I'm a senior in high school and want to work in finance, if I'm not going to a target school, do I have a chance?

So I'm a senior in high school who graduates in two months and here's the deal. I decided that it would be best for me to do two years of community college then transfer to a local school (University of North Carolina at Charlotte) I get to limit expenses by doing this, I have been interested in finance for a while and genuinely have a passion for it, I know it's what I want to do and not just because I've seen wolf of wall street once and think it's all strippers and cocaine but because I enjoy learning about it. I know its hard work and I understand that these things don't happen overnight and I'm most likely going to have to get a "boiler room" job and work my way up but do I even stand a chance at working for a reputable firm if I'm not going to be attending a target school?

4 Comments
 

Ut et et illum nulla iste quibusdam adipisci quasi. Labore ut explicabo officiis. Ipsa doloribus repellendus sapiente voluptates assumenda. Eos ipsum omnis quia et. Eos tempora aut excepturi quia maiores. Minima et rerum odit sed inventore quia aut fuga.

Reiciendis aut magnam facilis. Natus aut ipsa delectus. Ratione dolorem natus aut qui et ea.

Career Advancement Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.9%
  • Evercore 01 98.3%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.7%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.3%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.7%
  • JPMorgan 01 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (15) $434
  • Associates (46) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (79) $150
  • 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
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
7
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
10
bolo up's picture
bolo up
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...”