Incoming Summer Intern - How do I get up to speed?

Disclaimer: I'm an incoming freshman at an Ivy who hadn't considered a career in finance until recently. As you can imagine, my knowledge of the industry/technicals is nascent. 

I recently applied to a few boutique firms and managed to snag an offer for a summer internship next year. The VP I spoke to informed me that while my non-finance background isn't a problem, I'd be expected to have a working knowledge of a range of sectors by my freshman summer (e.g.: M&A, Valuation, PE, ER, Private Credit, etc.)

I'll be completely honest; I'm lost. Any pointers on where I could start would be much appreciated. I've already bought the M&I Excel and FM courses and am working on honing those skills. Is there anything else I should read to get up to speed and do well?

7 Comments
 

Second the Wall Street Prep rec. You can read all the guides you would like for the conceptual understanding, but applying it is far more rewarding. Will say that you cannot just do the course and then do nothing after - you should apply the skills you learned and model / value companies of your choice.

I'd also recommend joining your school's investment fund and reading the WSJ daily.

 

Veritatis aut impedit corporis est quod voluptas. Earum dolorem ea minus. Animi esse qui veritatis error voluptatibus enim maxime non.

Praesentium et earum voluptas voluptatem officia aut. Ducimus soluta voluptatem praesentium eaque. Quo nisi accusamus est consectetur aut dolor aut. Delectus vel expedita cum ipsum maiores saepe asperiores. A illo commodi porro quia.

Omnis labore veniam architecto laudantium eveniet earum labore. Fuga explicabo natus quaerat molestiae.

Eos est maxime et accusantium. Qui unde et soluta rem tempora. Sint dolore voluptatum saepe harum. Provident unde quas velit quos et amet sapiente sed.

Career Advancement Opportunities

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.9%
  • Goldman Sachs 02 97.3%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.9%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.9%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.3%

Professional Growth Opportunities

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • JPMorgan No 97.3%

Total Avg Compensation

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (53) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (28) $184
  • Intern/Summer Associate (15) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (76) $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
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
6
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
9
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
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...”