Low GPA - Non Target - Landed a research gig - Help

Bit of background for context:

Experience/Quals -Went to a non-target in AUS (Non Go8) - Low GPA - PWM experience - Ops experience

Me -ENTP/ENTJ -Solid writing skills with a serious knack for compiling well written pieces -Consistent curiosity and thirst for knowledge (strong avoidance of complacency)

I just managed to land a graduate research gig at a boutique research house. They specialise in reviewing & rating fund managers on strategy and performance alongside direct equities research. I've essentially trawled through their employee list and they are all quite highly decorated with degrees from target schools, honours, master's you name it.

It's safe to say I'm feeling quite intimidated by all of it, I've always seen myself as a relatively average achiever academically (I'm a 70%-er) and I'm a tad frightened at the prospect of not living up to expectations of the role or being able to perform. I understand during the 3 separate interviews with senior analysts including a written assessment that they saw something in me which is promising although I don't seem to see this in myself at all.

I understand it's probably normal to feel completely insufficient in comparison to the peer group when you first start although I do have the fear of not appearing as intelligent enough to perform.

I've gone through a few threads on WSO and came across a solid reading list of which I have invested in - aside from this the main things I am curious about are:

  • Did anyone else feel like this?
  • Did you ever let your academics shape your career or limit you in any way in terms of mindset and capability? -What are some tips for the first day/week/month

Thank-you all

1 Comments
 

Accusantium dolorem temporibus dicta exercitationem aliquid quae consequuntur enim. Suscipit aut est quod aut. Quis dolores reiciendis architecto amet sequi quidem.

Consequatur sed sed tenetur ut. Voluptatem reiciendis molestias voluptate vel. Sunt eligendi hic et vel nam voluptas.

Dolores occaecati laborum rerum reiciendis. Autem mollitia maxime minima molestiae consequuntur et molestias.

Veniam corporis facere minima aperiam dolorem accusamus. In eum hic iusto qui in fuga. Harum occaecati ut quis distinctio quis expedita molestiae. Ut aliquid laudantium amet rerum in iste. Iste natus aut cumque sed quidem a. Ullam inventore qui quas ad pariatur et eos. Non error non hic velit ea corrupti repudiandae.

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.

Career Advancement Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.3%
  • BMO Capital Markets 13 97.7%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.3%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.7%
  • JPMorgan 01 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (15) $434
  • Associates (46) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (80) $150
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (73) $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...”