Non Target Ib
Currently a sophomore at a non-target. The University of Tampa to be specific. My goal is to break into IB and I’m going to start applying for internships soon. After reading a lot of posts and hearing horror stories i can’t shake the feeling of anxiety and impending doom. I know I’m a hard worker and what I’m capable of; 4.0 gpa,good student teacher relationships etc. I just can’t help but wonder if all my work won’t pay off because I chose to attend a school I liked rather than attend the better schools I got into. It almost makes me want to consider transferring for my last 2 years of college even though I’m having a great time down in Tampa. Any advice?
Depending on strength of University of Tampa in IB (quick linkedin search shows not a very strong presence in nyc but a decent bunch in FL) you’re probably fine. I guess it depends on where you want to work.
A few things to note:
1. Recruiting for non-diversity IB happens your sophomore year (junior fall at the latest). Not sure if transferring now will do you any good, esp. if ur worried about workload. Imagine transferring and tryna recruit at the same time
2. You should already be networking and learning what firms you might want to work for and when their timelines are. This will help you gauge if it’s worth it to transfer and THEN start networking, making your way up the seniority ladder, etc. Networking is time consuming and you gotta make sure you can transfer AND have time to network before majority of the firms open up their applications (Around January/March for Summer 2025)
3. The trick for non-target kids is to get alumni who like you enough to put their reputation on the line and refer you to HR internally. Once you get that first referral you’re golden.
4. Given everything I’ve mentioned, the best way to figure out what’s worth it is to talk to alumni who are currently doing IB and learn how they got there (i.e. If the overwhelming majority are diversity/nepo hires then alumni network prolly isn’t super strong)
Bottom line: don’t sacrifice your current happiness for perceived/anticipated happiness in the future. Unless working as an Investment Banker is an end all be all life goal of yours I guess. Keep having fun in FL and if you utilize all your resources to put yourself out there and stand out as a great candidate (especially with a 4.0) you might just land an IB role. Just my $.02
You should be gunning for IB fall / spring internship rn in Tampa. There are a few boutiques that you have an amazing opportunity based on location preference. This is a very good guide I saw on my LinkedIn feed. Ignore the specific things for UCLA students but the general idea is there. If you can land an IB internship for spring / this summer before your interviews for SA 25 you will be golden. https://open.substack.com/pub/rajvirkohli/p/ucla-investment-banking-rec…
Is sophomore summer internship required?
100%
Non-target. 3.8 GPA here.
Don't bother with Bulge Brackets until you have one internship. Look for any boutique opening. Cold email boutiques and say you'll work for free.
I went two summers without landing a role but after cold emailing and applying to everything I saw I landed an unpaid offer in VC (took the other offer) and a modest rate PE role thats going to convert FT if I intern for one more semester & take up my GPs offer. Still going through a couple processes for FT ib tho, so if I land a job I'm taking a semester just for class.
currently a senior in high school, i want to get into investment banking. How important is it for me to attend a target school, i hear diiferent things from different people.
Are you diverse? Not that crucial. If you’re smart and work hard on technicals and get some relevant experience you’ll be fine. If you aren’t diverse? Going to a target dramatically increases your chances. It’s still hard from a target, but it’s nigh impossible from a nontarget.
Also, this is a separate topic from th e initial thread and there are a hundred threads already on this topic, next time just do some research or if you really can’t find anything start a new thread. Good luck
not very diverse lmao im a white male. My top schools are Foster UW and UTexas Austin, both I have a 70%+ chance getting into. Are those good schools?
Et odio aut vel sint aperiam. Sit fuga accusamus tempore architecto. Omnis temporibus nihil ullam fugit iusto et.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...