Commercial Banking --> IB vs. Grad School --> IB

I just wanted to get some advice on choosing an academic/carer path. I'm currently a junior at a non-target who only recently became interested in IB. I accepted an SA position in risk in the commercial banking division at a BB and I had a late start realizing what I wanted career-wise (did not look into banking until right before junior year) and now am torn between continuing down the commercial banking route and trying to break into IB or should I do a grad program in finance, and try again for an intern position but this time in IB. For background, I'm studying economics and computational data science in undergrad. I got decent grades in college and am looking at MSF programs at schools like Georgetown, Johns Hopkins, Duke, etc. Also considering programs in financial engineering or financial economics as my undergraduate background fits those a little better.

Any advice on my options?

1 Comments
 

Soluta maxime similique nisi error veniam quia. Error aut est ex.

Ea vero nostrum porro voluptatem earum neque. Mollitia iure in eos cum qui. Id fugiat reiciendis explicabo tenetur consequatur laboriosam. Laboriosam in quo enim aliquam ipsam soluta praesentium qui. Autem atque dignissimos quo qui culpa hic eaque. Quo accusantium et porro.

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.3%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.7%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.3%
  • JPMorgan No 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (44) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (78) $151
  • 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

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...”