I am entering a Bulge Bracket this summer as an IBD Associate My HS GPA was under 2.0 My Undergraduate GPA (top liberal arts school) was under 2.5 GMAT was well under 700 Attended a top 20 MBA Program
| +89 | Drunk VP. How to manage? | 29 | 14h |
| +69 | [2026 - October] Unbiased Prestige Rankings | 35 | 1h |
| +60 | Who is the final boss in Houston Energy? (GS, JEFF or EVR) | 10 | 19h |
| +44 | Lazard US Views 2026/2027 | 16 | 1d |
| +43 | McK vs A&M Offer Decision | 22 | 16h |
| +42 | Why Do We Turn Comments? | 8 | 36m |
| +40 | Tomorrow Will Be Better | 5 | 1d |
| +39 | Moelis PCA vs Lower tier BB Coverage | 26 | 11h |
| +22 | UBS’s Investment Bank Is Building an AI Slop Factory | 3 | 43m |
| +21 | How early is to early? | 9 | 2d |
Career Resources
Get instant access to lessons taught by experienced private equity pros and bulge bracket investment bankers including financial statement modeling, DCF, M&A, LBO, Comps and Excel Modeling.
Are you supposed to be proud that your GPA is less than a 2.5?
Not all of us were blessed with blonde hair and huge tits lol
I was blessed with blonde hair. However I am neither attractive, nor a woman.
How did you get into a top liberal arts school with a GPA under 2.0? How did you get into a top 20 MBA with a college GPA under 2.5, and GMAT "well" below 700?
Got into a top liberal arts school with a PG year and family connections. Got into a top 20 MBA program based on my unique work experience and networking at the school.
1) What did you do between undergrad and your MBA, to the extent that you can talk about it? 2) How did you switch from that into banking? 3) Is banking something you want to do for the long term or is it just something to try out for the summer? 4) How did you handle the GPA question when it came in interviews?
Society says I should not be proud, I suppose. If you are asking whether or not I am proud- that gets more complicated. My past has made me who I am. Either way, how I feel about my background isn't that relevant.
How much all in a year
if you guys think this is real @mention me and ill add to the frontpage
No offense to the OP, but the lack of detail and recently new membership raises my eyebrow to how truthful this thread would be. I can stand corrected though, but it doesn't seem like other AMAs.
New membership is to maintain anonymity.
Was this a one-off offer or did you receive multiple? Are you at a top tier BB? Where are you located (East Coast, West Coast, etc)?
Offer was for what I consider a lower tier BB. I got to the final round with several top BBs, but could not close. I also got a few MM offers. My GPA did not hold me back. The folks that got the offers over me were simply better, it was not that they had a higher GPA or GMAT. In particular they were better prepared for the technicals. Most were in finance prior and they simply were better. I think recruiting teams are often risk averse when selecting folks. A guy that worked in the government and has no banking experience is more of a risk (in the short term) than a guy that has been in finance for the last few years.
I was amazed, however, how quickly I could close the knowledge gap after only a few months.
Located at a lower tier BB on the East Coast.
It's post like this that make me understand why analysts on this site hate associates
I took a high risk approach and it worked out. Everyone on this forum could have followed my path, including the analysts.
I'd disagree here, as much as I hate GPA as an indicator of intelligence(or even hard word) you're basically saying "I did shitty in high school... but had money/connections to go to PG and then a top LAC. Then I did shitty in college because I didn't feel like trying, then I got a mediocre job and worked there for a while until I decided to get an MBA to make money. Again connections helped and now I'm an associate". Compared to some of the kids that grind it out for the analyst jobs, I would disagree that people can just follow your path or that you took a high risk approach. You lazed into an associate job...congrats.
Clearly you've done some hard work, but that has largely been supplemented by your privilege.
talk to us about how you approached your MBA application essays did you focus entirely on this niche government role you were in? also, i wasn't aware that networking at a business school was effective
I focused heavily on my experience - specifically the leadership roles I held. The GPA needed to be addressed and I did so in the optional essay. I basically said the truth- I was not focused on excellence in all areas, only those was interested in. Then demonstrated how that has changed over the past 4-6 years.
I hired an admissions consultant to help me through the process, but I am not convinced they are worth the money.
Networking is useful at some schools more than others. Often students and clubs (Black Business, Veterans, Womens, Latin American, etc) can play a big role in the admissions process. At my school we can express our opinion of candidates to the admissions team. Some clubs have admissions liaisons.
For me, interacting with students and professors was crucial to being accepted. I would say the smaller the school, the more important this becomes.
So are you URM then?
Can you elaborate more on how networking helped you get into the school? Is the the fact that you can talk about it during your admissions interview, essay, they have direct influence on the admission, or any other factors?
Shun the haters, props to you. I love reading these stories.
Tell me more about your networking process as I am just beginning it myself. I'm starting with LinkedIn solicitation for lack of a better sentence.
I feel like I should join a fancy finance group as well. Not sure if that's a waste of money or time, but as I see it, I have nothing to lose. Only offers to receive.
ChicagoCT
Sunt consequuntur nemo ab veniam alias fuga. Quo ratione quidem beatae consequatur quaerat in. Quo deserunt perspiciatis unde sint. Recusandae optio amet voluptates corporis reprehenderit voluptatem. Tempore maxime doloremque omnis et voluptas.
Id sint voluptas pariatur repellat ut aut ipsam. Necessitatibus qui consequuntur aperiam aut et soluta. Ut debitis perferendis voluptas molestiae molestiae ratione totam.
Ut rem consequatur molestias porro. Sint alias dolor sequi nihil laboriosam. Incidunt fuga non libero non qui totam.
Molestiae voluptas dolores explicabo id consequatur. Quia quisquam aut vero cupiditate aperiam. Vero necessitatibus velit possimus autem vel aliquam. Laboriosam id amet accusamus voluptatibus magni veritatis totam. Neque ut minus aspernatur. Iste occaecati dolorem ipsum officiis et necessitatibus. Nihil delectus libero similique enim impedit dicta accusantium quidem.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...
Voluptatem recusandae ipsum et voluptatum expedita amet. Maiores rerum rem libero fuga. Optio cupiditate dicta ut et accusamus voluptas. Perferendis et totam velit voluptatem sunt. Sunt quibusdam non nam eaque aut sit. Tempore sit laborum ducimus repellendus saepe et et.
Aut eveniet qui incidunt omnis. Voluptas laborum voluptas dolorem quaerat omnis. Consequatur aut odit odio dolores eligendi. Esse libero omnis id ratione dolores id. Veritatis possimus ut assumenda eum.
Perspiciatis sunt quaerat corporis laboriosam quo ratione voluptas. Qui in esse eaque vitae dolores voluptatem consectetur quisquam. Id voluptates consectetur voluptatem error sint enim.
Aperiam nisi exercitationem culpa consequatur aut sed qui fugiat. Enim voluptatem repudiandae sed ab enim.