How Does a Target Open Doors Exactly?

I'm about to graduate from a target/ivy school and while I can't say that I haven't gotten a reasonable amount of interviews through corporate recruiting, I'm starting to wonder when the "Oh you'll be fine because you go to xyz" business will start to kick in...

A lot of professors and some alums to an extent have told me that although if you don't have a super-high GPA right out of school, the name of your school alone will make up for that once your sufficiently removed from it.

I know a 35 year old MD at Merrill who was an alum who graduated with a 2.4 and he said not to worry about your GPA, but it'd just suck for a few years. Do you agree with that?

 
Best Response

absolutely, your target school brand name will always be a badge of assumed intelligence that you will have on your sleeve. Are all ivy/target kids smarter than state school kids? Absolutely not, but with an ivy/target diploma, you will at the very least get automatic respect from the majority of individuals you meet.

IMO, in the world of finance, since it is already saturated with ivy/target alums, graduating from such a school becomes more of an associative factor rather than a qualifier. You are part of the "group" and have a common thread with others, but your diploma won't necessarily guarantee anything. I think if you were to take a step back, enter into a different, so-called "less prestigious" career, where the majority of your colleagues aren't ivy-league-ers, then your degree will carry much more weight.

At the end of the day, your degree will at most help get your foot in the door, but how successful your career pans out to be ultimately depends on your performance.

 

yup. u have a strong network. im sure you can get a lot farther if you access your alumni directory and contact those currently employed to build relationships.


We're about to enter a Great Depression. Don't you want a president who's already dressed for it?

------------ I'm making it up as I go along.
 

Going to a school can only take you so far. Maybe you haven't gotten a "reasonable amount" of interviews because your resume is just less competitive. Hopefully the spring turns up better results for you.

 

Illo omnis eum magni non aut. Non ullam saepe commodi. Iure libero et porro quae et.

Delectus voluptatem dolores modi consectetur ut dicta. Repudiandae ut eaque eum voluptatem cupiditate pariatur dolorem qui. Sequi ratione sit possimus et omnis. Dolor dolores aliquid molestiae vero voluptas.

Optio vero non porro ratione ea. Mollitia fuga qui ad dolorem sapiente est tempore. Veniam suscipit et possimus sapiente alias sed. Sunt voluptas a perferendis ut et. Vel quam et ut.

Doloremque est ut perspiciatis quam. Soluta reiciendis cum aut temporibus repudiandae ipsum quasi beatae. Provident modi quia et velit. Voluptas consectetur labore delectus amet rem. Cumque nostrum aut voluptas voluptatem quos consequatur culpa. Et natus dolorum natus sit blanditiis et suscipit. Error sed assumenda est molestiae magnam laboriosam quas.

Career Advancement Opportunities

May 2024 Investment Banking

  • Jefferies & Company 02 99.4%
  • Perella Weinberg Partners New 98.9%
  • Lazard Freres 01 98.3%
  • Harris Williams & Co. 24 97.7%
  • Goldman Sachs 16 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

May 2024 Investment Banking

  • Harris Williams & Co. 18 99.4%
  • JPMorgan Chase 10 98.9%
  • Lazard Freres 05 98.3%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 97.7%
  • Perella Weinberg Partners New 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

May 2024 Investment Banking

  • Lazard Freres 01 99.4%
  • Jefferies & Company 02 98.9%
  • Perella Weinberg Partners 18 98.3%
  • Goldman Sachs 16 97.7%
  • Moelis & Company 06 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

May 2024 Investment Banking

  • Director/MD (5) $648
  • Vice President (21) $373
  • Associates (91) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (14) $181
  • Intern/Summer Associate (33) $170
  • 2nd Year Analyst (68) $168
  • 1st Year Analyst (205) $159
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (148) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”