Best feeder high schools

First time poster long time lurker here. Was wondering if anyone could shed some light on the best feeder target high schools for eventual BBIB placement. I was asking because I wanted to see if it made sense for me to transfer schools since I go to a super non target no name public school. I'm afraid of transferring schools right now being in my junior year but I'm more afraid that my current school won't help when it comes time for recruiting in university. About me: junior 3.85 GPA (non weighted), 3 sport varsity athlete, 1500/1600 SAT, club president for diversity club, and habitat for humanity. I'm afraid to leave during my junior year but I'm more afraid that I won't be able to get into the right target school and thus won't be able to get a job on Wall Street which I've wanted to do since I was in middle school. What are my chances of placing into a target Uni now or should I just increase my chances by transferring to a school with more credibility on the street?

34 Comments
 
Most Helpful

I'm really hoping this is a joke/sarcastic post and not legitimate... because if you mean this, then that's a bigger problem. Anyway, it depends on your region, but in the Northeast, you've got: Trinity School (NYC), Phillips Exeter, Phillips Andover, Hotchkiss, Lawrenceville, Deerfield Academy, etc. Basically the Eight Schools Association, as well as a litter of others across NYC. 

 

I would make this a more exhaustive list. 

Top Target - elite schools only

Eight Schools Association/Ivy Prep League in NYC

Target - secondary top private schools

Groton/Loomis Chafee/Taft/Harvard Westlake/Regis etc. 

Semi Target - private schools with notable students/alumni just as not as many as the ones above + top NYC publics 

Columbia Grammar/Loyola/Xavier/Fordham Prep/Stuyvesant/Bronx Science

 

1500 SAT? That's like 60th percentile. Have fun at Penn State, not Penn

 
Funniest

Honestly with how competitive the job market is, you need to be at least at a semi-target HS to have a shot at breaking in. I think there is a BIWS guide to asking your parents to move you to a new school district so you can recruit for BB/EBs. Have you considered putting yourself up for adoption in more elite markets? Maybe network with bankers who live in target school districts and see if they know anyone who wants to adopt. Good luck!

 

You try to joke, but it's true. If you're not at a hypertarget high school, your life is basically over.

My friends who all went to Oxford with me (Mostly PPE, Classics or E&M) I've noticed a pattern within. The ones who went to Eton (27 of them) have an average net worth right now (we're all 25-28) of $18.7MM USD. The ones who didn't (normal shit-tier high schools), despite going to Oxbridge and the same universities as us had an average net worth of -$160k USD.

 

This is kind of true. Even if the kid breaks into Oxford from a shit-tier normal highschool, he probably won't break into IB. 

 

I went to a semi-target prep school (think Loomis, Taft, Groton). Even from my school, it was a challenge for anyone to "break the mold" into a top target college (think Harvard, Stanford, Wharton) and even for those who did, a greater challenge breaking into BBIB (think Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, JP Morgan). The stigma of a semi-target stays with you for life like a haunting ghost no matter how hard you try to hide it.

 

Beauxbatons, Durmstrang, Hogwarts are all target HS. The SAT hurdle is magically high so that could be a challenge. But there’s always the Quidditch recruits.

 

This is honestly what’s such bullshit about recruiting for IB. I’m 1600 SAT, 5.0 weighted, and have zero friends because I study all day but since I’m at a nontarget (think Bayside/John Adams). Some rich tool who knows his way around a bludger is gonna go Hogwarts>Wharton> Goldman TMT and I’m gonna be sitting here with my dick in my hand begging for a summer job at Northwestern Mutual.

 

Rem rerum nobis unde similique et. Pariatur laborum voluptatem nisi architecto eos commodi quibusdam. Libero et laboriosam qui sequi odit consequatur et est. Omnis quidem id mollitia et ullam eos. Accusantium hic facilis sit.

Dolores dolores consequuntur velit voluptatem velit et consequatur. Aperiam quia et totam magnam in sed eveniet. Unde deserunt iure laudantium nihil non.

Aut ut quia voluptas. Voluptatibus amet alias eos architecto molestiae sint. Modi a voluptates quae accusamus fugit veniam assumenda. Velit recusandae eos ex nobis ipsa id iusto tempore. Sit ut in illo omnis asperiores mollitia laborum.

 

Reprehenderit porro optio perspiciatis dignissimos dignissimos eum. Vel omnis facere repellendus voluptas. Voluptatibus nobis dolor voluptatum voluptatem. Aut nulla ut nobis ipsa ut nesciunt accusamus.

Ut occaecati doloribus et voluptatem optio optio qui laborum. Quia eos esse sunt exercitationem et aut perspiciatis. Ipsum assumenda et corrupti ullam. Adipisci occaecati eaque aut doloremque. Nihil quia dolor error sunt ut.

Nihil ipsa laudantium error cumque cumque. Cumque amet blanditiis quo dolorum cupiditate. Voluptas deserunt explicabo quo. Blanditiis expedita eos consequatur ut. Hic tempora id sequi eligendi laboriosam.

Illum ea dignissimos ut sit natus eum eligendi. Nihil optio voluptatem sint nam qui laborum quasi. Excepturi rerum vero sapiente labore magni.

Career Advancement Opportunities

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 99.0%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Guggenheim Partners 02 97.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 97.4%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 99.0%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 04 97.9%
  • BMO Capital Markets 13 97.4%

Professional Growth Opportunities

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 99.0%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • JPMorgan No 97.4%

Total Avg Compensation

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (17) $409
  • Associates (58) $261
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (29) $183
  • Intern/Summer Associate (16) $161
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (77) $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
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
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...”