Indiana Kelley Incoming Freshman: Tips for this summer and for my four years.
I want to break into investment banking; I know it will be a challenge going to low semi target school.
I am from New York, Long Island and would work anywhere, but want to work in NYC.
Some tips, especially from Kelley students would be helpful. Thanks.
I'm from the Midwest and one of my best friends went to Kelley. I can't speak to the possibility of landing IB in NYC directly from undergrad at IU, but do understand that the IU network punches hard out in Chicago.
When they won the National Championship in January, I joined my boy at an IU bar in Chicago to watch the game. Obviously it's a bit of a unique circumstance given the Cinderella nature of their football program this past year, but the energy and community feel of IU people at that bar was noteworthy. And also, just the fact the bar itself was purchased by an IU alum with the express purpose of opening an IU alum sports bar decorate in IU memorabilia where Chicago-based IU grads could watch sports, or simply hangout, etc.
Since you're from the East Coast, also understand that IU's campus being roughly a four-hour drive from Chicago is not the same thing as a school being a four-hour drive away from a city in the Acela Corridor. The Midwest is spread out. We drive a lot more. So while Indianapolis is obviously the closest mid-major city to IU, there are tons of Chicagoland kids who go to IU so that they can "get away from home" while still being driving distance for weekend and holiday trips to see their families.
So by all means, recruit for NYC. Try to land it directly out of undergrad. But also, recruit for Chicago. I don't know what the ratio is, but I wouldn't be surprised if there were 10-20X the number of IU alums working in IB in Chicago versus NYC. And Chicago, despite its issues, is still a major financial hub and one of the easier cities to lateral to NYC from because it's a respected finance center.
The fact that you're from Long Island will give you a major leg up in any "lateral to NYC" process because it puts to rest the standard questions about whether you understand what you're getting into by going to NYC and whether you'll stick around, etc.
I think you're in good shape. You have the primary NYC path that's probably viable, but also the Chicago-to-NYC path that seems highly probable. Good luck.
I wouldn’t mind working in Chicago, I would work anywhere tbh. NYC is the ideal place because it is close to home and the city is cool.
I've worked in both cities. I actually prefer NYC, but others disagree. However, I'm from the Chicago area so it's possible I'm biased against it. Either way, it's not the end of the world if you spend a year or two in Chicago and then lateral. It might help the breadth and depth of your overall network to have lived and worked in both.
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Attend a better school. But realistically, network, network, and network. The IBW can pull hard into some pretty good job offers, but getting into it isn’t guranteed by any metric
Yeah nice username dweeb
Candidly it will be extremely challenging. At the analyst level, it is all about undergrad and gpa. I would work to get your GPA up and improve your involvement in all the "right" finance clubs (admittedly these clubs are likely geared towards FP&A, wealth management, asset management and corporate banking roles, not investment banking). Kelley is not a feeder into any of the top BB or EB on the street that I am aware of.
Not to discourage you, but I might try a little bit more of a realistic, meandering path. I suggest you go for MBB (which are probably the most competitive, "prestigious" opportunities (kind of) offered at Kelley), then go to a T-10 MBA program and recruit accordingly in 2ish years.
Alternatively, you may have a good chance at a smaller IB platform and then move in 2ish years once you have a bit of experience. However, I think that the prestige of MBB and associated opportunities will be more valuable than 2 years at a "lesser" bank (will not name names, but you probably are aware).
As a final thought, if you are incredibly dead set on IB as a freshman, you still have an opportunity to transfer to a different undergraduate program. The list of schools is obvious but all will be somewhat challenging, with UNC or UC Berkeley or UCLA being on the "easier" side and the ivy's being ideal for your desired outcome (UPenn, Columbia, Harvard) and A- tier schools (Stern, UChicago, Northwestern Georgetown, etc.) likely being acceptable.
GL
There seems to be more IU alum in banking than MBB consulting, at least as of this 2020 data from Peak Frameworks:
coming from a post this guy made in a different thread just to leave a hate comment. you are insufferable and, I suspect, lack a lot of self-awareness.
I’m an IU sophomore who recently went through recruiting and landed a solid offer in NYC. I’m happy to pm you about any advice.
Current Kelley student who was in your position a few years ago here, a lot of these responses are not that helpful or even straight up misinformation. At the same time, though, there’s a lot of stuff on WSO about Kelley that I found helpful before I started here, so I’d just keep looking. One helpful tip is that using google to search WSO is more effective than using the WSO search - good luck.
I went to IU and was in the IBW - DM me if I can be of any help.
Not op but also potentially attending iu kelley. Can I PM?
Yup, go ahead
This thread is absurdly inaccurate and several of the above comments are retarded, or outdated at a minimum. Don’t let people get you down. IU places very well. And before anyone says I’m shilling for IU, I went to a top target, but have close friends who graduated IU, so have seen both sides of the coin and have no horse in the race.
Candidly, your biggest hurdle is going to be getting into IBW. IBS (yes that’s actually what it’s called) is the second tier IBW and unlikely to place you to a top NYC shop. I’m sure the above IU alum will give you the rundown, but long story short, make sure you’re the IU type of guy. You not only have to be smart but also fit that Kelley mold. And that mold is different from the Ivy League type mold (lucky for you tbh), so you should visit and see how you fare. Guys will pull for kids in their frat and stuff like that to get into IBW, and it’s more of a crapshoot than most admit openly just given the “numbers-game” nature of the program and how many people gun for it. From what people say, it sounds like you have to be a little politically savvy to guarantee you get in, but such is life.
Now, if you get into IBW, Sibley and the alums will get you right. Alums are required to take a certain amount of networking calls, and they like to give back. Seriously, they have each others back in a way that I haven’t commonly seen take place at targets. Most IU guys I’ve met are genuinely good dudes. I’m also not sure where people are getting the idea that you can’t get top offers from there. I can think of guys off the top of my head from IU at GS/MS/JPM/EVR/PJT RSSG. Now, buyside is more difficult, but again, megafund has been done before, and for a myriad of reasons, school has begun mattering less and less in PE recruiting. So, will you get looks from the biggest prestige whore funds if you’re not at MS M&A/PJT RSSG? Probably not. Maybe you will, dont be a pussy and count yourself out as of right now obviously, but the reality is most people don’t end up there anyways, and the right tail end outcome is better at a rapidly growing, unheard of LMM anyways.
I digress, IBW guys have placed at top groups across the street, just make sure you’re a great fit for the school (admittedly, the guys I know who have been successful don’t deviate greatly from the average mold of the IBW kid). If you are and if you genuinely work your ass off (ie don’t spend all your free time at Kilroys) you will place at a top group as many before you have done in both Chicago and NYC. Remember, in addition to having placed nearly their entire sense of self worth into their career outcomes, your competition over at Princeton or whatever top school doesn’t even really have the option of going out every night, so it’s way easier for them to lock tf in and outwork you.
Hope this is helpful and good luck brother.
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