Trending Content - Job Search Advice Forum
Career Resources
WSO Free Modeling Series - Now Open Through
June 30, 2026
9 Free Financial Modeling Lessons
Get instant access to lessons taught by experienced private equity pros and bulge bracket investment bankers including financial statement modeling, DCF, M&A, LBO, Comps and Excel Modeling.
+Bonus: Get 27 financial modeling templates in swipe file
+Bonus: Get 27 financial modeling templates in swipe file
High Finance Applications
Guaranteed
Get at least one offer GUARANTEED
- 1:1 support
- 92% success rate
- 2,000+ mentor network
- Unlimited Live bootcamps
- AI for resume + LinkedIn
- Networking automation tools
- HireVue simulation tool
- Full course library
- Private Slack community
- 20hrs of mocks
- + much more...
Could you get into that PE shop you interned at? Seems like you may have an advantage there...
There's a chance, they offered me another internship next summer. I loved the firm and found the work fascinating, the problem being that it's small and they rarely hire.
You are swimming against the current? CS major on the West Coast. You should be interning at Microsoft, Amazon, Google, Qualcomm and then if you're hell bent on IB or Consulting get your MBA after a few years. Or going out for anything in Tech Finance, trading firms etc... Tech has higher pay relative to COL and definitely relative to hours worked... and you'd be on the West Coast. Your major is in CS, you have your network already established.
I don't understand your desire to paddle upstream. I wish you well though.
My CS coursework and talents aren't strong enough yet to manage a microsoft type internship. And I doubt I could get one with my GPA. My interest is econ/finance, CS is secondary.
You're asking good questions and you're asking them in time to make an intelligent plan of action.
Although some firms use GPA floors, the highest I see with any regularity is 3.5. If you can massage your GPA so that your overall OR major GPA clears that hurdle, you can probably get your resume in and get an OCR interview if available.
If your SAT score is relatively recent and high, you should find a straightforward way to make it known. If the math section is close to 800, it will attract peoples' attention. It sounds like you're likely still current in math, but be prepared to answer some tough brain teasers if you play up your SAT score. Recruiters don't often have a way to gauge your IQ without getting in trouble, but a high math SAT score can pique their interest; you'll need to back it up.
The closer to a 4.0 the better, but there's no reason you couldn't participate in top tier finance recruiting with your stats, assuming you're being honest and are characterizing your school accurately.
Thanks for the reply.
But how much does SAT score really matter? It's 2350+, but paired with the GPA, I figured it wouldn't merit a second look.
And I am characterizing my school fairly, outside of Stanford, it's round abouts the strongest west-coast target for high finance type fields. MBB + most BBs + Elite boutiques + top MMs, really anything with a west coast presence OCRs. And the east coast alumni network is still strong. But it's certainly not HYPS level.
My biggest question really boils down to this, assuming I can't pull a great SA IBD or MC spot this summer (I have a couple of relevant and either interesting or passable options already lined up, so it's not like I'll have nothing going into FT), is it worth it to focus my time on trying for that in FT next year with my projected stats? Or even with respect to finishing out my SA recruiting season, would I have been better served spending my networking efforts on shooting for F500 FDP and boutique MC/IBD? It's obviously late in the season and I only have somewhere between 1-2 months left to focus my efforts (with several opportunities already gone by).
A 2350+ SAT score is something to advertise. Employers want smart new talent, and a high SAT score is one of the metrics available to recruiters to measure intelligence: use it. Some firms demand SAT scores from applicants.
Any progress since November?
Sed rerum dicta maxime laboriosam voluptatum ut. Cum atque voluptatem est quis. Velit qui ut perspiciatis quidem et.
Quod maiores voluptatem doloremque reiciendis. Consequatur amet porro id tempore delectus est consequatur. Corrupti sapiente velit in consequatur rem dolorem ex.
Deleniti et eveniet tempora nostrum blanditiis. Et qui aut ipsum quidem. Nobis non vel aut aliquam. Provident est ut consectetur amet.
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...