“My mentoring session with Andre was extremely valuable and gave me the clarity and direction I needed at an important stage of my application journey. He was kind, approachable, and generous with his time, creating an atmosphere in which I felt comfortable sharing my experiences, asking questions, and discussing my doubts openly.
One of the most helpful aspects of our conversation was his guidance on how to organize and communicate my personal story. Andre helped me understand how to connect different experiences into a coherent narrative, identify the elements that matter most, and explain their significance more clearly. His perspective was fundamental in helping me see how to present my background with greater confidence, purpose, and authenticity.
I particularly appreciated his advice on what to avoid. He helped me recognize that including every detail does not necessarily make a story stronger, and that being selective can make a message much more effective. Our discussion gave me a clearer understanding of how to avoid unnecessary repetition, keep my narrative focused, and ensure that each part contributes something meaningful to the overall application.
Andre also provided valuable guidance on how to organize the application process itself. He helped me think more clearly about priorities, how to approach the different components, and how to make the work feel more manageable. Having a clearer structure has made a difference to my mindset: instead of seeing the applications as one overwhelming task, I now feel better equipped to approach them through specific, achievable steps.
Another important takeaway was his advice on how to use the coming days effectively. Our conversation helped me understand where to focus my energy, which tasks deserve immediate attention, and how to establish a realistic plan. I left the session with a stronger sense of direction and a better understanding of how to balance thoughtful preparation with consistent progress.
What made the experience positive was the combination of practical guidance and encouragement. Andre offered suggestions in a considerate and constructive way, helping me reflect on my choices while also making me feel supported. His kindness made it easier to engage honestly with the process and to see areas for improvement as opportunities to strengthen my applications.
Overall, this session was fundamental in helping me understand both what I want to communicate and how to move forward. I now have a clearer approach to telling my story, organizing my applications, avoiding common mistakes, and planning the next few days with intention.
I am very grateful for Andre’s support and for the care he brought to our conversation. His advice gave me useful tools, renewed confidence, and a more focused approach to the work ahead. I would highly recommend a session with him to anyone seeking thoughtful guidance, practical direction, and a supportive space to develop their application narrative. The session helped me turn uncertainty into a clearer plan, and I feel much more prepared to make the most of the time ahead and present my experiences in a meaningful and convincing way.”
Hmmm prolly Cowen
Assuming SF but TD Cowen tech gives solid deal experience and WLB from what I've heard
Former Cowen tech banker currently on the buyside but will comment my thoughts. Cowen has an extremely strong tech group in the MM space from the deal flow that I've observed and the deals that I've been on - rivaled by banks like Jefferies, RJ (in security tech especially), WB (have heard they're a sinking ship). All subverticals from a culture standpoint are amazing and I will comment that each of them are very tight knit and really care about making sure that you learn the most that you can from your analyst stint.
VSDA and FinTech have by far the sharpest people with VSDA closing a good amount of deals each year with a super lean team (~20 people + best in the auto tech space) and FinTech bringing in a ton of fees and working on interesting deals (i.e. GameStop). Will say that your WLB cannot be beat at this bank - 2 days WFH and people actually care about your weekends. As for exit opportunities, it's what you make of it - no MF opportunities (although we have a Cowen alum that was at Blackstone Growth) but MM is definitely attainable if you decide to go for it (recent exits include THL, HIG, Millenium, some other MMs and past exits include a lot of great growth shops + cool startups)
HL Tech is great but have heard weird things about culture and also sweatiness - great deal experience if that's what you're looking for I'm sure they do a ton of deals since that's the HL model.
It's what you make of it at the end of the day - obviously as a Cowen alum I would go with Cowen but hope this gave some color.
Sorry for being a noob, but what is VSDA?
Vertical software, data analytics
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