Tips for SA 2027 Recruitment

pls touch grass

Honestly, focus a lot on locking in your behavioral responses and refining your stories like why you want to do IB, how your experiences in clubs, investment funds, etc., translate to the role, and how you can leverage those experiences. Try to secure a search fund internship or an internship at a LMM boutique IB/PE shop.

I recommend creating a list of boutique IB/PE firms in your area and networking with people there. I wouldn’t recommend reaching out to a bunch of banks just yet—probably closer to the end of summer. It’s important to polish your behavioral stories and be super personable, as you’ll be hopping on a lot of calls. If you connect with someone a year before applications, you’ll need to maintain that relationship and follow up with two or three more calls. The first call will always have the most to talk about, but by the second or third, the conversation can feel a bit dry.

Technicals aren’t too difficult to grasp. Use resources like WSP or IBVine to get up to speed on accounting, valuation, DCF, and basic LBOs for now.

Lastly, enjoy your freshman year. Things will get crazy once sophomore year starts.

jesus christ i respect the grind tho most targets/semi do prep freshmen year

aim for lmm pe/ib firm this summer or even equity research, try to get at least some work that you did from start to end (not the shadowing and buying coffee bs)

try for bofa, ms, and gs sophomore summer, (will help tremendously for recruiting into buyside during sophomore recruitment) seen numerous non-diverse applicants in bofa ss so don’t be afraid to reach out to alum

else secure ubs, santander, db, and a couple that also does ss

start networking in august, i did october and realistically had only around 12 weeks to fit in all my call (focus should be to speak with at least 2 bankers across all/most banks and around 5-7 at ones you 100% want) they’re also more likely to respond and keep updating them along the way (max 3 emails from august to january i would say)

after january, bankers are less responsive since they alr have students they want to push in mind

prep technicals, not kidding they would cut someone if they get a single technical wrong (especially if they’re easy), most bulges and middle market technicals will never be that hard

secure a fall internship if possible, adds to the resume

also network with upperclassmen or incoming SA they did the interview process and you’re able to better prep for specific banks and curate better “why XYZ firm”

was just curious what the actual timeline of applications dropping would be? especially for US recruiting?

del