Help a struggling student!

Hi everyone, hope you are well.

Struggling student here looking for advice for my particular situation. First a bit of background: I grew up in the Netherlands and went to a semi-target/target school in the UK for my BSc (think Imperial, UCL, Warwick etc) doing something in economics and statistics. Then realized later on that I wanted to pursue a career in finance and so was too late for all classic recruitment cycles and in the process of this panic failed by the thinnest margin to score a First Class. After a quick BizDev summer internship at a tech startup, I have returned to my home country for a 'gap year' (not sure if this was smart) to fill up with internships in finance/banking. Currently, I am in a Wealth Management internship at one of the three legacy banks (ING, ABN, Rabo) and have secured a IB summer internship within M&A at one of the other banks. 
My interests aren't yet fully developed but would say I wish to be in IB for a short period and then move towards either Asset/Investment Management (perhaps in BB), PE/HF (if given the chance) or FO non-IB Banking (think Corporate Banking, PWM etc). The next academic year I am also intending to start a MSc.

I'm currently unsure about three things.
1.  Where to start the MSc. Given my Dutch frugality, I am hesitant to return to London and also don't stand a chance at the top target schools (LBS, LSE, Oxbridge). The semi-targets listed earlier are still tempting. My other option is the start it at Erasmus, but I'm not sure if this is wise as I'm afraid it limits my employer pool and general future trajectory.
2. What field of finance to fill my last period in the spring. Should this be in IB as well or should I branch out early into anything buy-side or non-IB banking?
3. How to move forward beyond my MSc. Should I stay in IB (perhaps in through off-cycles at BB/EB and then the analyst programmes) or make the switch immediately upon completion? Should I apply for London programmes as well? 

Would highly appreciate any help/guidance/relevant info.

Thanks in advance!

1 Comments
 

Doloremque qui fuga facilis sit omnis consequuntur qui. Nihil esse aliquid explicabo rem hic perspiciatis asperiores sit. Veniam a ut omnis et at et. Praesentium magni in aspernatur blanditiis. Voluptatem fugit sapiente voluptas architecto nulla. Assumenda et deleniti voluptatem omnis.

Porro iure accusantium molestias vel nesciunt quia vel. Aut doloremque consectetur atque iusto. Ut quod ullam pariatur unde labore soluta delectus. At illum quae aut fuga harum iure facilis perferendis. Et quam esse tenetur molestiae est. Consequuntur quod nam deserunt quibusdam. Voluptatum dolore reprehenderit illo labore.

Aliquam voluptas ratione modi maiores fuga ut similique. Quaerat aliquid eos quia illum qui optio incidunt. Qui ut commodi eum aliquid voluptatem et sapiente.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.3%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.7%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.3%
  • JPMorgan No 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (44) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (78) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (73) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
7
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
8
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
9
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
10
Linda Abraham's picture
Linda Abraham
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”