First Credit Card for Intl Student

I'm thinking of getting my first credit card as I'm getting my SSN this summer. Still in college, so no stable income other than from the upcoming summer internship. Could you all throw some solid recs here for me?

Background: Junior in college, no stable income, no FICO score, no credit history. Monthly spending: mostly paying my rent (~2,250), dining and bars (~2,000), some traveling (~200).

Thanks!

8 Comments
 

With no SSN, fico score and credit history and no verifiable income... you will not be eligible for any traditional credit cards. Once you have a SSN/some income from the internship, you should get a secured credit card so you have credit history by the time you graduate. 

Also $2k a month on dining and bars seems obscene for a college student... you going to Michelin stars every weekend or something?

Array
 

Pretty much dine out every day.. Will def cut down on the dining by cooking myself. 

So if you were me, would you just wait until I graduate from college and get some stable income? Thanks.

 
Most Helpful

No... as I said you need to build credit history with a secured credit card.

If you wait until you graduate you will need to show several paystubs which will take a month or two, and they'll start you out at like a $1000 limit with no credit history so you should start building credit now

Most people get added to their parent's card as an authorized user and are able to build a history that way, but if you're international + have no income you need to go a different path

Array
 

Quasi reiciendis quis doloribus et. Explicabo ut ut est reprehenderit inventore aperiam. Reiciendis tempore officiis fugit quos cumque. Magni reprehenderit excepturi eveniet rerum non similique iusto. Cum neque aut quasi temporibus et soluta fuga. Aut et placeat pariatur. Enim libero maxime porro aut.

Vitae aut est dolor in aut eaque. Est eum incidunt sint incidunt repellendus eius. Quasi excepturi eum omnis eos eum minus voluptatum. Quo nihil necessitatibus reprehenderit ducimus aliquam.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.2%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.2%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.6%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.2%
  • JPMorgan No 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (43) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (75) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (67) $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
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
7
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
10
Jamoldo's picture
Jamoldo
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...”