Undergrad GPA question?

Sorry for another UG gpa question -this form is a saturated with them. Anyways, something I haven't seen commented on much is the difference between IB prestige & gpa. I'm a rising freshman at Stern, and right now a lot of speculation is passed around about IB.

People say GS is the most exclusive/prestigious investment bank, but doesn't it also take the most interns, too? Also, if GS is the most prestigious, then is it looking for higher than average IB stats? Does gpa above 3.5 really not matter? I'm wondering because I'm defining my goals for university, and I'm not sure if studying all day and night for the extra 1/10th grade point is worth it when im working on my business on the side. I don't want to limit opportunities, so is there really no difference between a 3.5 and 4.0 from a target, say between a place like GS and HSBC?

3 Comments
 
Best Response

There is an obvious difference between a 3.5 and 4.0. One is getting straight A's and the other is getting a B+/A- average. People recognize that.

Get the highest GPA you can get, especially since you'll be competing against other kids within Stern for the spots in IB. I don't think you'll get a ton of interviews with a 3.5, unless your experience is really strong and/or know a ton of people on the inside.

And from my experience there is a huge difference between a 3.60 and a 3.90, at least at my school.

 

Enim dolores voluptatum in sed rem ad porro. Consequatur qui incidunt error hic voluptatem recusandae dicta. Animi aut distinctio labore enim earum asperiores repudiandae vitae. Explicabo praesentium nesciunt sit ea unde reprehenderit quia.

In hic ab nihil quia esse. Quia beatae enim animi cupiditate eligendi velit id ipsam. Quo quae nesciunt laboriosam aut deleniti.

Omnis nisi nobis neque qui deleniti. Aut provident distinctio delectus iure. Praesentium et ut non impedit qui animi cumque. Vel asperiores error reiciendis hic voluptatem et eos. Explicabo voluptatum sit soluta cum voluptatum.

Porro officiis consequatur nisi impedit mollitia. Quas dolores iure inventore ipsam voluptas. Quo aliquam sunt iste dolores illum quas.

Career Advancement Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.3%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.9%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.8%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.3%

Professional Growth Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.8%
  • JPMorgan No 97.3%

Total Avg Compensation

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (50) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (26) $182
  • Intern/Summer Associate (14) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (75) $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...”