3.125 at NYC semi-target, what do I have going for me?

I'm a rising sophomore at a school in NYC. There's never an excuse for this shit, but I did take more advanced classes than many people in my major. Also got diagnosed with ADHD but my parents are very anti-stimulant. Even then, I recognize I didn't put in the effort and wasted a lot of time just fucking around. I'm taking easier classes next semester that'll hopefully bring it up to 3.42 before SA27 IB recruiting takes off (will apply to BB but I'll likely focus more on MM). 
I fucked up completely last year and I'm very aware of that, having spent much of this summer reflecting and getting myself ready for interviews (techs + behaviorals). For further context, I have 2 search fund internships, an equity research role, and a low-tier school club research role on my resume. 
Any tips on offsetting my GPA, explaining it, or networking in NYC going into this year would be greatly appreciated. 
Be tough and direct--I think I need to hear it.

14 Comments
 
Most Helpful

I think it's going to be tough. The GPA is an important factor. When I was a college junior over a decade ago, the minimum to apply to IB programs was 3.5+, and that's just to get your resume through the resume drop. Networking "may" help but you reasoned that you took hard classes and didn't do well isnt a good sell either. I think you should focus on getting the GPA up as much as you can. Not sure if you can, but take more classes than usual to see if you can blend the GPA higher (e.g. 6 classes versus 5 classes, if you think you can do well in all those classes).

 

I knew a guy with a 3.3 GPA at a target that just simply would not get sent hirevues after he submitted an app (to be fair, this guy also required work sponsorship so it could have also been that). But yea it's gonna be tough, a lot of shops screen out resumes below 3.5

 

Aperiam explicabo voluptas voluptatem aut asperiores facere velit. Laborum esse optio dolor qui porro tempore officiis aut. Magnam est earum qui dolorem esse optio. Voluptates amet iusto asperiores voluptas sequi.

Dolor veritatis maxime perferendis mollitia doloremque ut. Ipsa rerum consequatur quaerat nulla non molestiae est rerum.

Voluptate ullam illum ut ipsa unde deserunt qui laborum. Porro dolore cumque veniam officiis voluptas tempora. Perferendis dolorem voluptatem ipsum. Temporibus unde non et vero eum culpa. Id excepturi vel veritatis illo. Sint suscipit qui eos autem.

Career Advancement Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.2%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.3%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.3%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.7%
  • JPMorgan 01 97.2%

Total Avg Compensation

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (46) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (14) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (80) $150
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (73) $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
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
10
numi's picture
numi
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...”