I'm 16 and in college.
I'm 16 years old and I am transferring to UC Santa Barbara as a junior in the fall. I have 4 questions.
Should I major in Financial Mathematics and Statistics, or should I double major in Economics and Statistical Science?
Will I be able to do an internship at an investment bank at the age of 17? (I will be in my penultimate year, next summer)
Will investment banks appreciate the fact that I am extremely young?
Will I be able to go into a Bulge Bracket from UC Santa Barbara? (My GPA will be very high, but I am afraid that I will lack the prestige)
Thank you so much for any advice you give.
this is legit
negged
@OP: If you're still at a CC, why not try to get into UCLA or Cal? You could apply to Cal Haas and a nonimpacted major at UCLA to make sure that you get into at least one of them. Both schools are a lot better that UCSB in terms of recruiting.
16 and a JUNIOR in college? What happened to being a child?
I'm still a kid, I just work very hard. Currently I am taking 22 units at a community college so I can transfer in the fall. I still have a social life and a bunch of friends at the local high school, but I go to community college instead of high school.
I just don't understand. It's hard for me to even imagine doing this...
Can someone fill me in on the advantages?
Don't rush it my man, you'll never get these years back.
I'm not sure if you can legally work (as an SA/FT) until you're 18.
They will know you're smart and will assume you're a hard worker, but your age will most likely still hold you back for a couple of reasons:
They will assume that you are still relatively immature and lack life experience that come with age, despite anything you say or the fact that you have been in college
They believe that other analysts and senior bankers may not take you seriously due to your age, and your inability to be in social activities at bars will only exclude you from the group a little more
The biggest problem is that they are going to have other applicants that probably don't have as many reasons not to be hired as you do, despite the fact that you are driven and intelligent. You may have a shot at some MM shops, but you are going to need to network like crazy to get a leg up on the competition.
@Rupert
I'm also currently starting a website with a couple people from UC Berkeley, along with starting up an investment management LLC. Would these help my application at all? Or at least make me appear more mature?
I think they will help to show that you are a driven person who has the brains to do well. Unfortunately, sometimes bankers have preconceived notions that can't be overcome with logic. Honestly, your best bet is to network. You're going to need someone on your side who is willing to go to bat for you and give you a chance.
If I were you, I would try to get into a highly ranked MSF program and recruit out that way. To start with, you can get into a better school than UCSB. It will also beef up your resume and kill a few years so that you are older and less of a potential liability. I would say MBA instead, but I doubt you could get into a top program at this point.
Some of my friends in California did their last 1-2 years of high school at community college, allowing them to enter university as sophmores/juniors. I greatly regret not doing the same.
Getting into banking from UCSB will be tough, but you're so young that it really wouldn't hurt you to get a masters. Just focus on keeping your grades up and have fun. Don't waste UCSB's considerable...assets ;)
@Ravenous
I've been considering law school and going into M&A from there. I've heard that law isn't a good way to get into IB so it's a tough decision. The reason I couldn't get into anywhere better than UCSB was because of my SAT scores. I was like 13...first hangover led to a 1750...
So why wouldn't you retake and wait to go to school at a normal age... you could have traveled, etc... instead you went to a school that won't reflect how smart you are. It amazes me how prodigies do things that don't help them out. Who was pressuring you to go to college so early? What benefit do you get from it? If it were just to get an education, you could have easily done that through reading, self-studying things that interested you or even taking random classes at a university, but matriculating so young not only inhibits your education and maturity, but also keeps you from enjoying your later high school years and college. Probably didn't get a realistic college experience, which is unfortunate.
You're going to graduate college at like 17-18 and it will be tough for employers to take you seriously because you won't bring anything to the table. Then, if you do a masters no one is going to pay a 20 year old MBA salary when he doesn't have work experience. Very unfortunate Catch 22, it's a shame you didn't have a guidance counselor or someone giving you some better advice. Still, if you're determined, you should be able to spin this to your advantage. A lot of the "social" aspects will be held against you, but if you can really sell your analytical skills and prodigy brilliance, you could definitely go the quant/trading route easier than banking. Unfortunately, banking is extremely relationship driven, so it is difficult to play in that realm without clearing some hurdles... namely age in this case.
I wouldn't worry about adding extracurricular activities to prove your ability to work hard, etc. People confuse banking with rocket science. It is tough, especially when under time constraints, to be accurate, but the material is not difficult. You have more than proven you have the horsepower to do the job.
