Bad Freshman Year - Should I give up on IB?

I currently go to a target school in Canada and just finished my first year. Unfortunately, had a really bad freshman year with some factors that ultimately affected me and I ended with a sub-3.0 GPA. I'm taking courses in the summer, but after doing the calculations, it probably won't make too much of a difference considering the situation I'm in. As recruiting timelines are pushed up these days, I will have to recruit for sophomore summer soon with my current grades, and will only have my summer grades + sophomore first semester grades for SA 2026. Is it possible to get out of this hole (take an extra year?) or should I just give up on IB and pursue something more realistic?

Region
1 Comments
 

Possimus aliquid porro distinctio nam accusamus est. Earum minus sit officia. Quidem id aliquam rerum id.

Voluptas dolores laboriosam commodi provident iusto aut. Incidunt excepturi ut expedita vero cumque. Reiciendis optio officia et eius ut id totam ut.

Career Advancement Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 08 97.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 02 97.3%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Evercore No 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.8%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.3%

Professional Growth Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.8%
  • JPMorgan No 97.3%

Total Avg Compensation

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (50) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (25) $178
  • Intern/Summer Associate (14) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (75) $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...”