college freshman looking for advice regarding future steps to take

As the title states, I'm currently a freshman attending a top 20 university (west coast).

This past winter I completed a short 1 month internship as a financial analyst at a regional CPA firm. With the help of an alumni connection, I secured an interview at a top 40 PE firm and somehow and very luckily succeeded in landing an internship for this summer.

To be honest, I feel like I have only been successful thus far due to my networking. I'd like to know what I should or need to do next to stay on top. I'd really like to do a summer internship as a sophomore in IB at a bulge bracket, but I've heard that this is EXTREMELY competitive. Is there anything I could do to stand out as an applicant and have a good shot? Or, should I just look at applying to boutiques?

Any advice appreciated!

Career Advancement Opportunities

April 2024 Investment Banking

  • Jefferies & Company 02 99.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 19 98.8%
  • Harris Williams & Co. New 98.3%
  • Lazard Freres 02 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 03 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

April 2024 Investment Banking

  • Harris Williams & Co. 18 99.4%
  • JPMorgan Chase 10 98.8%
  • Lazard Freres 05 98.3%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.7%
  • William Blair 03 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

April 2024 Investment Banking

  • Lazard Freres 01 99.4%
  • Jefferies & Company 02 98.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 17 98.3%
  • Moelis & Company 07 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 05 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

April 2024 Investment Banking

  • Director/MD (5) $648
  • Vice President (19) $385
  • Associates (87) $260
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (14) $181
  • Intern/Summer Associate (33) $170
  • 2nd Year Analyst (66) $168
  • 1st Year Analyst (205) $159
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (146) $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...”