Internships for non-juniors

I will be attending a top LAC in the fall and I am interested in pursuing Ibanking. I realize that most internships are open to those who have just completed their junior year. However, I'm wondering if there are ANY opportunities for those who have just finished their freshman and/or sophomore year. JPM has a program that is open to freshman and sophomores; is that the only bank with such an internship?

20 Comments
 

If you are freshman, you would be better off doing something else with your summer. I'm not trying to patronize you here so don't take it wrong way. Intern at a non-financial company, do community service, have fun.

 

My friend interned at MS (PE division) as a sophomore. He was unusual in the sense of having the ability to be top math/econ grad school material if he wanted.

Unless you really want IB, do something else during your summer. IB summer internships are just as stressful as full-time IB; they don't put on the kid gloves.

 

Thanks for the advice, everyone. I think my main reason for trying to get an internship freshman year is that if I absolutely hate it, I'll know right away and not after two years of having planned something out that just is not going to work. I'm not sure if that makes any sense, but I guess it's just better to know sooner rather than later if/how much I hate it.

 

Maldives? Hadn't heard of it, I'll have to add it to my list.

Back that ass up: How hard, exactly? Basically, what GPA should I have (that's a tough one because I'd only have one semester and a few weeks of the other) in order to have a good chance? I imagine it's above the 3.5 that they advertise...no?

 
Best Response

are for the blacks/mexicans/etc. I would imagine that as you are a top LAC student you are none of the above. This applies even to JPM's program.

But at the same time, you'd be surprised what you can find as a sophomore. Some lower-MM banks will let you work there. Or try a less selective division of a major firm, like equity sales at GS.

Honestly, it's not a big deal what you get as long as it's something that can be spun as a job in the "finance" world. To the person who told him to do comm service: you are a blithering fool, and if this kid is going against people who interned at MS PE their sophomore year, then he had better have something on his resume.

 

Have fun after your freshman year. Study abroad and international experience is increasingly looked for in applicants.

 

It is possible but very tough to get an internship at a bank as a sophomore. I was able to do it, but my hit rate (of interviews to rejections) was around 1 in 10. I only tried for smaller banks though.

 

For the benefit of us non-Americans, would anyone care to explain American degree year terminology (ie sophomore etc)? Thanks! :)

 

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