Now, you need to prove that people will want to be around you while you are doing the job. This is going to sound harsh, but reading your first posts (which was a bit like a resume in that it was an overview of your situation) raises some red flags to me. I would be worried that you are a weirdo over-achiever that won't get along in the office, frankly. I am fairly confident that most people will have a similar reaction -- you need to give them reason to question their first reaction. Join a fraternity, sports team, etc. Take a leadership position (not something "Education Chair," but something like "Social Chair"). Do you see where I am going with all of this? You need to round out your resume. To be honest, you probably are really a bit awkward socially, especially compared to the typical 21 year old analyst. The trick is to recognize that and work on rounding out your experiences. Your situation will make that difficult -- I would recommend taking a second major and another year/two in school. Graduate at 18/19 with a double or triple major. Transfer to a typical 4-year university if possible (maybe somewhere a bit more prestigious, but not necessarily H/P/Y). What about USC or Stanford? Or get a MAC or Masters in Finance somewhere?
If you're dumb enough not to re-take the SAT after a huge hangover you'll never make it. Maybe not as much of a 'jenius' as your name implies.
first hangover at 13 during your first SAT?
troll.
hungover at 13? WTF? is this wallstreetoasis's version of Good Will Hunting or something?
Look Dr. Cooper, just sit down, shut up and enjoy your life without trying to jump ahead years. You lose out for it.
Silver for you
You don't get far in life by rushing to it.
Take your time, watch your steps, and enjoy life without taking some shortcuts on your youth.
Okay, this is clearly not a real post. CEASE AND DESIST GENTLEMEN.
No one who is allegedly focused enough to take the SAT at 13 takes it hungover. And no one would then not retake. This is a joke. Move along people, move along.
Yeh, take it easy and enjoy life. Otherwise, you'll be bald before you grow your first pubic hair.
I thought I was going to go to community college and apply as a transfer so I didn't retake it. I ended up applying for freshman admission and it screwed me. I'll definitely consider the masters program, one of the main things I lack is work experience so I was hoping to gain internships. I wanted to get through high school so fast because I did not like any of my peers. I'm actually enjoying some of my peers in community college, especially computer science nerds, but I don't have a knack for computer science I am much better at math and economics.
Nobody cares anymore.
Well thank you all for the advice, I will definitely look into the masters in finance. Thankfully most of those programs don't require work experience. Good luck with your careers everyone!
OK, now I'm convinced this is bullshit
Believe what you want to believe. That's my life and frankly, I don't care if you don't believe me.
A simple test (TM) to see if you're really 16. What's the connection between a cassette and a pencil? Also, what happens when you win in a game of solitaire on Windows? And finally, who are the Backstreet Boys?
If you know the answer to any of these, you are not 16.
hahaha, you can't even have sex with college bitches yet.
you prob can't either if you are a regular on this forum
you prob can't either if you are a regular on this forum
UCSB is a stoner school. aim higher.
Excellent trolling
BRAVO
I thought binary's comment was rather clever...
I would say ENJOY LIFE! You are so young! All those questions will be answered to you later. Go out and have some fun!
His name is jenius121 and he's16 and in college. And you're replying to his questions. You dont have to be a jenius to figure this out
You need some internships, and dont do IB when ur too young, might stress out and quit finance
new type of troll?
How'd the interview at Jane Street go?
If all you care about is banking and you are really as smart as you say, you transfer to UCLA or Haas. Provided you have the stats, they are the to transfer into as UCSB. Also, SAT scores don't matter for transferring to UC's. It is purely (except for Haas) a matter of maintaining the minimum necessary grades in the required coures. With that said, UCSB is an awesome school that does send kids to banks, provided you network, get good grades, etc. I don't go there (I go to a comparable Cal public school) but I visit frequently and always have a blast
Say you're 13, MDs like their monkeys young
Jenius
My approach to college was very similar to yours. I was a Junior at 18 years old (I'm assuming you will be 17), who transferred from a CCC to a private school here in Cali. I still enjoyed the same life I did in high school, without all the bullshit/waste of time/getting in trouble. I aced all my classes in CCC and I am doing very well at my university.
Banks don't like it. I interviewed with three bulge firms. You'll be better off if you don't mention it. Just learn your shit, and fuck older girls.
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