Extra Things to do in College

I just finished my first semester at Penn State University. I know everyone says you have to work hard once you get into college to get into investment banking, but what does that involve other than keeping my GPA high? I am a freshman right now so there are not many internship opportunities available, and I am just wondering what else I can do to put myself ahead during the school year, or if there are any extra skills I can pick up during Winter Break. 

2 Comments
 

Getting involved, and probably getting into the "track" at your school that leads to IB historically. For example, at my school, it's getting into the business honors program at the end of year 1, and then getting into the IB prep program in year 2. Getting both of these things sets up IB really well. At Penn State, I have heard that there's the nitty lion fund which is really helpful in recruiting. So, check out what people did to get into the nitty lion fund, and work your way backward until you reach where you are right now. and then make sure you follow that track to set you up well. That is what I did to land the IB internship. Also, for internships, see if you can snag an unpaid internship in anything that's remotely connected to IB (PE/ER/AM/WM).

 

Unde impedit voluptatem illo mollitia. Molestias facere qui ab aspernatur minus minima delectus. Velit veniam iure est quidem pariatur quas.

Sit sed iste laborum officia voluptate. Aut exercitationem explicabo magnam qui at temporibus vitae.

Maxime dolorem nam sunt provident. Corporis eos alias quam pariatur necessitatibus aliquid libero delectus. Ut qui molestiae saepe expedita.

Career Advancement Opportunities

October 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

October 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 12 97.4%

Professional Growth Opportunities

October 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

October 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

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
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
6
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
7
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
10
Mimbs's picture
Mimbs
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...”