Going to IU Kelley, am I cooked?

I am a senior in high school attending Kelley as a direct admit in the fall. I’ve heard a lot about the IBW and the sheer difficulty of getting in regardless of how hard you work. As someone with minimal connections in the industry and zero connections at Kelley, where do I begin so that I hit the ground running and maximize my chances at the IBW? I have accumulated a lot of credits in high school that should let me have more flexibility with my schedule freshman year to maximize GPA, so I guess there’s a start.

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Maximizing your chances at IU Kelley's Investment Banking Workshop (IBW) requires a strategic approach. Here's what you need to focus on:

  1. Academic Excellence:

    • Aim for as close to a 4.0 GPA as possible. The minimum GPA to apply is 3.6, but competitive candidates often have a 3.8+ GPA.
    • Use your flexibility to take easier professors or classes to maintain a high GPA, especially in your freshman year.
  2. Networking:

    • Start building relationships with current IBW members. Attend events, workshops, and Kelley networking opportunities to meet them.
    • Consider joining a business fraternity or social fraternity, as these connections can play a significant role in the selection process. Certain frats are known to have strong ties to the IBW.
  3. Campus Involvement:

    • Join finance-related clubs and organizations to demonstrate your interest in investment banking.
    • Seek leadership roles in these clubs to stand out on your application.
  4. Preparation for IBW Application:

    • Research the IBW thoroughly to understand what they look for in candidates.
    • Develop a strong resume and practice behavioral interview techniques early.
  5. Leverage Diversity (if applicable):

    • If you belong to an underrepresented demographic, this could increase your chances of admission.
  6. Strategic Social Fit:

    • The IBW values "optimal social fit," so work on building rapport with peers and demonstrating strong interpersonal skills.
  7. Long-Term Focus:

    • Even if you don’t get into the IBW, remember that it’s still possible to break into investment banking through networking, high GPA, and strong interview performance.

By focusing on these areas, you can position yourself as a strong candidate for the IBW and beyond.

Sources: IU Kelley Investment Banking Workshop admission questions, Non-IBW Kelley????, Don't go to IU Kelley, Don't go to IU Kelley, The most underrated business school

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You’re cooked dude. If you don’t already have 3-4 IB/PE/AM internships and a large professional network before starting your freshman year of college, you are cooked for getting into the IBW, let alone a SA position.

 
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Current Kelley senior here. To maximize your chance of getting the workshop join the financial services club as soon as you get on campus. They are the gateway to all other clubs which help you make connections. You need at least one really good finance club to be competitive so you should apply to all of them like FIR, PMC, and Knall Cohen. Business frats also are extremely helpful as many IBW members are in them and it helps from a networking standpoint. Also keep GPA high, if you can do 3.8+ thats perfect. I will also add I wasn’t in the workshop or seminar cause i was a dumbass freshman year and landed a pretty good MM role for FT and know of a few others who did as well. Kelley as a school is getting better and thankfully its not workshop or nothing anymore.

 

I’m at IU and didn’t get into IBS or IBW, and recruiting has been going great. Choosing a school solely for IB is dumb

 

definitely make the most of clubs, but also honestly setup linkedin and try and set up chats with upperclassmen early. Something that helped me with recruiting was having chats with seniors and juniors as a incoming freshman who would end up being on the desk by the time I started recruiting. Just developing your presence and how many ppl yk is honestly the best way outside of learning the techs

 

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