What can I do in high school to get into HYPSM?
As you all know, top targets are incredibly competitive, and they reject so many people who are obviously geniuses, I'd like to study finance and go into ibanking, and then switch over to hedge funds.
Problem is, I'm a sophomore in high school, no idea what to do to improve my chances. I see all these people with insane resumes get rejected, and that makes me question my chances of getting into a target. I have good grades and do some clubs (state-level debate and mock trial), but I'm worried I'm not demonstrating enough interest in finance. What stuff can I actually do at this age to prove my interest and skill? Invest? Start a reselling business? Both? Neither?
Any advice is appreciated.
I went to a large public high school that consistently sent a handful of kids to the schools you listed each year.
Taking a high GPA, high quality recommendations, general well-roundedness, and standardized ACT/SAT scores for granted, some also used the following to their advantage:
Nice. Is there any sport I can realistically take up at 15 and get good enough to get recruited? I love sports, but haven't played them since middle school.
Try League of Legends
Statistically speaking, try fencing. Lowest high school participant to college athlete ratio and should be offered at some top school. Also, can't imagine it attracts the highest level of athletic talent.
Find something you're passionate about and drill super deep in it. Find your own niche and do something unique that involves leadership/quantifiable success. Balance that out with community outreach work that draws on your passion as demonstrated previously. Those colleges don't want people who say they'd like to work in banking and then a HF, they want the kid who has top scores, grades, rec's, and comes off as wanting to contribute/better society.
Sell yourself without selling yourself. They'd rather someone who shows they're passionate about finance through, for example, starting a financial literacy nonprofit aimed at helping at-risk communities, while at the same time pursuing internships at small businesses/starting their own company.
I'm rambling at this point, but the point is not to stretch yourself too thin. The reason those kids don't get in is because on paper they look great, but ask them what they're passionate about and they don't have an answer.
Passion + top grades/scores + evidence of that passion in your life + athletics + community service + solid recs and you're golden
I like the idea of a starting a personal finance literacy nonprofit.
As for athletics, I've always been meaning to start playing sports again. Is there anything I could realistically start at 15 and get really good at?
I mean not good enough to get recruited unless you're willing to devote a fuck ton of time, but fencing is a dope sport and unique enough that if you're halfway decent (placing statewide), you could get recruited by a liberal arts college in the northeast.
IMO, the single best thing you can do to get into one of the schools you listed is to get into a highly ranked prep school and do well. Beyond that, the advice above is fine.
Like a feeder school?
A solidly ranked private school. Placements at good private schools are excellent and I think you’ll find that a large percentage of ivy grads went to a private high school.
This thread is hysterical. They should just swoop down and lock you in right now. Clearly, you are made of all the right stuff for an ibanking job. What are you like 15? haha
I mean, they should make me a hedge fund manager right now, let's be real. I'd make millions. But oh well, Harvard will do.
(Sarcasm)
Honestly you’ll be fine though at 15. I’m sure your family and social connections are good enough where you’ll have the right amount of support. That usually works out well.
If you are that young, now is the time to take risks. Anything you want, this is the best time to test the waters with it, because your downside is very minimum. As long as you keep in mind that you are aiming for a conservative career that favors narrowly active and traditional looking people, you should just do whatever makes you happy and try to do it better than anyone else.
Adcoms would be happy to hear about anything you come up with in the next 2 years as you’re putting your apps together. You should do it well enough where your available time for other stuff like friends and study improve. The metric is how good are you to the point of can you keep great relationships with peers, friends, and relatives, are you able to sleep enough and get good grades, are you happy with what you’re doing?
There’s really no specific way, it’s more about how well are you presenting what you are doing.
I was an idiot in high school, never knew what I wanted to do, but stumbled onto a great internship, ended up with mentors I wasn’t seeking, and even though my GPA was shittty, ended up with a 100% success rate on my applications for the schools I applied to, most top 100.
At 15, I’m guessing you’re in an even better spot and could probably do well applying to top 20 schools if you just go after what you’re passionate about, take some risks now, and don’t let things like relationships or academics fall by the wayside.
You need to check all the boxes to just be competitive: great standardized test scores, grades, and course rigor. I was a sophomore when I started looking at SATs, and taking practice tests. 2300/1500+ on the SAT is ideal.
Then, once you know you're competitive, you should try to convey your passion through extra-curricular activities. In general, the kids who join a bunch of random unrelated clubs and get leadership positions here at their school aren't going to do that well in college admissions. Their college application looks like a laundry list of unrelated activities. It's all about doing something that sounds impressive, that makes someone question whether they would be able to do the same.
The more national- and state-leadership positions or awards, the better, and it's best if they convey the same interest or passion.
Above all, fine-tune the art of bullshitting. Always keep an eye out for things that you can turn into college essay fodder. I had to get community service hours to graduate from my high school, and I did this program where I helped out exchange students from Japan, and they even gave me a fancy title: International Student Ambassador. A lot of people from my school probably did this sort of thing without thinking about it, just to get their hours in, but I was thinking, "How can I use this to my advantage when college admissions comes around?" I knew that if I got a college essay question about culture or my ideas being challenged, maybe this experience would come in handy..
I think this is wonderful advice and I second it. Most people on here will shit on you but i think you're asking the right questions. Regardless of whether the career you choose is the same as what you envision now (probably won't be), going to a top school will provide you with the best opportunities.
I think adding on to what the above poster said, its important to come off as polished. Have a clean resume, very well written essays that have been looked over by professionals or the best writers you know and don't come off as just another smart kid.
Check all the boxes, and then add on by being unique - don't write an essay about how you handled all the stresses of school for a personal problem type prompt. Instead, refer to one of your unique experiences and how you overcame a significant difficulty, etc. That's just one tip but you're asking the right questions.
Got it. I'll try to think of how to turn everything I do into an advantage. Thank you.
Kill your parents and try to get adopted by a rich couple who are alumni
And the best part is, the 'tragic death' of my parents would be a great topic for an essay.
Get in that boat and row your ass off. Worked for me.
Fuck. When I talked to my parents, they were against it because of morning practices (too lazy to drive me).
Harvard, Princeton, Yale, and Stanford have no finance undergrad. They don't want to see strong interest in finance they want intellectually curious people with unique activities and interests.
Yeah, I'm interested in econ as well, which they offer. My question is mostly, what exactly can I do with finance or econ in high school to demonstrate interest and knowledge?
take all finance and econ classes offered. Get involved in your school's DECA or FBLA clubs if you have them, or consider starting your own chapter if you don't. Start an investing club at your school, I know there are some econ case study competitions out there for high schoolers, do some self-directed research. Read up on the topic so that you can speak intelligently in your essays. And most importantly have good grades and leadership
Wtf is M
Would guess MIT, but their criteria for acceptance is likely the most different from the rest
You're correct.
In what ways is their criteria different?
MIT
develop social skills
Why? And how?
Being personable is a critical skill and something that can be gleaned during the application process -- from your involvements, from your recommendation letters, and from your alumni interview.
Elite schools aren't necessarily looking for valedictorians and people who got perfect scores on standardized tests, although both help, but rather people who will be successful in their lives.
Curing cancer would surely get you into one of these schools without a doubt. Here's the thing: these schools want someone who is phenomenal at whatever it is they are passionate about. Obviously, curing cancer isn't feasible for you, but if you do something extraordinary, these schools will notice.
Otherwise, these schools would like you to raise their stat averages. If you bring nothing to the table in terms of an application, the chances are slim. Focus on standing out in whatever it is you like to do, the rest will follow suit.
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