What can I do in high school to get into HYPSM?

Question

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.

Billion with a B · Accepted Answer

"highschoolnewb"
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.

Blockhead · Answer

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:

National/international tier leadership positions in clubs (Harvard loves these)
National recognition in club-based competitions
National/international recognition in science fair or similarly-styled research
Award-winning author for essay/editorial competition(s)
Highly accomplished musician/artist (we actually

EarlFromUtah · Answer

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.

RecoveringInvestmentBanker · Answer

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.

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What can I do in high school to get into HYPSM?

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What can I do in high school to get into HYPSM?

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