Had a Pair of Aces and I Folded - Now What?
Had IB dreams since 10th grade so I put in the work (perfect score on SATs, lights out GPA, sports etc). Rejected from all ivy's, but a blessing of an acceptance from a target (UVa, b/c fuck anonymity). Due to some serious mental health issues and a terrible cultural fit, I had to leave and ended up at Rutgers. At this point, I turned away from prestige out of some false sense of higher purpose and thought I'd try my hand at startups. I clawed my way into a startup (early stage, not brand name) since then (3yrs), graduated in Business Analytics & IT w/ a 3.85 and have come full circle.
I realize I was being a little shit by turning away from the many things I should've done (tried to transfer to a target, suck it up and continue to shoot for SA roles) but the way things played out, I was set on skirting the system and doing things my way. I was wrong, but I've got to move forward and I'm ready to do what it takes to get back on the grind.
Two months out of undergrad (22y/o), no previous internships in finance. I've led strategic analysis & biz analytics at my startup so I'm extremely well versed in Excel. Always had a knack and passion for finance so I'm more than ready to pick up modeling and the finer details. What's the best way to go about this? Network like hell for a boutique role (intern or actually full time?) Should I go for a MSF? Drop IB altogether + look at ER or others? Wait for MBA (what should I do to maximize my chances till then?)
My end goal is Corp Dev/Strategy (though now I'm more interested in strategy roles in big tech + well funded startups). PE and HF are naturally also very appealing. Thank y'all in advance for your help (even though I know >90% of you will likely shit on me, but that's fair, I'm in for any and all feedback)
MSF at a target (MIT, Princeton, Duke, Olin... look into others but those are all strong programs). It's another year of tuition, but if you play your cards right you can easily get into a BB/EB for 2021 full time, rather than making multiple lateral moves. With a quantitative degree, startup work, and 3.85, you should have a good shot if you can write a good essay. Recruit for FT 2021, start networking next spring.
In the next year, work on applications as your priority but also see if any boutique IB firms (probably small ones) will let you work part or full time to beef up your resume. Ideally you'd have an internship next summer before you start too.
Your UG profile is strong so the opportunity to network into a boutique is definitely there if the extra year of tuition isn't worth it, but MSF + networking would easily get you into a top group.
"Two months out from grad (22y/o), no previous internships in finance. I've led strategic analysis & biz analytics at my startup so I'm extremely well versed in Excel"
It's not too late to pick a path and pursue it. You can extend your academic studies. You can get an MS in finance, at a target (like Columbia) or you can seek out post-grad internships.
I'd recommend that you try multiple tracks and see what sticks. It could be a golden time for you to try to figure out which of these paths you really most gravitate towards.
Also non-traditional path here. Had some personal issues that resulted in me leaving college at 18. Didn't come back (graduated from a non-target) until I got my shit together at 22. 25 now and a first yr analyst at a lower BB coverage group in a major city (SF/LA/NYC). Breaking in from a non-traditional background is challenging, but definitely doable if you have the grit/hunger to work hard. Happy to chat.