Best ways to stand out as a rising high schooler?
Hey everyone, I am currently an eighth grader and am heading to a target high school in NY next year (think Trinity/Regis/Riverdale) that actually has some BBs/EBs come on campus, and I was wondering how I could stand out.
Does anyone have some recommendations for good financial modeling courses, particularly with an emphasis on restructuring? I've started to practice some DCF and LBO modeling in my free time and have become really fast with the shortcuts. Secondly, is there any good material prep online? I have been practicing my restructuring technicals and have read up on lots of restructuring stuff online, such as the Houlihan case study, and was wondering if there's anything else I should study up on. And lastly, is it too early to start networking? I was thinking I could reach out to bankers and have my parents drop me off for in person coffee chats.
Thank you in advance!
A) If this is a joke, nice.
B) if it isn’t: way too early. Live your life dude. Don’t slave yourself away now. Focus on getting into a college you like. Everything has its time in your life, now isn’t the time to recruit.
You're pretty far behind the curve to begin with (lack of prestigious middle school is obviously going to hurt you CV-wise when it comes to coffee chats with MDs, even if your high school is apparently better). Obviously you'll want the 3 statements down cold and have your behaviorals prepped (the time you tried making eye contact with your crush Becky at the parent-supervised middle school prom is not a good story of overcoming failure because it emphasises once again your mediocre educational background. Think.) You'll want to upgrade your wardrobe since your peers at this prestigious high school will sniff out the riff-raff within the first week. Ironed blazer, crisp shirt, red bowtie and copy of the Fountainhead in your schoolbag at all times - a briefcase might be a nice touch if you can own it. At the end of the day you're clearly not at a target but with some good networking you have a shot at the likes of William Blair and Houlihan Lokey with GS/MS as a pipe dream.
Lol congrats on Regis. Going to be tough but don't get discouraged!
Hope you enjoy going to school in the Bronx!
Based on the background info you provided, it sounds like it is going to be pretty tough to land a top BB/EB role at GS/MS. Those are some solid semi-target high schools in terms of exit ops, but you would be better off lateraling to a school with a better alumni network and stronger IB clubs (Exeter, Deerfield, Lawrenceville, Landon). I would have been able to provide better advice if you had listed your Montessori & catholic school pipeline for pre-middle school. Also, what travel team do you play for currently (Sweetlax, LI Express, etc.)?
In terms of restructuring experience, I would recommend having your father tank one of his portfolio companies to get some real-world experience – definitely a differentiator if it’s a public company and a full chapter 11 process involving a top distressed debt fund (Oaktree, Apollo, etc.). Again, I am assuming your father runs a top quartile PE shop/HF. If not, I would spend more time focusing on prepping for interviews at Nomura/Mizuho.
For networking, some good spots are Shinnecock, Winged Foot, Congressional, etc. – great place to have a few Shirley temples with some MD’s/vice chairs.
Congrats on Landon. Maryland must be nice.
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