Advice for a High School senior year student?

dude as someone who lives in asu land, dont go here. it gets too hot and you have better options. im also a high schooler and just target more colleges as well. just my opinion 

this is what gemini said

Breaking into high finance (investment banking, private equity, or hedge funds) from a non-target background is challenging, but with absolute clarity, relentless execution, and a strict strategic roadmap, it is completely feasible.

If I were in your friend's boots, here is the exact, unvarnished blueprint I would follow to maximize their profile right now, handle university selection, and navigate undergrad to reach a top-tier buy-side role or a T20 MBA.

1. The Immediate Action Plan (Right Now)

• The SAT is Non-Negotiable: A 1380 is a strong starting baseline, but for high finance recruiting and top-tier US university applications, it acts as a filter. They need to treat the November 7th retake with absolute intensity. They should aim for a 1500+ (ideally maximizing the Math section to a 780-800), as quantitative competency is highly scrutinized.
• Contextualize Extracurriculars: Admissions and finance firms don't just look at titles; they look for proof of passion. If they run a high school finance or investing club, they shouldn't just "host meetings." They need to build a structured, competitive framework—such as entering real stock pitch competitions or tracking a simulated, highly concentrated long-term value or Growth at a Reasonable Price (GARP) portfolio.
• Build Technical Capabilities Early: They should not wait for university to learn the job. They need to understand financial statements inside and out. Reading financial foundations (like the Wall Street Journal) and mastering asset-versus-liability breakdowns will place them miles ahead of their college peers before day one.

2. Strategic University Targeting & Selection

With a budget of $60,000–$80,000/year, they have a very healthy run-rate to afford international tuition at excellent institutions.

While they listed Penn State, Rutgers, ASU, and Ohio State, they need to categorize universities by how they actually place into finance:

• The "Reach" Target (Indiana Kelley): This should be a major priority. While Indiana University broadly is a large state school, the Kelley School of Business (specifically their Investment Banking Workshop) places exceptionally well into Wall Street, competing directly with Ivy League schools. If they get into Kelley, they must fight to get into that workshop.
• The State School Strategy (Penn State, Ohio State, Rutgers, ASU): These are considered "semi-targets" or "non-targets" for Wall Street, meaning large investment banks and hedge funds do not recruit heavily on campus. However, they do have strong regional placement and massive alumni networks. If they attend one of these, they must graduate at the absolute top of their class (3.8+ GPA) and aggressively network with alumni.
• Expanding the Geographical Scope:
  • The UK: With A2 predicted grades of A*AA, they are highly competitive for top UK institutions (e.g., LSE, UCL, Warwick, Imperial). The UK system is highly meritocratic regarding grades, and London is a global hub for both investment banking and mega-funds.
  • The UAE: Given they live in Riyadh, they should closely look at NYU Abu Dhabi or target major international satellite campuses. The Middle East (Riyadh and Dubai) is seeing an unprecedented boom in finance, driven by massive sovereign wealth funds (PIF, ADIA, Mubadala) and incoming multi-manager hedge funds. Breaking into Riyadh finance as a Pakistani national who understands the region is an underappreciated, highly lucrative angle.

3. The Undergraduate Blueprint (What to Do in College)

If they end up at a semi-target or non-target university, their campus strategy must be flawless:

• The GPA Anchor: Their GPA is their first filter. They need to maintain a 3.8 to 4.0. High finance firms use a high GPA as a proxy for work ethic and intelligence when recruiting from non-traditional schools.
• Select a High-Alpha Major: Pair a Finance degree with a highly quantitative double major or minor, such as Computer Science, Mathematics, or Statistics. The modern buy-side (even fundamental equity research) heavily favors candidates who can parse data, understand basic programming workflows (like Python or SQL), and handle deep quantitative financial modeling.
• Join the Elite Campus Funds: Every university has a student-run endowment or investment club that manages real money. They need to interview and claw their way into these clubs during their freshman year. This provides immediate access to upperclassmen who have secured top-tier internships.
• The Internship Ladder: They cannot afford a wasted summer.
  • Freshman Summer: Secure any local finance or accounting internship (even at a small boutique firm or family office in Riyadh or their college town).
  • Sophomore Summer: Target sophomore-specific diversity or boutique investment banking/equity research roles.
  • Junior Summer: This is the main event. This internship is where 90% of full-time Wall Street offers are handed out.

4. Networking: The Ultimate Equalizer

Because top-tier funds won't actively come to a school like ASU or Penn State to recruit for elite hedge fund roles, your friend must go to them.

• They need to map out professionals on LinkedIn who share a similar background (e.g., alumni from their future university, or South Asian professionals working in New York, London, or Riyadh).
• They should reach out for short, 15-minute informational interviews to ask about their career paths.
• Finance recruiting is an endurance sport driven by referrals. One strong advocate inside a fund can pull a resume out of the resume drop pile and guarantee an interview.

5. The CFA & T20 MBA Fallback Plan

Their long-term plan to leverage the CFA and a Top 20 MBA is highly realistic and a classic "re-routing" strategy.

• The CFA charter is highly respected in asset management and equity research (less so in traditional investment banking). Passing Level I during senior year or right after graduation signals intense dedication.
• If they start their career at a regional bank, corporate finance role, or boutique advisory firm, working hard for 3–4 years and scoring a high GMAT/GRE will position them perfectly for a top-tier MBA (like Wharton, Chicago Booth, or Columbia). An MBA acts as a complete career reset, opening the doors directly to Associate-level roles at major funds and investment banks.

They have the self-awareness to recognize where they fell short in the past, the budget to execute globally, and the drive to change their trajectory. If they channel that regret into hyper-focused execution starting with the November SAT, they can absolutely achieve this goal.