Took Year Off in Middle of College - Now Trying for IB

Rising sophomore at a non-HYP Ivy here. I had to take a year off after freshman year because of medical issues that have since been resolved. My first-year was pretty lackluster because of this, but now that I'm returning this fall I think I have a shot at getting a high GPA, joining finance clubs, etc. I know that breaking into IB gets progressively harder each year, with the deadlines for top BBs getting earlier and earlier. Disregarding freshman year, since I'm starting basically fresh sophomore year, I understand it's going to be quite a bit harder for me to accomplish everything in time. As of now, the plan is to find a remote internship (prob not finance related) this summer while taking an online class, then return to campus in the fall (as long as it's open). Then I'll join some of the orgs on campus, go to information sessions, and start looking for a sophomore summer internship. Then towards the end of sophomore year finalize my applications to top BB IBs and complete my sophomore year internship. Does this seem like a realistic timeline?

1 Comments
 

Tempora iusto et quo ut ea autem. Dolores unde molestiae reprehenderit voluptatibus sit et earum. Voluptate aut omnis vel illo. Fugiat soluta debitis enim iste.

Sapiente reprehenderit voluptas consequuntur autem. Totam voluptas atque est et recusandae. Sit facere est distinctio officia dicta voluptatem et. Soluta voluptas sit beatae ducimus. Illum ut velit iure nisi inventore cupiditate sed quas.

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.

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
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
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...”