No hate, but it is painstakingly obvious this is the case right?
How many times have you guys seen people at top firms across high finance and they were at a mega target undergrad, but then notice the highschool they went to was $65k a year...
Not discrediting these kids, they are all bright and worked hard, but is it obvious that all these kids are just leveraging huge connections from their parents? I swear the amount of $65k highschool > Top Ivy > Evr/centerview/Goldman Sachs > MF is insane.. it has to be some obvious super structured pipeline obviously...
Kids with pedigree and high investment in their education are generally in better seats… woah really connected the dots here my guy, no one has ever realized this
You're absolutely right that there’s a noticeable pattern in high finance where many professionals come from elite private high schools, top-tier universities, and then land at prestigious firms. Based on the most helpful WSO content, this phenomenon is often attributed to a combination of factors:
Access to Resources: Students from $65k/year high schools often have access to exceptional resources—college counseling, SAT/ACT prep, extracurricular opportunities, and networking connections—that give them a significant edge in the admissions process for top universities.
Legacy and Connections: Many of these students benefit from legacy admissions or parental connections. For example, having a parent who is a senior executive or partner at a top firm can open doors for internships, mentorship, and even full-time roles.
Pipeline Effect: There is indeed a structured pipeline from elite high schools to Ivy League or equivalent universities, and then into top firms. These institutions often have established recruiting relationships with firms like Goldman Sachs, Evercore, and Centerview, making it easier for students to secure interviews and offers.
Cultural Fit and Prestige: Top firms often prioritize candidates from "mega-target" schools because they view these students as having already been vetted for intelligence, work ethic, and ambition. This creates a self-reinforcing cycle where firms continue to recruit from the same schools.
While it’s true that many of these individuals are bright and hardworking, the systemic advantages they enjoy cannot be ignored. However, it’s also worth noting that students from non-target or less privileged backgrounds can still break into high finance through strong grades, relevant experience, and relentless networking, as highlighted in WSO threads. It’s just a steeper climb.
Sources: https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forum/investment-banking/systemic-oppression-of-non-target-students?customgpt=1, Are top MFins target programs for Private Equity firms?, Comprehensive Undergraduate Target Schools Tier List 2020, Top Students are No Longer Going Into Finance, End of elitism
Of course finance isn't a meritocracy. That isn't news, except to WSO chuds who want to pretend like the real villains are DEI hires.
If your father works at a hedge fund, he can probably afford to send you to a great private school. Since he probably is influenced by his colleagues, it means you probably go to a private school full of the kids of other people in finance, law, real estate, etc. And when you graduate and inevitably go to a great school (because you have a great education and probably were pushed into lots of extracurriculars by your high achieving parents), you have a leg up to go work for a bank. Which you know you'll get an interview with, because your father is a big muckety muck in the finance world, and since junior people are entirely interchangeable, obviously the place you are interviewing at will hire you on the basis of creating goodwill with your father, rather than hiring the equally or more competent person who comes from nothing.
It isn't exactly a secret most people in IB come from wealthy families. I don't know if they're getting them jobs outright (i.e. your parents are doctors without finance connections, but are rich and have resources etc.) but these families breed their kids to be lawyers/finance types from the womb lol.
Not always nepotism, if the father works in Finance, he will be able to prep the kid for tech questions, stock pitches etc. or have a connection to help them with that.
That goes a long way, and it’s also why a lot of doctors / lawyers have parents that also worked in the same field.
It's 2026 and OP just discovered nepotism.
Real groundbreaking stuff here
I mean... would any of us really do it any differently if given the chance? Most of these industries are very opaque. The only way to know how to place or scale in them is to have a veteran or industry professional educate you very early. If I had the ability to have my kids attend the best schools in the country and set them up on a "safe" track like finance, law, STEM or otherwise, I would do it in a heartbeat.
I think broadly, there are two forms of nepotism: (1) setting up your kin with resources that propell them forward either formally through education or informally through connections, and (2) setting your kid up with a career/internship he or she has no real interest in but was pressured or voluntold to do it.
The first one is interesting because it's not all too different than what immigrant parents do in heavily prioritizing education, albeit without the legacy of attending said institutions, and passing on that discipline and work ethic to their kin. The second one, rightfully so, gets a lot of flack because at times, the nepo hire just creates a drag or debt to the company.
The super structure you're referencing sounds a lot like the first one; these kids were born into positions where they were placed into highly competitive schools throughout their lives. The downside of it all is that in these types of family structures, it's almost assumed that the kid will take over the family's operations or be heavily steered down that path regardless of their own passions or interests growing up. They're better off extrinsically, but the cost of it is their freedom of choice. There are exceptions to the rules and this is more structural, so anecdotally, you may have heard differently, but that's been my observation of it.
your observation is obvious, but also, I think just calling it obvious misses the point – there is a bigger point youre making which is def true – buy side roles are very very very very nepo heavy. it is a structured pipeline of getting kids into cushy seats and also keeping fee relationships incestuous.
I mean, you’re definitely not imagining it, but that's just the nature of the beast in this industry. It’s less about some secret underground cabal and more about the fact that if you grow up with parents who are MDs or partners, you’re basically being coached for the technicals and networking since middle school. I’ve seen guys who weren't even that interested in finance walk into top-tier seats just because their "extracurriculars" were perfectly curated by a $5k-a-month consultant. It sucks for the rest of us who had to figure out what a DCF was on Google, but honestly, if I had that kind of leverage for my own kids, I’d probably use it too. It’s a rigged game, for sure, but that’s why networking is basically a second full-time job if you're coming from the outside.
It’s definitely an open secret, but honestly, having resources and a structured pipeline is only half the battle. I grew up in a working-class neighborhood and busted my ass to break into high finance from a complete non-target state school. While I used to feel bitter seeing the prep-school-to-Ivy-league crowd cruise into Goldman or top private equity shops through family friends, the reality is that those guys still have to perform once they get through the door. The pipeline is real and it makes the hill way steeper for the rest of us, but at the end of the day, you can't fake the hours or the technical skill required when a live deal is blowing up at 2 AM.
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