Just committed to Harvard College: How Do I Break Into PE (or even HF) Out Of Undergrad?

Let's not do this for the thousandth time.  Use the search function.  

Did you go to brophy? If so look up other brophy/harvard folks that have done it. 

Apply to the big hedge fund internships and grad schemes, and think critically about businesses you walk by and what makes them good/great/bad/shit, use WSO and fintwit to learn more about the industry broadly and learn how to properly pitch a stock. 

Modelling + accounting is important too, but showing raw "insight" is more important. Get any internship that's either finance-related or really pushes how you think (academic positions, think-tanks etc, given you're econ).

Consider a STEM minor, not because the skills are important, but because it'll push you out of your comfort zone. I didn't think I'd actually get smarter during school, but studying a degree I was rather ill-suited for definitely built up a sort of grit and improved my problem-solving a lot.

Also something that's not really mentioned much around HF but implicitly I find to be true in my experience is that having an appreciation for the scientific method and the empiricism of data vs just theory/logic can help you frame arguments/pitches and your own research into stocks/industries in a more compelling and insightful manner.

There isn't a one-size fits all approach to HF out of school, even on the same grad scheme you'll have very divergent experiences and ways of thinking - the above is what helped me but it may not help you.

I think you should really spend some time on “why” you are not open to doing banking… The IB->PE pipeline is tried and true for a reason (good training ground, more time to figure out what you want to do, larger class size with peers to help ease transition from school). There are maybe a handful of PE shops that have decent training but overall, many top places do not hire Analysts for a reason. Personally, as someone who works in MFPE, would highly recommend banking first unless maybe you get a generalist MFPE role. Would make sure you don’t focus too much on getting PE straight out of college and then miss out on a good banking gig that would’ve gotten you better placement in the long-run.

Congrats on the acceptance. I was in your shoes four years ago. Just relax a bit. If you got into Harvard from a public school in 2025 you're probably a smart and high-achieving student. Enjoy your senior year, enjoy your first year, take challenging classes but get good grades in all of them. Join the right organizations and rush a frat. Just don't come off as a hardo in networking chats because that is probably the only possible reason in the chance you don't break into PE: not because you weren't smart or prepared enough given that you're at Harvard and probably practiced for the interviews. Other than that, PE SA recruiting happens aroudn the same time as IB SA, maybe a bit earlier. Good luck.

I would think about studying something worthwhile like engineering or math...and maybe trying to invent something to solve some of the world's problems vs. preparing for a job that had its heyday five years ago.

Insane to me that anyone would want to work at an HF today. If you want to learn business, go work at a growing start-up (series B or series C). 

Get good grades and just relentlessly pursue on-campus recruiting. You'll have more than enough opportunities.