Is this a feasible plan to get into investment banking with an accounting background?

So far this is how I have it. From my understanding, school prestige doesn't matter nearly as much for accounting as it does for IB, and Big 4 recruiting is extremely regional. So I've concluded that my best bet for undergrad is to save money with my education while trying to go to school in New York City. That said is this a feasible plan:

For undergraduate, I'd study accounting at Baruch mainly because of its ideal location. I'm motivated so while there I'd join relevant financial clubs, do tons and tons of networking, maintain a high GPA, and try to pick up an internship at a Big 4 firm which should let me up nicely for a job once I graduate. After graduating, I'd work for four or five years and apply to business school for an MBA with finance concentration. Ideally I'd go to an M7 and land in a banking analyst position at some large investment bank like Goldman. I'm confident that I can make it happen.

Two questions.

  1. Is this a good plan?
  2. Should I try to have my company pay for my MBA at the cost of me staying there for a few more years? Or should I leave and study full-time.
54 Comments

Career Advancement Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 08 97.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 02 97.3%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Evercore No 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.8%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.3%

Professional Growth Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.8%
  • JPMorgan No 97.3%

Total Avg Compensation

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (50) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (25) $178
  • Intern/Summer Associate (14) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (75) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”