Thoughts on applying to internships that I am not qualified for?

Hi all,

First post here, I am currently a rising sophomore student at a semi-target school on the East Coast. I have already started networking for my summer 27' junior year internship at some EB's and BB's. 

The main question is that I spoke to an IB analyst at a BB (Think GS, JPM, MS), and they had mentioned that they actually did very little networking and blindly applied to Junior year summer internships when they were a freshman. It worked out somehow, as the person had gotten a summer analyst position at one of the BBs listed. I don't understand how, as they were Int'l and did not meet the graduation requirements. Is this something worth doing? I have stacked up quite the experience on my resume for a rising sophomore, and am currently a summer analyst at an international manufacturing firm within their accounting dept. 

Is this something I should shoot for? I don't see how it could hurt, I mean the worst thing would be a simple rejection, but best case, I somehow get an interview. I would probably target some MM firms, obviously, I would rigorously network with alumni beforehand for as much of a chance as possible.

Thoughts?

3 Comments
 

Distinctio pariatur pariatur nam fugit amet aut. Numquam consequuntur facere voluptatem illum distinctio magni. Voluptas eum natus rerum autem impedit. Quos et consequatur et beatae tempore. Et provident quo pariatur modi soluta.

Adipisci velit libero molestiae est velit quaerat eum nostrum. Ea nihil voluptatem ut ea qui rem et.

Career Advancement Opportunities

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.3%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.9%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.9%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.3%

Professional Growth Opportunities

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • JPMorgan No 97.3%

Total Avg Compensation

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (51) $260
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (26) $182
  • Intern/Summer Associate (15) $159
  • 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
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
7
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
10
bolo up's picture
bolo up
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...”