Rising Sophomore Seeking Advice on Breaking into Investment Banking

Background: I am a rising sophomore at a semi/non-target school that places approximately 5 students in bulge bracket (BB) banks, 3 in elite boutiques (EB), and 25 in middle-market (MM) firms. I am not a diversity candidate and have a GPA of 3.91.

This Summer: I interned at an MM bank, but I am not a full-fledged analyst with a group. I mainly work on the FP&A team / under the C suite, but have had the opportunity to shadow and learn from other analysts and associates. I will be working on a case study at the end of the internship, where I will build a CIM for a company. This should be a great opportunity to apply the skills and knowledge I am learning and can be a valuable addition to my resume.

Next Summer: Looking ahead to next year, I have applied to some sophomore programs but have been rejected by Morgan Stanley (MS) so far. Networking through my school has been challenging since only one student has been placed at MS in the last 10 years. I noticed there is a Bank of America (BoA) Sophomore Summer Analyst program, and I will be applying shortly, but I have seen on WSO that being a diversity candidate or having strong connections is often necessary.

Any advice on which banks to apply to that have sophomore programs? Should I focus BB, EB or MM?

What are your thoughts on cold calling to try to land banking opportunities at firms that do not have official programs?

Are there PE / Hedge Fund opportunities out there for Sophomores?

Certifications: There are numerous certifications claiming to be the best at preparing you to break into Wall Street. However, I'd love to hear from those who are actually on the street about which programs they used or know to be the best.

Conclusion: I know this post is a bit all over the place, but that’s how I feel about the process currently. It feels like there are so many routes I can take, and I don't want to waste time networking for programs where I might be auto-rejected due to my school or non-diversity status. Additionally 

I’d appreciate any guidance anyone can offer.