Advice on Boutique Bank recruiting in LA and SF out of a non-target school

I'm a rising senior at a non-target school in SoCal currently interning at a small M&A shop (my first banking job), I suspect my best chances at scoring a full-time job for after graduation would be at a boutique bank in either LA or SF.

I was wondering if anyone could list any places that may be worth reaching out to, or could offer any advice?

I'm in a little bit of a unique position because I transferred from a CC last fall with a semi-decent GPA (3.5) , but my current GPA after a year at university is awful (3.0) - is it possible to spin that someway?

2 Comments
 

Without sounding harsh, you are quite literally eons behind.

Things working against you: - Very little experience - You're a rising senior - You have a limited alumni base being a transfer - Your GPA does not help your cause at all - You go to a non-target

However this isn't the end. I would recommend networking this last year, to the best of your ability and making the most of it. I rarely say this, but I would very strongly recommend to not get your hopes up and to possibly look at different career paths.

Best of luck.

 

Ut distinctio amet maxime fugiat. Aut optio quo nisi ducimus nihil eaque voluptatem praesentium.

Career Advancement Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Morgan Stanley 08 97.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 02 97.2%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.3%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.8%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.2%

Professional Growth Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.3%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 97.2%

Total Avg Compensation

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (47) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (25) $178
  • Intern/Summer Associate (14) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (83) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (74) $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

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
7
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
8
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
9
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
10
Jamoldo's picture
Jamoldo
98.8
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...”