Current Student-Athlete @ Semi-Target; Sub 3.0 GPA; 1 Year of Finance Exp (Advice?)
This is my first blog entry on here and from what I've read on this site so far (been a member for a little under a month) users have been really helpful in answering people's questions so I figured I'd give it a shot. I want to thank you, in advance, for taking the time to read this and add your insight. Here's my story:
I'm a rising Senior at Villanova University. I've been a starter on the football team since I was a freshman and have had a successful athletic career up to this point. I've chosen Economics as my major (Philosophy minor) but I originally thought I wanted to do marketing when I started college. Consequently, I secured a marketing and promotions internship at HOT 97, one of the biggest radio stations in NYC, during the summer between my freshman and sophomore year. Despite having a great experience there, I decided it wasn't for me and I set my sights on the financial services industry. The following summer I secured a SA position at Cantor Fitzgerald in NYC, where I was in a rotational program on their IB, ETFs, Derivatives, and ADR Trading desks. Both internships were secured through networking (family friends) but I was unable to get an internship for my junior year summer, which as most of you know is the easiest way to get a FT offer. I secured a first round interview at both GS and BNY Mellon (relentless networking) but, due to my time constraints in the summer with football, I didn't get to the second round in either. I had the same time constraints my past two summers but, due to my "in", I was able to navigate around those problems with both internships (and get course credit while I was at it).
I've decided to use this summer to obsessively train for my last guaranteed football season, network with as many professionals as possible, and do a lot of self-study (Benjamin Graham's Intelligent Investor, Sebastian Mallaby's More Money Than God, etc). The GPA became a problem my first year of college because I suffered a severe case of mono halfway through fall semester. What made it worse was that I thought I just had the flu and continued to play football with it (increasing the chance that at any moment I could've been hit the wrong way during a game and had my spleen rupture; RIP). Anyone who's had mono knows its physiological effects and, consequently, I logged an abysmal 1.9 GPA my first semester of college.
My grades have been trending upwards since then but I did not do so hot my junior year. I also took on a pretty time-consuming project my junior year as well. During my junior year, I founded the very first professional development group at Villanova, specifically designed to help student-athletes. My group's mission is to develop student-athletes’ natural talents so they can position themselves for a successful transition into their respective careers, to facilitate networking opportunities between alumni in general and those who were once student-athletes, as well as to build leadership roles within my group. Apart from this, I'm a general body member of the Villanova Athletics Leadership Institute, the Business and Leadership Society, the Villanova Entrepreneurs Society, the Student-Athlete Advisory Council, and I volunteer with my team for the National Bone Marrow Registry and a homeless shelter in West Philadelphia. Realistically, I will probably graduate with a 2.7 and I do not have my GPA on my resume. I am already getting headhunters for IB positions contacting me about possibly interviewing for full-time positions but I am worried I will get shut down immediately when grades come up in an interview (assuming I get that far). I have never been afraid to confidently communicate what I bring to the table (which I feel is notable) but the prospect of not being able to break into finance because of my grades literally keeps me up at night.
So my question to you all is, considering I finish my senior year lights out academically and continue to network my tail off, do I still have a chance to break into finance? If so, what else can I be doing to better my chances? Thank you again for taking the time to read this. Your advice is much appreciated.
You're getting headhunting calls? I wish I was getting them already.
Anyways, you definitely have a shot, but you need to build up credibility. I actually don't think books are the best way to self train, especially for IB. If you're determined to use them, go with the Rosenbaum Investment Banking book. However, Wall Street Prep or Breaking Into Wall Street both offer certifications that can go on your resume. They aren't the strongest point in the world but it sounds like you're lacking experience.
Additionally, try to find someone who is willing to work with you to craft your story. You can do it, especially since you're an athlete, but you need a damn good story as to why you're a bright and motivated kid who happens to have a low GPA. In this regard, a mentor in the field would be very helpful. I actually think the hardest part to explain won't be the GPA--it will be the lack of internship this summer.
Where are you looking to break in? Does it need to be a bulge bracket? Are you willing to do Middle Market/Boutiques?
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