Non target education, target school price tag

Financial Aid just came out for next year at my small, Northeast, non-target, decent alumni network school. Without going too much into detail, it’s too much money. I’m not here to complain because I knew going in that they might screw me after my first year, but I need advice. I really like the program they have; front loading the finance courses to educate freshmen, whereas a lot of schools wait until junior year to get to the real work. I worked my ass off freshman year and have a 3.9 GPA, got a summer internship in a finance field, working towards my wallstreet prep certificate this summer, and became the only freshman to be an excel mentor since the program started ~15 years ago. So my question is this: Do I have a shot at IB at a non target state school? I understand that everybody’s friend’s cousin’s dog’s previous owner’s son’s nephew made it to wallstreet out of a school you’ve never heard of, but in reality, what’s the likelihood? My thought process is if I go to a cheaper state school, I can afford a MBA from a target grad school, and I won’t be as rushed to get a high paying job to pay off my student loans before the interest smothers me. I’d love to go to a UT Austin or UVA, but I just don’t think I’d get in coming from my current school. I understand how niche this situation is, but any thoughts or comments would be greatly appreciated.

1 Comments
 

Et nulla voluptates eveniet et dolores. Similique at illo non non atque nostrum. Nisi temporibus ea corporis quis perspiciatis ea. Voluptas dicta at rem eos atque nisi quae id. Non quaerat dolorem sit omnis reiciendis quod in.

Voluptates nam est omnis ullam libero. Qui qui consequuntur alias atque blanditiis. Consequatur aspernatur nostrum reprehenderit accusantium aliquid dolorem.

Optio non nemo est aperiam aut ab. Aut quasi ipsum in quo et qui ea. Eveniet distinctio voluptatem quos facere labore. Quo suscipit temporibus iure odit omnis eligendi voluptas repellendus. Suscipit repellendus nulla ad doloribus amet. Fuga expedita asperiores aut sint dolor.

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.

Career Advancement Opportunities

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 99.0%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Guggenheim Partners 02 97.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 97.4%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 99.0%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.9%
  • BMO Capital Markets 13 97.4%

Professional Growth Opportunities

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 99.0%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • JPMorgan No 97.4%

Total Avg Compensation

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (57) $264
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (28) $184
  • Intern/Summer Associate (16) $161
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (76) $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...”