Novice looking to learn the basics of Investment banking

I'm a current senior in high school and I've put a lot of thought into going to PSU next year with hope of potentially getting into the Nittany Lion Fund. I realize the NLF is extremely competitive and difficult to get into, but I am dedicated to putting the time and effort needed to get in. The only problem is I don't know much at all about Investment banking, I've found many courses on the topic, however they tend to be very pricey and I don't want to waste my money on something that I don't fully trust. Does anyone have any advice on where I should start? Are there any suggestions on books to read or courses to take for beginners? Or am I just looking too far ahead and should rely on Penn State's education to teach me this stuff? 

Advice is greatly appreciated, Thank you

7 Comments
 
Most Helpful

I think it's great that you feel like you're interested in IB early on, but I would caution against singling in on an industry that you know nothing about. Sure the pay is great and you can learn a lot, but there are a lot of other sectors within finance that you might enjoy more. If you want a high level overview of the industry, I would highly recommend Investment Banking: Valuation, Leveraged Buyouts, and Mergers & Acquisitions by Joshua Rosenbaum and Joshua Pearl. That's probably the best introductory book out there and if you still think IB is for you after finishing it, the next step would be networking with people at PSU who have done SA internships (and then expanding your network by asking if they know of any analysts you could reach out to). Definitely do your research though. And remember, you've still got 4 years to go, so don't hold back from looking at other career choices at the same time.

 

Banker blueprint on m&I for free plus going on Google and typing any question you have followed by "wso" will usually be about to find posts with the same questions and answers from the past

Money can purchase freedom, if you have the guts to buy it
 

Tempore voluptatem at occaecati cupiditate. Quam modi consequatur quo unde reprehenderit dicta consectetur.

Repellendus quis aliquid enim ut placeat ipsa voluptas. Sed mollitia occaecati exercitationem.

Career Advancement Opportunities

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.3%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 03 98.9%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.9%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.3%

Professional Growth Opportunities

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • JPMorgan No 97.3%

Total Avg Compensation

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (51) $260
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (26) $182
  • Intern/Summer Associate (15) $159
  • 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

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
7
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
8
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
9
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
10
Mimbs's picture
Mimbs
98.8
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...”