HELP: Banking & Student Loans

aworldapart — Sat, 24 May 2008 08:21:43 -0400

Just wanted to survey the field and see if any of you bankers took out student loans for undergrad. Looking back on things, did you end up biting off more than you can chew or did you make the right decision?

Right now, barring some act of God, I'm looking at 150K (plus interest) worth of debt straight in the eye for a top Ivy target. I love the school and I know I'm going to have a great time there - it's been my dream school for awhile and I'm glad I got in, but now I'm disheartened by the fact that I have to take on so much debt to attend.

Simply put: is it wise for me to be 150k in debt in order for me to attend my dream school (a top Ivy) that has great recruiting, great prestige, great social life, great academics, etc.? Assume that there are no alternatives, so evaluate prima facie. Also, I'm certain that I want to go into finance.

work email addresses

aworldapart — Wed, 21 May 2008 21:23:29 -0400

Probably a stupid question. I'm a SA at a BB and want to contact other banks and PE firms about job opportunities. Would it be ill advised to use my work email address to reach out to other firms for job inquiries?

On that note, how strict are banks with using work email addresses for personal uses? I want to keep up with my friends and family, but I don't have access to other webmail servers at work (ie. They block out the gmail website). Is it cool to shoot the shit with buds using work email addresses?

Thanks guys

i hate economics.

aworldapart — Sun, 18 May 2008 09:33:20 -0400

I'm transferring from a semi-target to Columbia University to begin my sophomore year. This summer, my freshman summer, I am working in the principal investment group of a top BB, so my resume will have some relevant work experience on it. My question is regarding my major at Columbia: I want to major in philosophy because I think it's interesting and I can do well in philosophy courses. Am I putting myself at a disadvantage by majoring in something non-quant and non-economic, given the competition for IB gigs at Columbia? I'm sure it's been asked a hundred times, but any help would be really appreciated.

Also, sidebar, anyone know if Greenhill, MoCo, or Evercore recruit on-campus at Columbia?

Thanks guys

Taking A Break

aworldapart — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 15:43:21 -0400

There's a lot of talk about how analysts and associates get "burned out" doing the daily tasks that come along with banking. Is it possible for junior-level team members to do sabbaticals for a certain period of time to pursue other interests and then return to banking if they want to?

Top Boutiques?

aworldapart — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 18:42:28 -0400

Where do the top boutiques recruit? I am not talking about Lazard because they do have a fairly broad recruiting base. However, for shops like Evercore, Gleacher, Greenhill, and MoCo, do they only recruit at top Ivies (namely, Harvard and Wharton)?

One Equity Partners -- JPM PE arm

aworldapart — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 11:23:40 -0400

Anybody have any insight on OEP? They have made headlines as of late with the Ford/Jaguar/Land Rover auction and they're currently in the running for a stake in Evonik Industries among the likes of Bain Cap, BX, KKR, and Cerberus.

Comments on culture, comp, and day-to-day functions (i.e. heavy on sourcing?) would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

How to Land a BB Internship as a Freshman

aworldapart — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 11:44:41 -0400

I am a freshman with a good GPA, great volunteer service experience, and I go to a semi-target with quite a number of alums on Wall Street. I will be doing a twelve week summer stint in a top group at a BB in a major city (NY/London/HK). No, my primary job responsibility is not to get coffee and order lunch (though I'm sure I'll have to do that regardless).

IBD-->HF and S&T-->PE/VC

aworldapart — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 15:13:06 -0400

Please excuse me if this has been discussed before.

Freshman with "good" options needs help. Calling all Wall Street veterans.

aworldapart — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 19:44:33 -0400

This is probably a stupid thread - I just wanted to get an opinion from those who have "been there done that."

Freshman at a semi-target. Great scores, stats, and ECs. I am currently considering two internship possibilities for the summer:

UBS Freshman Frenzy

aworldapart — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 19:02:01 -0400

Did anybody apply? Anybody hear back?