Taking Semester Off - Need Advice

I'm a rising senior right now, and I need some advice regarding my goals/future. I go to a semi-target school with a 3.4 GPA in Finance. Right now, I don't have an internship lined up, but I do have an opportunity to work at a regional boutique investment bank in August for 3 months. Now, this bank is in NYC and I go to school in the midwest. However, they also mentioned I can work from school and communicate over emails/phone/webcam.

Here's the tricky part: I might take a semester off and just focus solely on the internship. Has anyone done this in banking?

Here's my path planned out in my mind as of now:

Take Fall Sem off (internship) ---> Go to school Spring Sem (apply for SUMMER internship) ---> work/intern during summer ---> Go back to school in Fall for FT Recruiting

  1. Is this a viable option? Has anyone done this in banking?
  2. Or will I be in the same shape say if I went back to school and interned part time?
  3. Finally, how will FT recruiting be with a no-name boutique on my resume?

There's a lot of information, I know. I really appreciate your help. Thanks.

7 Comments
 

Might make more sense to take the full year off. Take classes in the spring to raise GPA. Volunteer. Travel. Idk, just something to consider.

 

It depends what you will be doing at the bank. Make sure that you'll be treated more like a full-time analyst than an office assistant. If you do relevant work, then you'll have something that'll help you stand out.

--Death, lighter than a feather; duty, heavier than a mountain
 

Thanks for the input. Taking longer to graduate really doesn't matter for me. If I were to take a semester off, I'd be paying the same. And to me, the extra experience in banking is worth it. However, the only problem would be subleasing my apartment.

But, if I were to take the semester off though, is it possible to look for an internship in the spring even though I'm technically a senior? This is my #1 concern. Same with full time because I will be graduating a semester early.

 
Best Response

No, I meant what, like you said, going back to school for the spring and applying for summer internships and then interning during the summer. Then, I would finish my last semester the fall following the summer. Confusing, I know. But, my goal is to do banking at MM/elite boutique/possibly BB firms.

By the way, what do you mean it won't be prime recruiting season? At my school, Fall semester is prime time for FT recruiting in i banking. Spring semester is for the summer internships.

 

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