What happens to the students at top targets (HYPWS) that are just "mediocre?" (3.0-3.49 GPA, no great extracurriculars, not much luck with OCR, weak network).
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BAML, give or take
BofA*, not "BAML"
dude do you have nothing better to do than go in a bunch of threads and correct this lmfao
It depends.
Frat bro (think Theos, Phi Delt, SAE): Instant offer at BX
No meaningful ECs, still good at recruiting: Mediocre banks / coverage groups
Really bottom barrel Whartonite: Give up on IB and recruit for consulting --> probably PWC
I could be described as one of those kids, lateraled from an awful, toxic BB to an EB. Alumni network helped me lateral and now I love my job.
How did you get a BB offer even though you were "mediocre." (Not meant to be an insult, I'd give my left testicle to go to Wharton)
"Whartonite" is really cringy, or at the very least is significantly less adopted than something like "Yalie" (no idea if Yale students find that word cringy or not). My face is making contortions at that word. I can't be the only one thinking this.
"Whartonite" is more catchy than "Wharton Student," but more importantly, I did it because that way the entire title fit.
Whartonite is not more catchy than Wharton student. It is more cringey than Wharton student. Anyway, what's with the MS? I think I'm giving you a good heads-up that Whartonite sounds cringey and I don't recommend you use it.
In regards to your original question, medicore and 3.0 - 3.5 GPA at top target is pretty different classifications. On the one hand, mediocore is somewhat subjective. In my own opinion, a mediocre Wharton student has a 3.5 GPA given Wharton classes are curved to a B+ while 60% of your classes are taken in the college, which raises your GPA. Reasonable assumption that the 3.3 levers up to 3.5. Further, the average student (at any campus) is typically still involved in one or two clubs. Usually a rational person doesn't pick a random club, they would pick something that interests them (usually a combination of a club that matches their academic/professional interest and/or a social club).
So now, to me, a mediocre Wharton student has a 3.5 GPA with 1 finance club and 1 social club. The reason he is mediocre, to me, is that his level of commitment in both clubs is low, he hasn't done too much networking, and his interview prep is maybe like a B+ or B whereas you would really need a solid A for top firms.
From this description, I imagine that student eventually ending up at A) a bulge bracket by luck, but maybe not GS/MS/JPM B) a middle market bank C) a tier 2 consulting firm.
On the other hand, if you are describing a mediocre student as having a 3.0 - 3.5 GPA, first of all that range is quite large. But if you take the end of that range, as in 3.0..... 3.0 is significantly below the average Wharton curve of 3.3 (which is closer to 3.5). This is really below average and both alumni and recruiters would know this student isn't performing well in his classes. As such, it's probably the same options as before, (A, B, and C) but it is significantly more dependent on networking and luck.
And finally, the reason I didn't include elite boutiques is because EBs generally speaking have an even greater emphasis on technical skills. Under both "buckets", the assumption is that this student's technicals are just barely cutting it for the BBs. I think this student would have a significantly harder time landing a top boutique position.
Hope that helps.
Alright Mr. "I would give my left testicle to go to Wharton", why are you continuing to MS my posts? I just gave you significantly more color about what it would actually mean to be mediocre at Wharton.
Good luck and hope you ultimately find your answer then.
Jeez bro relax. have you ever had someone disagree with you before lol?
There are multiple MS on your comments so it's not just me who finds you abrasive. I only said Whartonite because it was quick and easy. I would never use that term in real life. Thank you for the MS in return, I love to waste your resources.
Top BB's like GS / MS will be occupied by students from the top of the class and other Ivies. I'd say for those students that are "mediocre", probably a much smaller bank or another industry that is not investment banking.
This is quite shocking to me. Most "mediocre" kids as you describe above would have to try really hard to get any sort of IB job if they went to a non-Wharton top 10 undergrad b school including Haas and Ross.
Hi. Mediocre Whartonite speaking here. I was never a terribly motivated student, but my high school was a pretty garbage public school, so I breezed by. When I started, "shocked" would be an understatement when I realized how insanely smart people actually are. When I put in an equivalent amount of effort vs. high school, I was like bottom 15%. When I went complete tryhard mode, I was median.
I honestly entered without much thought for how much GPA mattered, and frankly got a bit too into the party culture...this resulted in a ~3.3 GPA up until junior year when I realized how behind I was. Worked my ass off from there (with the help of quite a lot of stimulants tbh) and got my GPA in my last 2 years above the 3.7 range. All together, averaged out at just above 3.5.
Now at a "breakaway" boutique (think Raine, Liontree, etc.) and honestly having a great time. Way better experience compared to my peers in BBs and EBs. Base is equivalent to EBs, bonus slightly lower, but all-in definitely still higher than same level analysts at BBs. Hours average 50-70 (closer to 80-90 during live situations) and by the end of my second year (current), I should have 5 closed deals under my belt.
They become tobinites
I think the 3.0-3.49 range might be a bit too wide and you'll see drastically different outcomes between 3.4 and 3.0. My experience recruiting with a GPA in the middle of that is that it's not just worse because it's low, but because of the optics-- it looks like you wasted a good opportunity away. For non consulting/IB/NGO-type roles, as well as certain areas of the startup world, the name can carry over pretty well though.
What's an actual decent gpa for IB?
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