Djdj………..

Bro sorry to hear about your sister going through cancer. I had a family member go through cancer when I was making a move from a big 4 to IB - not dissimilar to your situation. It was certainly a life altering event for myself so what I have to say to you next isn’t something I take lightly. Hope it helps in some way.

I wouldn’t proactively bring up the background that led you to lower grades - just draws attention to it unnecessarily. If asked, just cite that you did your best amidst challenging personal circumstances and have significantly turned it around (think of how a CEO in turnaround sits would tell the story). Focus on your best efforts and improvement. Beyond that, your ability to demonstrate interest and knowledge in deals / specific sectors outshines your grades once you’re past the screen. With CG/RJ on your resume you’re very likely to get looks from Big 5/some BB even with OK grades, which 3.6/3.7 is (assuming on a 4.0 scale, less so on a 4.33 scale but not necessarily a deal breaker). I’ve always preferred a 3.6 who can think on his feet/ask good questions/take good notes/have something to contribute than a 4.0 who thinks he’s the shit/places too much weight on that/misses the bigger picture of getting work done or making money (i.e. I don’t give a shit if the model is perfect theoretically. Let’s just get shit done on time without getting into non-value add debates/close the fucking deal without noticeable blips). There are many parts of the recruiting process where you can turn the table to your advantage (internship at solid shops in Canada, knowledge gained from a summer in IB, networking, technicals, etc.) to warrant taking a breather on circumstances outside of your control. Do your best, be yourself and you’ll do just fine.