High School Junior Looking For College Advice
Greetings,
I’m currently a high school junior planning to pursue investment banking after college. I’ve been trying to realistically assess what middle tier schools I should focus on. ( I know i’m far out of range for top schools )
Here are my current stats:
- GPA/Class Rank: ~3.91 UW / 4.26 W (projected ~4.38 by the end of junior year)
- Course Rigor: 13 APs + 1 Dual Enrollment (Calc AB/BC, Micro/Macro, APUSH, Lang, etc.)
- SAT: 1380 currently, aiming for at the very least 1480
Extracurriculars:
- DECA: ICDC qualifier (2x), 5th at states, chapter & district president
- Founder & President of Economics Club (~40 members), competing in Wharton Global Investment Competition & National Economics Challenge
- Internship: Finance/technology intern at a government contracting firm ( this is nepo)
- Athletics: Varsity lacrosse captain, long-term commitment since middle school
- Other: Mu Alpha Theta VP (math honor society ), NHS (treasurer), Key Club
Demographics: White male, upper middle-class, public high school in a highly competitive district
Questions:
1. Based on my profile, what schools should I realistically try to get.
2. Are there any high-impact programs, internships, or opportunities I should pursue before applying that would meaningfully improve my positioning for top schools and IB recruiting?
To position yourself for investment banking (IB) and maximize your chances at target schools, here's what you need to know:
1. Target Schools for IB Placement
Based on the most helpful WSO content, target schools are institutions where investment banks actively recruit, often through on-campus networking and interviews. Here’s a breakdown of schools you should consider:
Your GPA, course rigor, and extracurriculars are strong, but your SAT score (1380, projected 1470+) might be slightly below the median for the most competitive schools. Aim for a 1500+ to strengthen your application for top-tier targets.
2. Semi-Target Schools
If you want to expand your options, consider semi-target schools, which have regional strength in IB recruiting: - West Coast: USC, UCLA, Claremont McKenna. - South: UT Austin (McCombs), Emory, Rice, Vanderbilt. - East Coast: Boston College, Villanova, Lehigh, Georgetown. - Midwest: Indiana University (Kelley), Washington University in St. Louis.
3. High-Impact Programs and Opportunities
To further enhance your profile and positioning for IB recruiting: - Boost SAT Score: A 1500+ will make you more competitive for top schools. - Summer Programs: Apply to prestigious finance-related programs like: - Wharton’s Leadership in the Business World (LBW). - MIT Launch or other entrepreneurship programs. - Girls Who Invest (if applicable) or similar finance-focused initiatives. - Internships: While your current internship is a good start, aim for finance-related roles at boutique investment banks or wealth management firms. Even unpaid internships can demonstrate your commitment to the field. - Networking: Start building connections early. Reach out to alumni from your high school or local area who attended target schools or work in IB. This can help with both admissions and future recruiting. - Competitions: Continue excelling in DECA and the Wharton Global Investment Competition. These achievements can differentiate you in applications. - Leadership Roles: Your leadership in DECA, Economics Club, and athletics is impressive. Highlight these in your applications to showcase initiative and teamwork.
4. Additional Tips
By focusing on improving your SAT score, pursuing impactful summer programs, and continuing to excel in your extracurriculars, you’ll position yourself well for both top schools and IB recruiting. Good luck!
Sources: Comprehensive List of Target Schools for Investment Banking, An old man looking for advice, An old man looking for advice, Non-Target to MM IB: My Advice
You’re cooked for ivies and stern, northwestern, UChicago etc, but you can still get Ross/georgetown. Make sure you ED one of those (or stern/Uchi which are significantly easier in ED)
I had the big GPT make the questions, I already knew that the actually good schools were out of reach lol.
When I comes to ED, I looked into Uchig and NYU after you mentioned it and it looks enticing. Until you brought those schools up I was planning on UVA ED because I’m instate. Am I even close enough to being on level with Uchig or NYU where it would be worth leaving the UVA ED?
Consider doing the UChicago summer camp and then ED0… I’ve heard that is easier to get into even than ed1. After that, if you can get the SAT above 1510 or so I’d ED Stern if not then UVA
safeties should probably be smu and iu kelley, both are useless without their specialty programs though. if you get your sat up you probably have a good chance at notre dame, but check out the peak frameworks placement list, i'm also in high school and that's how i started out. good luck!
