, Let's talk GPA- does IB need a super strong GPA nowadays?, 3.5 GPA - Looking to break into PE
Got interviews and offers at Moelis and Lazard with a 3.63 GPA from an Ivy League School (Brown/Dartmouth/Cornell).
So Cornell.
What's the difference between a Dartmouth student and a Cornell student? One says went to Dartmouth, the other says they went to an Ivey League school.
Did they ever question your GPA? Like why is it low or anything?
Nope. GPA and Test Scores are almost never brought up during interviews because they’re exclusively used to filter candidates during a resume screen.
Got 2 offers from LAZ/MOE/PJT/EVR with a 3.5 GPA from a target/semitarget, non-diversity. If you have a 3.5 or above you are good. It comes down to story and fit at that point. I think the majority of bankers are moving further and further away from GPA as a metric of raw competence as grade inflation at some schools becomes so obvious. Speaking for my bank only when I say this but I have noticed on average there is somewhat of a negative correlation between higher GPA and work product. Plenty of 4.0 HYP kids getting middle bucket. Don’t MS me, this is just fact from what I see at my bank
Feel like the grade inflation point is kinda moot. With grade inflation in fact any relatively low gpas (eg, 3.5) are even more unfavorable than they would be in an environment without grade inflation. Would also say that would be extremely surprising if there was in fact a negative correlation between gpa and performance at your bank—not trying to discredit your experience but it’s certainly anecdotal and would bet a lot of money a large sample size would indicate the opposite.
I understand your points and used to be of the same belief. It wasn’t till I really started looking in the drive on a slower day and running some analyses that I started drawing these conclusions. From what I could gather on historical incoming class resume books and personal understanding of who was really good at what they do and who was not I started to find some trends. Disclaimer, this is obviously a subjective analysis and although these trends are what I found at my bank, you are right in that it isn’t necessarily generalizable. I have, however, worked at 2 EBs now and do see similar trends. It could be that both coincidentally fall into this bucket or it could be there is some substance here. From what I could tell, where you did your undergrad really mattered. For example, Harvard, Stanford, and Yale specifically had an inverse relationship between GPA and work quality. Coincidentally these three schools rank in the top 5 most grade-inflated universities. Now, I am not saying that every 4.0 GPA HYS kid was bottom bucket in the groups I have been a part of, but it was more common that they were just average or sometimes slightly below average. In an interview you would see this resume and immediately think this is a really good hire. At the beginning of my time in banking I thought these same things as nearly every kid reaching out to connect had really incredible GPAs. I believe this is what initially sparked my interest in this topic along with conducting extensive research in my undergrad. Contrarily, I noticed that at schools known for grade deflation such as Princeton, MIT, Berkeley, BYU, UChicago, Tufts, UVA, and UCLA. Students that went to these schools that had taken a discipline other than finance that had lower than 3.7 but higher than 3.5 were on average above average analysts.
I won’t bore with anymore details but all I am saying is that I think GPA is a sort of busted metric (similar to Adj. EBITDA for a company) for really understanding a person’s success in investment banking. At the analyst level your job is 95% execution and 5% critical thought. That being said, I would assume that the kids who grinded just to get a 3.5-3.7 are more accustomed to working extremely hard than the kids who work hard don’t get me wrong but wouldn’t have to work as hard to get above a 3.7.
Lastly, this chart isn’t mine but there is a site created by some education economists (grade inflation.com) that documents grade inflation/deflation. Here is just one of the charts that show how grades have changed at certain universities over the past decade. This only includes Princeton and BYU from my list above but shows the idea that they have a low GPA average to begin with and have increased (or in BYUs case decreased) average GPAs very slightly relative to other universities on the other end of the spectrum that have raised what used to be a 3.8 to a 4.0.
Bump
Got to the superday round with a 3.4 at EB, totally possible
got superday last cycle with 3.6 from semi-target (?)
GPA doesnt matter one bit if you network well (as long as above a 3.0)
Got offer at EB from a non-target and 3.2gpa, just network to get an interview , and then they dont care from then on out, be able to sell yourself and you'll get it!
This is just not true. Most of the top boutiques that recruited from my program required at least 3.7 to even get a first round interview
Okay buddy 😂 I never said the odds were in your favor. But it is definitely true, and definitely possible. It's all about who is pulling for you from the inside, and if you have an MD or 2 MD's flagging HR — you will 100% get an interview, and from there your GPA is irrelevant. Be prepared for a brief question about why it's low though. But to everyone reading this thread with below a 3.5..... start networking your ass off
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