What Now?

I am a rising college senior, and I am feeling lost. The following notes are for context.

  • I went to the most highly regarded prep school in the US where I proceeded to F around for 4 years (middle-class background).
  • I graduated and ended up at a shit university where I played D1 lacrosse.
  • I got my priorities straight, received a perfect GPA, and transferred to a T-50 school in the US (still a non-target) after 2 years.
  • I now have a 3.7 GPA (the university is known for grade deflation).
  • I spent a summer living in Seoul, SK where I worked as the US sales manager for a 3d printing company.
  • I currently work as a summer analyst at a boutique consulting firm (asset liability management) for commercial banks.
  • I am a junior analyst for my school's finance & investment club.
  • I am as competitive as it gets, and money crazed.
  • In my free time, I like to follow the markets and learn as much as I can about value investing.
  • I have some decent connections to WS, but I could probably be doing a better job networking.
  • Very personable.

Now let’s get into it…. First question…

Did I already miss the interviews for 2024 full-time IB analyst positions? (My grad date is May 2024).

I know, I’m an idiot. I also know that most positions will be filled through return offers.

I guess what I really want to know is what do I do now? If I can’t find an IB role, maybe I should consider a career in consulting? Financial analyst at an IB? S&T? Equity research? PE? VC? All in all, I just want to work my ass off in my 20s and set myself up financially.

Are cities like NYC and Boston even worth living in with the expenses? Seems like Miami or Chicago would be far more cost-efficient.

Is there a massive wage gap between BB and boutique?

I know that these are all dumb questions, and nobody here knows my personality traits. But I am genuinely curious if someone (with the minimal context that I provided) might want to chime in with any advice.

Feel free to roast me and thank you for your time.

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