Dude, genuinely, get off this app and go enjoy life. Ride a bike or something, you’ll have your whole life to be stuck in an office and worry about recruiting.
I’m on break and it’s near college application season. Sorry I’m proactive
I think the most risk averse option is applying to UVA McIntire ED (since you're an in-state applicant). I'd also throw in apps to LACs that place (Amherst, Williams, & Middlebury) along with Emory Goizueta. I'd also apply to Penn State as a safety (your profile is stronger than the avg Penn State admit, but the school places). I would also apply to Cornell ILR RD. As long as you apply test optional, and craft one hell of a story about why you're interested in ILR you could possibly get a guaranteed sophomore transfer offer at Cornell. Most ILR applicants have no idea what the major is, and their applications don't fare well as a result. Your essays REALLY have to demonstrate that you know what ILR is, and explain in a detailed & nuanced way why you're interested in ILR. I know a few people who got guaranteed transfer offers from Cornell ILR, so it seems that ILR gives a lot of those out. I wouldn't spend your ED on Cornell though. I think your best chance (with your current profile) is to apply ED to McIntire, since it's the most risk averse choice, here. Also, what are your AP scores? Those can make up for lower SAT/ACT scores.
Ive only taken 1 AP test so far (AP World) and got a 4. This year I’m taking 6 AP test’s we’ll see how those go. When it comes to SAT so far I haven’t taken it seriously and should be able to get it to high 14’s low 15’s if I really try, over the summer after lax and testing is over im going to enroll in a prep class and puts tons of effort towards it.
As a former Virginian, I think ED UVA may not be a bad move. UVA is stats heavy, and 1380 SAT is not a guaranteed or likely admit for EA. UVA will serve you very well for IB / finance recruiting, and for the additional risk (and tuition cost), I would argue that Georgetown/Ross/NYU are not really worth it. Anecdotally, most of my hometown friends who seriously recruited IB from UVA did well.
Yeah atm UVA is the top, after that id say UF, but god forbid Vtech
PM’d you
Unfortunately your demographic background and zip code will not be in your favor but there’s nothing you can do about that.
The first thing you should be focusing on is getting a 1500 SAT or higher, ideally 1550 with your background. The new SAT format is very unforgiving so make sure to prep a lot. I didn’t get my SAT score until 2 weeks before RD deadlines (didn’t apply anywhere in the early round except for my local state school) and that caused me to have an unhealthy amount of anxiety and uncertainty about my college prospects. Don’t follow my path because I was (and still am) extremely lazy and never studied for the SAT even leading up to the December test which was my final opportunity for a sufficient test score. You can imagine how much stress that caused me to have.
Your ECs are pretty good. I’d suggest finding an internship of some sort for the summer, or maybe even a typical summer job like working at a fast-food restaurant.
Most importantly (once you get a good SAT score), write phenomenal essays. There are plenty of great resources out there to help you with this. Your personal statement doesn’t have to be something related to your major. My suggestion is to write about an interesting anecdote instead.
If you do all of these successfully then you can probably get into a low-tier Ivy (particularly if you apply ED).
After spring sports I’m planning to go full throttle into SAT. I’m working on getting an internship at the moment but if it doesn’t pan out I’ll be working that regular old job.
Pretty crazy profile for high school. Maybe it's because I'm not from the US, but aside from your SAT score, I don't see why you'd have a hard time getting into a top-tier public university or an ivy. Do all HYPSM+ undergrads have to cure cancer to get in? Lol
Ratione omnis vel ut accusantium ut dolorem. Alias ad voluptas error ipsam quia quia. Voluptatem voluptatibus perspiciatis dicta recusandae maiores.
Asperiores optio eum sint expedita quas aperiam aperiam. Ad magni quibusdam vel dolorum voluptate accusamus quis dolor. Sequi minus est quia maiores. Non molestiae neque blanditiis nisi labore consequatur itaque. Suscipit et perferendis earum dolorem. Rem quibusdam consequatur adipisci expedita voluptatem libero. Odit qui doloribus id aliquam.
Quaerat neque cumque quod. Recusandae porro id commodi porro ipsa non. Aut vitae molestiae dolorem et. Quo ipsum dolores sint quibusdam dolores quidem maxime.
Distinctio a quia illo maxime. In tempora consequuntur qui animi minima dolores. Enim rerum impedit inventore assumenda illum porro. Assumenda quia dolor harum itaque quaerat perspiciatis magnam id.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...