Am I too stupid for finance?

I'm a rising sophomore at a target (HYPS). In order to prepare for interviews at places like DE Shaw/Jane Street etc for potential internships next summer, I've been going through the sort of brain teasers that they've been asking. To my chagrin, I find myself unable to solve a fair number of them (even though the solution makes sense once I read it).

This has been happening pretty consistently, and to be honest I'm feeling a little down...I've never really considered myself to be brilliant, but not too stupid either (I have a 3.9+ in a Math/CS double major).

Bros, is there still hope for me?

29 Comments
 

Are you just vying for attention?

Assuming you're serious, it sounds like prop trading may not be a good fit. No shame in that. Fortunately, you should be able to land a pretty good position related to your CS degree.

 
DickFuld

HYPS? Yes, you're too dumb. You should have gone to the University of Illinois, apparently that's where the smartest people go (and Princeton, for grad school).

This.

 

stupid? HYPS 3.9 from an on paper perspective would say otherwise.

insecure and lacking confidence? yes and yes.

"My name's Ralph Cox, and I'm from where ever's not gonna get me hit"
 

Nope, with those stats you're clearly not dumb. Just relax when solving those questions.

“If you're afraid - don't do it, if you're doing it - don't be afraid!” ― Genghis Khan
 

Illum quos vitae fugit ipsa accusantium. Assumenda ut aliquam sed vel quas est. Nobis inventore sed consequuntur voluptatem.

Career Advancement Opportunities

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.9%
  • Goldman Sachs 02 97.4%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.9%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.9%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.4%

Professional Growth Opportunities

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • JPMorgan No 97.4%

Total Avg Compensation

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (56) $261
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (28) $184
  • Intern/Summer Associate (16) $161
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (76) $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
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
7
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
8
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
9
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
10
bolo up's picture
bolo up
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...”