A (few) word on nontargets

Non-target here. Targets: You are valid, we love you, while we are like "agh!! Chip on my shoulder!!" Genuinely most if not all of you are super kind, and when we work with you we see your capabilities and I think its pretty cool to work with you. This isn't about you, you aren't at fault <3

Now, fellow "My sChOoL iS nOt gOoD enOuGh" people: Calm the fuck down. Look, if you got here, you got here. It isn't like someone is going to take that away. If you go to Jefferies, or UBS, or DB, and you feel like you didn't do enough, look at everyone around you. You went to a place that not a lot of others have gone to from your school, must less the world. "Oh no my deals max out at 5 billion dollars". Jesus fucking christ can you even comprehend the size of that check?? You worked hard, and you got the job. Honestly we also have an easier time with on-cycle so long as you have decent stats (GMAT, SAT, GPA, not bad bad school). You might get less interviews, but your general background knowledge in finance is better, not due to your mental capacity or god-like modeling capabilities, but because most targets don't offer genuine Finance classes and you have a very solid head start. (Oncycle is also sooner and sooner) Target schools normally have either the connections, wealth, or brains to work for them, but you knew the world was unfair since the moment you were born. Work with what you got.

If you are genuinely smart, I had to reject my dream school for a state because of cost, the world won't end because you will be seen as a smart person regardless. Most smart people emit the vibe. Do you really want to be surrounded by a bunch of prestige seekers anyway? I like the work for the work, and you will be rewarded for the work you do. Getting in is the hard part, but as an analyst / associate in IB, or the buyside, it is a complete meritocracy where your work will be the determining factor of your gains.

As for the interns and prospectives: Ask yourself if you really want IB for the work or if its just because you want to get a lot of money. I will never forget what one advisor told me: There is a million and one ways to get a million dollars. Look at all of your career paths, because you might find strategy consulting, or economic research, or even fucking FP&A or wealth management as something more interesting. IB is an amazing career path, don't get me wrong, but if you want to prove that you're smarter than the rest, do something no one has done before. The reason why a lot of target kids got into Harvard was because they thought outside the box. Who the fuck do you know who made five nonprofits, seven e-commerce companies and won 5 national math competitions before the age of 18? They have already proven themself as ambitious. If IB is just a dick measuring game for you, go do it somewhere else because I just want to go back home to my wife. If you like the work and the firms, put your back into researching the firm, the work, and I will be happy to give you a reference and even connect you to my buds elsewhere in the bank too. But you gotta prove to me your worth and not seem like a desperate incel about it.

Rant over.