Will 2 gap years disadvantage me getting into finance / IB in the UK?

Hello, I'm not sure if this is the right thread for this question. 

I scored a perfect 45/45 in the IB, could attend St Andrews for economics, but the caveat is that they have offered a place for 24/25 entry, and I have already taken a gap year (was actually a medical school student but left, essentially). So it would be 2 gap years and nothing done finance wise in the first year. 

Would it still be possible to score summer internship interviews / spring weeks / eventual job offers or will investment banks (BB's) instantly not consider me due to the recruiter seeing two gap years on the CV and just rejecting. Of course, I will line things up for the second coming gap year if I decide to go -- other offers are Edinburgh and Durham for 2023 entry. 

Also, I don't expect it will, but will my IB score carry any weight in the recruitment process? 

Thanks!

 

No, nobody cares or questions it and that cannot be a factor for rejecting a SW/SA applicant.

Try getting into a Finance society ASAP, if you can, try joining it even before university starts. Craft a nice CV using the WSO template and learn how to answer behavioural/competency questions as they are the most frequent type in SW interviews.

Try landing a spring week, if it doesn't work out, don't worry, move on whilst focusing on your GPA and prepare for the summer cycle for the following year.

There are plenty of resources here and threads which are extremely useful, so you can leverage those.

 

No, nobody cares or questions it and that cannot be a factor for rejecting a SW/SA applicant.

Try getting into a Finance society ASAP, if you can, try joining it even before university starts. Craft a nice CV using the WSO template and learn how to answer behavioural/competency questions as they are the most frequent type in SW interviews.

Try landing a spring week, if it doesn't work out, don't worry, move on whilst focusing on your GPA and prepare for the summer cycle for the following year.

There are plenty of resources here and threads which are extremely useful, so you can leverage those.

Good advice.

 

St Andrews is not weak but I don't think it's as strong as either of the other two. 

With the prospect of delaying my life an extra year, going to a (slightly) worse uni recruiting wise, just seems like a bad trade off to me.

Tbf I have no idea what St An is like, I just know Americans and royals like it. To me it looks like a tiny historical town in the middle of nowhere. But if you wanted that, I don't see why you wouldn't just go to Durham and if you wanted historical vibes then I don't see why you'd not just take Edinburgh. Especially if it meant getting on with my life a year earlier.

I know people say that age doesn't matter and whatnot, and I mostly agree, but sometimes it does suck just a tiny bit when you have an age mate or someone younger than you who is an associate while you're still making analyst money. Speaking from experience.

 

Blanditiis eius placeat fugit consectetur et illum. Ea minus et incidunt possimus commodi. Labore adipisci distinctio repellat voluptate. Rem at corporis est consequatur. Recusandae dolorum nam minima atque qui beatae quos aut. Suscipit et quae et aut ipsa consequatur quo. Totam aut ipsam omnis.

Quas ex et ea minus et aspernatur possimus. Voluptate et iure magnam magni esse. Totam reiciendis ratione assumenda. Vel consequatur impedit occaecati officiis et.

Cumque dolor sapiente impedit officia. Omnis at ut dicta est et sed. Deserunt ut nulla aspernatur officia.

Quos doloremque aliquam possimus ab ab rerum. Repellat delectus voluptas itaque. Consectetur quo aut et eius iste amet doloribus. Eius alias ut in minima. Cupiditate exercitationem sapiente iusto qui.

Career Advancement Opportunities

April 2024 Investment Banking

  • Jefferies & Company 02 99.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 19 98.8%
  • Harris Williams & Co. New 98.3%
  • Lazard Freres 02 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 03 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

April 2024 Investment Banking

  • Harris Williams & Co. 18 99.4%
  • JPMorgan Chase 10 98.8%
  • Lazard Freres 05 98.3%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.7%
  • William Blair 03 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

April 2024 Investment Banking

  • Lazard Freres 01 99.4%
  • Jefferies & Company 02 98.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 17 98.3%
  • Moelis & Company 07 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 05 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

April 2024 Investment Banking

  • Director/MD (5) $648
  • Vice President (19) $385
  • Associates (87) $260
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (14) $181
  • Intern/Summer Associate (33) $170
  • 2nd Year Analyst (66) $168
  • 1st Year Analyst (205) $159
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (146) $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...”