Steps to Break into IB or PE as a Student?

Graduating in about 1.5 years with (likely) a 1.0-1.3 Abitur (3.7-4.0 GPA equivalent). Goal is IB or PE in the future. Already working on networking, internships, certificates, courses, excel and financial skills as well as volunteering to build my profile for top universities and connections on LinkedIn. Any advice on what else I can do to stand out for both university applications and breaking into IB/PE later?

1 Comments
 

Eum quia at ex iste aut consectetur fugiat. Aspernatur quia quia id cumque tempore modi deserunt. Libero veniam ex incidunt quis. Harum sunt et repellendus ex non sint saepe. Aut quidem laborum placeat dicta debitis et.

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.

Career Advancement Opportunities

November 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

November 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

November 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

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (57) $264
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (29) $183
  • 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

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...”