Did I choose the wrong profession??

I'm currently a sophomore at a target (ivy, not HYP), with a 3.55 GPA (hopefully will be 3.7 this time next year) and a few extracurriculars: sorority, economics society, international business club-- not great, I plan on joining more/getting more invovled. The summer of my freshman year I did an unpaid stint at a small real estate company in a big city; it was mostly excel stuff, messing with ratios, etc. My major is pretty much the stereotypical pre-Wall Street setup. It's January already and I'm freaking out. I've applied to at least 30 internships by now, and I'm obviously not going to stop until I get an offer. Think everything from BB to finance departments at random companies (shooting for BB IBD junior year, so I figure anything finance will help me at least get a foot into the door). I know I should have networked more, but it's obviously not my forte...and cold emailing/calling doesn't seem to be working for me. I know it should be, I'm really working on that and I plan to start this summer to prepare for my junior year. I haven't heard any good news from anyone, not even an interview offer. Should I be worried in my position? Is my career goal attainable if I'm already struggling? Is there anyway I could leverage being a female in the industry, or has that ship long sailed?

I am just getting very anxious and stressed out, and I'm not sure what to do at this point.

2 Comments
 

Don't sweat it. 30 internships is nothing; I applied to many more for a sophomore internship back then. I would recommend networking with alumni at boutique banks/PE firms/small hedge funds/ whatever you can find. I didn't land my sophomore gig at a PE firm until March. Also, to answer your question, there will be many special recruiting opportunities for woman and yes take advantage of all of them. I know JP Morgan has an event, etc.

Keep on working. You are nowhere near behind in the process. Just keep on trying with the networking. It wasn't my forte either, but it's a very useful skill and you get better.

 

Libero ex quis repudiandae laudantium qui cum laborum tempora. Distinctio consectetur quae est. Omnis suscipit doloremque inventore sit maiores et. Aspernatur molestias vel blanditiis officia ipsa.

Voluptatem ea eveniet eum soluta reprehenderit reiciendis qui. Quis unde voluptatem voluptas labore sapiente laudantium. Quisquam officiis esse placeat expedita sapiente et.

Career Advancement Opportunities

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 99.0%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Guggenheim Partners 02 97.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 97.4%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 99.0%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.9%
  • BMO Capital Markets 13 97.4%

Professional Growth Opportunities

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 99.0%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • JPMorgan No 97.4%

Total Avg Compensation

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (57) $264
  • 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

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...”