Questions About IB Recruiting Timeline and WSO Academy

Hi everyone,

I’m an incoming student at Western University this fall, and I’m hoping to transfer into Ivey in third year with the goal of eventually breaking into investment banking.

I understand that a full-time IB offer typically comes from a third-year summer internship, and to land that, a strong second-year summer internship seems to be a critical stepping stone. With that in mind, I had a few questions:

1. When does recruiting for second-year summer internships typically begin?

2. When should I realistically start preparing for those applications (networking, technicals, etc.)?

I’ve been listening to the WSO podcast regularly and have found their content quite helpful. I’m currently considering signing up for the 12-week WSO Academy program, and I’ve seen mixed reviews online.

3. Would you recommend doing the WSO Academy as a student at Western?

4. ChatGPT suggested that the summer after first year might be the optimal time to complete the program, would you agree with that timing?

Any insight or advice from current students or industry professionals would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance!

3 Comments
 
Most Helpful

I'm still currently a student (semi-target, Finance + Accounting major, focusing on IB) so I might not be the best person to offer advice but here's my take: 

  1. Most of that stuff is usually a year in advance, some might not be though, ex; you recruit in fall for a program that summer but most are few and far between. The sophomore programs are usually for diversity/women and are quite competitive believe it or not, if you have a strong resume/connections or network anything is possible, but most firms have cut their fresh/soph programs.
  2. You'll get mixed responses on this, I personally think its never too early to start that stuff. Networking timeline depends on you and your personality and nature. If you are outgoing enough to have multiple good and engaging calls with the same person throughout some ~6 months, I say go for it early.
  3. I personally have never done the WSO academy, if you're cool about spending the $$ by all means, but there is nothing in there that you really cant find for free online. Reddit is a big help, and contact nearby students from higher end schools, network with them and get them to send you their resources.
  4. In all honesty I think an internship would be a bit more valuable on a resume esp for recruiting, had a freshman yr accounting internship and it was incredibly useful. If you can manage both summer after freshman (internship + WSO acad) then your going to be significantly ahead of everyone else.
  5. Network like your life depends on it, and dont be weird.

Just my takes!

 

Thank you so much for your response. As someone who’s still unfamiliar with IB, your insight was incredibly helpful. I’ll make sure to prioritize networking just as you suggested.

 

Qui repellat ipsam qui. Fugiat omnis illo occaecati sint. Saepe odit officia id ipsam accusamus sunt expedita.

Ipsum ducimus quam vitae veritatis sed deserunt temporibus eligendi. Qui ut quis voluptatem doloribus velit eaque odio et. Similique accusantium voluptatum ipsum temporibus.

Id eos fugiat repellendus rerum eos. Saepe sint ut magni sed vero id. Corporis sed repellendus quam libero laudantium quisquam. Sint aut qui dolorem dolor et. Consequatur repellat cum vel et nobis quo. Est ea repellendus sit aut.

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

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