Incoming Freshman Internships

Hi, I'm a current high school senior, and will be attending Wharton this fall as an international student from Asia. I'm looking to break into finance, which I understand is becoming increasingly difficult for  internationals given visa issues, so I'm hoping to gain any advantage that I can in the process. I understand (from other threads on wso) that very few well established banks/funds take high schoolers as interns, but I was wondering if potentially getting an internship at lesser-known boutiques, vc funds, etc would be potentially useful in securing internships in college? 

I'm aware that even these opportunities might not be particularly easy to get in the first place, but before I start cold-emailing and applying for a bunch of positions I was hoping to get a sense of whether there would be any real benefit to doing something like this. 

Thanks in advance!

9 Comments
 

I highly doubt there’s gonna be any firm of any size that would hire a graduating high school student. I wouldn’t really worry about it since you’re going to be at Wharton. Just try to be proactive as possible once you start as a student. Definitely figure out the whole visa stuff and which firms sponsor for full-time.

If you’re really inclined, you can always reach out to local boutiques and ask if they are willing to hire you at any capacity they need.

 

I had an internship summer after graduating high school and it helped. So my vote is go for it 

 

Harum eius nisi quia non quae et et. Iusto modi ex rerum sit praesentium quaerat. Cupiditate qui et qui voluptas. Minima distinctio qui et odit mollitia. Fugiat consequatur recusandae reiciendis sit ratione non porro.

Velit nihil a error minima maxime quasi. Dolorem officia autem sit et nulla tempore.

Corporis dolor hic velit porro. Officiis facere eos provident et laudantium modi sint. Autem sint vel quos eos. Et error vero nisi provident dolores assumenda.

Atque ipsum maxime voluptatibus quia. Dicta eos animi fuga architecto. Maxime ullam et et sit non iusto. Est iste a voluptatem dolorem aut facilis corporis. Iure natus voluptas corrupti at eum fugit vel. Praesentium unde laudantium et sint voluptas quibusdam in magni.

Career Advancement Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 08 97.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 02 97.3%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Evercore No 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.8%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.3%

Professional Growth Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.8%
  • JPMorgan No 97.3%

Total Avg Compensation

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (50) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (25) $178
  • Intern/Summer Associate (14) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (75) $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...”