“My mentoring session with Andre was extremely valuable and gave me the clarity and direction I needed at an important stage of my application journey. He was kind, approachable, and generous with his time, creating an atmosphere in which I felt comfortable sharing my experiences, asking questions, and discussing my doubts openly.
One of the most helpful aspects of our conversation was his guidance on how to organize and communicate my personal story. Andre helped me understand how to connect different experiences into a coherent narrative, identify the elements that matter most, and explain their significance more clearly. His perspective was fundamental in helping me see how to present my background with greater confidence, purpose, and authenticity.
I particularly appreciated his advice on what to avoid. He helped me recognize that including every detail does not necessarily make a story stronger, and that being selective can make a message much more effective. Our discussion gave me a clearer understanding of how to avoid unnecessary repetition, keep my narrative focused, and ensure that each part contributes something meaningful to the overall application.
Andre also provided valuable guidance on how to organize the application process itself. He helped me think more clearly about priorities, how to approach the different components, and how to make the work feel more manageable. Having a clearer structure has made a difference to my mindset: instead of seeing the applications as one overwhelming task, I now feel better equipped to approach them through specific, achievable steps.
Another important takeaway was his advice on how to use the coming days effectively. Our conversation helped me understand where to focus my energy, which tasks deserve immediate attention, and how to establish a realistic plan. I left the session with a stronger sense of direction and a better understanding of how to balance thoughtful preparation with consistent progress.
What made the experience positive was the combination of practical guidance and encouragement. Andre offered suggestions in a considerate and constructive way, helping me reflect on my choices while also making me feel supported. His kindness made it easier to engage honestly with the process and to see areas for improvement as opportunities to strengthen my applications.
Overall, this session was fundamental in helping me understand both what I want to communicate and how to move forward. I now have a clearer approach to telling my story, organizing my applications, avoiding common mistakes, and planning the next few days with intention.
I am very grateful for Andre’s support and for the care he brought to our conversation. His advice gave me useful tools, renewed confidence, and a more focused approach to the work ahead. I would highly recommend a session with him to anyone seeking thoughtful guidance, practical direction, and a supportive space to develop their application narrative. The session helped me turn uncertainty into a clearer plan, and I feel much more prepared to make the most of the time ahead and present my experiences in a meaningful and convincing way.”
Interviewer is an alum of my fraternity.
Luck
Whether it be call or interview I tried hard to come off as calm, collected, well-prepared and as a result prone not to make mistakes aka what anyone would want in an analyst. As much as technicals and what not is important, what people really want is someone they can reasonably trust to do analyst work which really boils down to not fucking up. The kind of "vibe" is, I think, what it comes down to when bankers make their decision of "ok I should hire this kid". Balance that with trying to be likeable aka be able to hold a conversation about the type of non work stuff they're into. To be fair i've had some experience other than school that allowed me to present myself better + talk about my experiences I think.
I think the above essentially describes the more granular details of what it means to "connect well" with people and "fit well with the culture".
GPA etc. I think is what matters when it comes to getting the interview itself and what not, but once you're actually face to face, it's a in-person / vibe / feel decision.
Currently an Analyst at an EB. Went to a top target but had bad GPA tbh, and I think that's what got me in.
my dad is an md
I interned at 2 BBs and am at one FT now. First BB was a sophomore internship (non-diversity but mid tier Ivy school), I got 3 months after I interviewed cause I think a kid reneged. This BB (GS/MS/JPM) I got off the waitlist again because someone else turned it down. I also got into my mid-tier ivy (Columbia/Penn) off the waitlist and was gonna go to a non-target otherwise.
Yeah I've gotten pretty lucky with waitlists but i'm an asian male so chances are I woulda gotten all of these regular if I was white.
Lol I don’t think being a white male would help anyone in finance.
It's funny you say that because I know white people on this forum love to complain about being white even though there's an entire race of male kids who have it 1000x worse. I've spoken to white friends who had the same interviewer as me and they got asked questions that were way easier. You might think being white is the reason you might not get into IB but you'd be 10x farther away as an asian male.
Not being weird as fuck. Seriously, so many weirdos out there
I go to a target but not like HYPW or anything. I got an EB offer without networking probably with 80% luck and 20% actual work ethic. I didn't network that hard there because I honestly thought I wouldn't get it- I was surprised when I got the interview but approached it as more so a practice opportunity for the other firms I was taking more seriously. I was definitely more relaxed than I would have been, and I also had experience working in regular companies in a certain industry that I could speak about very well (and knew more than I would have just reading about it in the wsj). First and second-round interviews were fine- was relaxed and conversational and knew my technicals. In my superday, I ended up interviewing with an MD who covered that industry, and we ended up hitting it off and discussing that industry a lot, so I think that was something that helped me stand out in that stage. But the fact that I had that particular MD was completely by chance. So overall, being professional but human, understanding an industry really well and talking about it well, and having a lucky interviewer were the three things that got me the offer.
Ironically, I was interviewing at like 4 other firms while I was interviewing there- I networked super hard at those other places but the only offer I got was that EB.
Nepotism
Long story. Interviews were taking place in a hotel. I was caught in a drug deal and ended up in the interview lobby by accident and told the secretary I was trying to ditch the cops as she was calling out a candidates name. She lets me into the interview room where I met the director and my briefcase of weed split open in front of him. I told the director how I evaded they cops and showed off my photographic memory skills. He decided to take a chance on me even though I didn’t graduate from a school and had a criminal background. The rest is history.