I am going to apply for SA positions in the winter, but I am not sure where I will be able to land. I only have a 3.25 GPA at a recruited school (think Northwestern, Duke, Georgetown) and 1500 SAT scores. Econ/Poli Sci double major. Will I get any interviews with the big boys, or any offers at a decent MM?
I don't have any friends in banking so I have no idea what to expect. Thanks for any advice.
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If you don't start networking, I doubt you will get interviews at any BBs, maybe some MM firms.
If you don't make any friends who are interested in banking (let alone IN banking), you will have a harder time knowing enough about what's going on to make it through the process.
I've seen people with similar to lower GPAs land BB SA spots. However, they usually have really distinguishing experience and/or activities (e.g. Editor of the a well-respected collegiate finance magazine, engineer with TOP internship experience, daughter of a major client,..., that sort of thing.
btw, if i were you i'd start contacting alumni and doing informationals. for someone who has just started your junior year, you would put yourself ahead of the pack. if you impress them in an informational and they end up passing your resume on, you could easily end up with a 1st round interview, at which point your GPA is irrelevant
I don't have any friends in IB and come from a nontarget and have been able to get interviews at numerous BBs and even more MMs. However I did have a great internship this summer that helped me network and I worked incredibly hard to find guys who went to my school who had moved into the industry after starting in a F500 or accounting firm.
Look for alumni to talk to and see if you can get an internship this semester with a local boutique or something.
Network, network, network...I am not sure about BB banks for they get s!@#tload of resumes from kids with 3.5 and up type of GPA. In my school career center preselects applicants given their GPA. It means if company "A" (read BB and MM) wants guys with at least 3.4 then you can't even submit a resume for a consideration. Thus, the best way around is to network or spin a great story on your resume (internships at boutiques, extracurricular activities and so on and forth)
Yeah, I'm in a similar situation - good school but not so good GPA. I had a health issue freshman year and my GPA tanked. I am just hoping that I can get in the door and give an interview.
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