Seeking a strong shot of Advice to an incoming UCLA Student

Hello everyone, First of all, I apologize for creating another “advice” post. Some of those posts get terribly annoying and i have utilized the search bar to make sure the stuff im asking hasn’t been squared away before.

I am going to start at UCLA in the fall, a great feeling after shadowing a lot of the posts in this group about the pros and cons of several schools. Is the best for breaking into IB ? Certainly not, but after reading some stories about how much of a big shit IB hours can be, i want to simmer down a little bit and soak in those SoCal vibes

I digress; I have orientation in a couple of weeks and I’d like to get some input for what to do. I’m currently thinking about a BizEcon major (which I’ve heard from others in this forum is more accounting than business, which also seems to be alright because accounting seems to be a desired skill) but I also want to add a minor just for shits and giggles but also because standing out in a school with 30,000 kids is a tremendous affair. I am thinking about Public affairs or Philosophy right not from what other people said; could be both mentally stimulating and also could have some practical benefits. I’m open to other possible suggestions; really don’t want to tack on something difficult because I hear a 3.7+ is absolute key.

It’s also getting a lot harder to crack into IB from any school, much less so UCLA and I was wondering other things i could do. General consensus seems to be joining a frat ( I have no intention to join a bizfrat because people tell me the environment is toxic), getting a PWM internship over the summer and then the IB workshop Junior Year. If any recent Bruin graduates could elucidate on other things that helped them stand out (UCLA has recently started an asset management club among others; is that worth it?) that’d be helpful. I held a lot of leadership positions in high school, but if there are any specific clubs or organizations i should exploit that’d be greatly appreciated. Also maybe any cool places to work during the school year; bank tellers seem to have good pay and also can let me put a bank’s name on my resume

Finally, UCLA has been known for not having as strong an alumni base due to sheer size, but I’d greatly appreciate it if I could connect with some past Bruins! Getting your foot in the game can never happen early enough it seems.

Profusely apologize for the long post. A lot of people burn out into accounting careers at UCLA and i sure as hell don’t want to be one of them

Tl;dr: seeking advice to crack into IB from UCLA: potential major minors, clubs, other pursuits (not clickbait; have used search bar)

Thanks everyone for your time; A big shout out to this forum, it’s input and advice is simply invaluable to people that want to crack into an intensely competitive field.

2 Comments
 
Most Helpful

Omnis sed ab maiores assumenda vel voluptatibus ut. Dolore hic molestiae sed distinctio nam aut. Incidunt est sit consectetur est. Et minima repudiandae doloremque rerum velit. Tempora soluta voluptate error aut rerum quo qui.

Sapiente perspiciatis neque ducimus quasi dolor. Et voluptatum amet et inventore eum. Voluptatum ducimus molestias quis incidunt saepe quaerat. Veritatis tempora aliquam est quos facere ut. Qui libero ducimus aut nobis.

Voluptates voluptates eos sed et quidem inventore. Ullam ea ut odit id quia velit. Voluptas fuga tenetur corrupti vero. Sint quibusdam cupiditate qui ut maxime. Fuga excepturi ad placeat.

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 12 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
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
6
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
7
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
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...”