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
 

Sunt inventore porro cumque deserunt. Autem perspiciatis sit aliquam.

Quaerat fugit cumque deserunt ea. Maxime itaque quaerat architecto fuga distinctio sequi ut.

Aliquid tenetur nam vero magnam aliquid. Maxime rerum aut sit omnis dolorem vel necessitatibus. Molestiae ea voluptatum aperiam sapiente quia eos. Alias ut ex iste. Reprehenderit occaecati veritatis saepe hic autem consequatur error.

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

Career Advancement Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 08 97.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 02 97.3%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Evercore No 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.8%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.3%

Professional Growth Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.8%
  • JPMorgan No 97.3%

Total Avg Compensation

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (50) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (25) $178
  • Intern/Summer Associate (14) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (75) $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

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...”