Community college to ib

Hello I’m a freshman at my local community college and wanted to make this post to hopefully get some answers and direction. I decided to go to community college because my family moved around a lot while I was in hs and because of this I didn’t have the best grades. I have always had a passion for finance and I was able to purchase my first car with money I made from options trading. I currently have a 4.0 and am looking to transfer after my second year here to UNC as my school has a transfer agreement with them. Will transferring after 2 years at cc be a setback for IB recruiting? And how can I best optimize my chances for an IB opportunity with the setbacks attending cc will cause. I appreciate any feedback.

7 Comments
 

You can always delay your senior year (fifth year). You won’t be the first nor the last to break into IB with a CC background.

Once you transfer, you can drop your CC off your resume.

Start reaching out to alumni from your CC. They will be the most helpful as they have already gone down the path you are now starting on.

 

Based on the most helpful WSO content, here are some insights and advice for your situation:

  1. Transferring from Community College to a Target School:

    • Networking: Start networking as soon as you transfer. Join finance-related clubs, attend events, and connect with alumni who are in the industry.
    • Resume: Once you transfer, remove the community college from your resume and focus on your achievements at UNC.
    • Internships: Aim to secure internships as early as possible. Even if they are not in IB, relevant finance experience will be beneficial.
    • GPA: Maintain a high GPA to remain competitive in the recruiting process.
  2. Recruitment Timeline:

    • Sophomore Year: Settle in, build your GPA, join clubs, and start networking. Recruit for sophomore boutique internships.
    • Junior Year: Focus on full-time recruiting and networking. Aim for internships at BB (Bulge Bracket) or MM (Middle Market) banks.
    • Junior Summer: Secure a summer analyst position at a BB or MM bank.
  3. Challenges and Strategies:

    • Perception: Community college students may face a perception challenge, but this can be mitigated by strong networking and demonstrating your passion and knowledge in finance.
    • Preparation: Be well-prepared for interviews by understanding the industry, practicing technical and behavioral questions, and leveraging resources like WSO guides.
  4. Success Stories:

    • There are numerous examples of individuals who transferred from community colleges to target schools and successfully broke into IB. Determination, hard work, and strategic networking are key.

By following these steps and leveraging your passion for finance, you can optimize your chances for an IB opportunity despite the initial setbacks of attending a community college.

Sources: Recruitment Set Back To "Normal", Recruitment Set Back To "Normal", Community College to IB?, Recruitment for Transfers?, Q&A: Community College --> Semi-Target --> Big 4 Audit --> Boutique IB M&A (Ask Me Anything)

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.
 
Most Helpful

apply to transfer to brown, cornell, and georgetown as well.

all 3 are great target schools with storied traditions of taking transfer students from community colleges + great finaid.

one of the founding principals of tidal partners was a community college transfer to georgetown.

yale and princeton have also become active in recruiting community college transfer students, but they mostly look for veterans, low income, and non-traditional students.

aim high, cast a wide net, and don’t be afraid of rejection, as it will happen even when you recruit for IBD/buyside from HYPSM & W.

rejection happens to everyone, so might as well start the journey now - good luck!

 

It's very possible. There are lots of juniors on the street who followed this path. In addition, partners at Tidal and Apollo were CC to Banking. Try to maximize your chances by reaching out to local firms and getting some internships, not just IB or PE, anything business related. If you can prove you've got the chops, chances are they may want to take a chance on a CC student.

 

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