Spring Internship Decision Help

Hey guys - looking for some advice about spring internship offers.

Quick background for some context:
- Target junior (economics major, mediocre GPA)
- I've interned with MM IB (Piper/Stifel/Jefferies - IBD), hedge fund (long-biased investing), and BB Ops
- Currently interning with tech startup in NYC
- Looking for BB IBD, MBB, or buyside summer internship this summer

Very interested in the technology sector, looking to (eventually) go into venture capital or private equity, preferably focused on tech.

So here are the two offers I'm debating:
- MM IB (HLHZ/D&P/EY TAS) in a valuation role. Focusing on fairness opinions, valuations, etc. for distressed credit or structured asset pools.
- Top-tier growth capital investor (GA/TCV/TA/Summit) in investment support role, doing admin stuff along with the occasional opportunity to support with due diligence, sourcing, etc. Team I'll be supporting will be focused on technology.

Both offers were obtained through OCR.

Any advice on which would help me more? Trying to overcome my GPA and (hopefully) be considered for top placement.

Thanks!

13 Comments
 

You have really solid experience... enough to land you a BB SA this summer, but if I were in your shoes I'd be focused on preparing for recruiting next semester and getting your GPA up.

If you think you're ready, and your GPA won't be much of a factor at this point, and you just need cash-- Go with HLHZ.

 

What's your GPA like?

"I do not think that there is any other quality so essential to success of any kind as the quality of perseverance. It overcomes almost everything, even nature."
 

I'd say it depends what your priorities are. If BB SA, then MM IB valuation. If buyside, then the growth shop. For MBB, not my area of expertise so I'm not sure what they'd prefer to see.

A BB will want to see that you enjoyed your summer on the sell-side and wanted to do more IB work. A buyside shop will appreciate that you tried IB, but then realized that the buyside is where you ultimately see yourself, etc.

“Success means having the courage, the determination, and the will to become the person you believe you were meant to be”
 
Best Response

Can you explain how either is going to affect your summer recruiting? The timing doesn't work out does it - don't know the recruiting time table at Columbia too well but aren't resume drops soon?

Since the benefits are marginal, I wouldn't take either internship and I would focus on recruiting instead. "Admin stuff" and "sourcing" just sounds like a really shitty role - due diligence work would be a step above that in my mind. HLHZ FAS (in the ex Red Pine subset?)will probably provide you the most relevant (albeit niche) experience for banking/hfs, but even if the internship does come in time for recruiting, it will only be adding value at the margins since you've done MM IBD already.

 

HLHZ sounds like a good opportunity, but can you juggle the slew of interviews coming up + a PT internship + classes?

If so, take the first offer and good luck.

 

dude if you got GA or TCV and you're remotely interested in tech you would be completely stupid not to take it. ignore the poeple talking about sourcing being a shitty role (lol), 100% take that and don't look back for even a second, I don't know if VCs and growth equity firms recruit at your target but they do at some and you would definitely get interviews with all of them for summer or full-time with that on your resume

 

Quae iure odio impedit nam culpa. Qui non in dolorum et et in molestias et. Aut blanditiis corrupti harum animi architecto illum. Ut harum ipsam sed voluptas.

Nulla non est aperiam. Molestiae maiores dolores ad nemo voluptatem quas. Dolorem molestiae sed et.

Fuga ut accusantium officia nihil accusamus officia qui. Laborum officia voluptatem quas. Ut aut necessitatibus eaque culpa est. Laudantium quae suscipit dolor dolorum necessitatibus adipisci ut veniam. Iure libero ut laudantium nostrum rerum. Esse quidem ullam similique quisquam.

Career Advancement Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.3%
  • BMO Capital Markets 13 97.7%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.3%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.7%
  • JPMorgan 01 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (15) $434
  • Associates (46) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (80) $150
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (73) $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

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...”