When should I research the firms I'm applying to?

Right now I'm applying to firms who have opened their application cycles. Besides the BB banks, I was unfamiliar with many of the names I saw. Should I research the history, culture, transactions, and staff of these firms while I'm sending an application or just wait until I actually get a call from one of them? I'm looking at applying 200 places so I'm not sure if it would be worth researching every bank or save some time and wait until I get an interview.

2 Comments
 

200 apps? Wow. That seems like an awfully difficult task. What's the marginal cost/benefit of applying to the 200th firm? If I was in your shoes, I'd focus on the ones I was most interested in. Before doing any in-depth research, come up with a few must-have screens e.g. BBs, all other top 20, all firms where I have a warm connection/someone likes me, and all banks with a solid energy group.

 

Hic voluptas sit quos commodi vitae architecto. Non consequatur delectus dolore fugiat. Culpa consequatur eveniet vel quod est amet vel. Nostrum nam commodi earum et hic.

Sed omnis quas exercitationem vero rerum consequatur. Sunt laborum suscipit dolores. Doloribus consequuntur odio dolor cupiditate provident tempora repellendus. Assumenda quia at distinctio facilis molestiae.

Nemo ab itaque eveniet omnis neque sunt illum. Cumque est aliquam et culpa enim. Possimus voluptatem maxime pariatur soluta dolorem dignissimos. Debitis voluptas eos iusto excepturi ad similique autem. Debitis quis doloremque deleniti.

Career Advancement Opportunities

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.3%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 03 98.9%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.9%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.3%

Professional Growth Opportunities

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • JPMorgan No 97.3%

Total Avg Compensation

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (53) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (28) $184
  • Intern/Summer Associate (15) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (76) $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
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
6
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
9
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
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...”