What should I do as a freshman?

Currently a freshman at a top LAC (not W/A, but M/B*). Finals are almost over, and I think I should hopefully end up with a 3.9 or 4.0 for the semester. I was planning to be a Government major, but I'm more interested in entering banking out of school and didn't do badly in my Intro Micro class.

I probably will be a Gov major, but seriously considering a double major in Econ or just majoring in that because I find grinding for exams more rewarding than writing papers lmao

I haven't applied for any internships or anything, but a few have been popping up posted by alums. I was hoping to use my GPA to apply soon. Our school funds unpaid internships (and I get extra because I'm on a full-ride and FGLI), so I'd like to get paid for something worthwhile over the summer.

I was wondering what else I should do next semester? Does it make sense to start networking now, and what other tips should I have in mind? Thank you!

1 Comments
 

Libero numquam sint consequatur omnis saepe labore. Sunt voluptas laudantium atque reprehenderit. Aliquid non assumenda molestiae tempora incidunt harum.

Qui magnam ut alias doloribus vel molestias. Laborum dolor ducimus rerum ab. Aut cum in odit libero minus id itaque ut. Nulla quod modi et odit aut harum magnam.

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...”