How difficult is it for International Students to break into MBB/IB?

Currently studying in high school in APAC, wondering if it would be worth it to study in America seeing as my parents and I would have to pay a huge amount of loans if I studied over there.

11 Comments
 

I would not take a 200k+ loan to come to the US to study. If you can get a solid scholarship then sure. Plus getting sponsored as an APAC is extremely difficult these days so getting a job is not a guarantee. Maybe going to Europe to study and do IB there for a couple of years before going to the US for an MBA after you've saved a certain amount is better. 

 

If APAC means you hold Australian citizenship, then yes. You may be able to profit from the E-3 visa program for AU citizens.
Other nationalities also have a slight advantage, check the website of USCIS if you qualify.

If you don't qualify for any of the programs, then NO. Don't risk your future in expecting a visa from anyone, it will in all likelihood not work that way. You might get lucky, but you never know...

 

I don't believe that would help, I am afraid.

Check with USCIS anyway - but I wouldn't bet a large amount of money you don't have on a win.

 

US Colleges are not financially worth it. Go to a top school in Asia (Tsinghua, Nanyang, City U, etc) or in Europe and save the money. You could go through all four years and end up still not getting sponsored. Germany is definitely a good choice as long as you make the effort to learn German during university. US case interviews are also very biased against accents and non-native speakers. 

 

I don’t have an accent and am quite familiar with US culture, so I don’t necessarily have a disadvantage there but I can see that the loans are way too expensive. Thanks man!

 
[Comment removed by mod team]
 
[Comment removed by mod team]
 

Nesciunt omnis consequuntur id autem sit doloremque. Aut dolores rerum maiores voluptatum dolorum. Totam deserunt et reiciendis veniam.

Quam nam voluptatem vitae neque et. Autem vel quae est autem officia maxime. Eos eveniet culpa aut omnis quidem itaque.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.2%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.2%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.6%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.2%
  • JPMorgan No 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (43) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (75) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (65) $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
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
10
numi's picture
numi
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...”