SAT/ACT Scores and where you are now
Thought it would be Interesting for everyone to drop their test scores they took in high school and see if there is a strong correlation between the scores and where they are, curious to see if there might be some really low scores also
31 on ACT, was an athlete and went to a target, now in UMM PE
Curious to see if any low numbers come in like sub 1200 SAT or 20 ACT
1530 SAT, went to semi target, canadian bank
1360 SAT, non-target, LMM boutique
28-29 ACT, non-target state school, MM IB NYC
1510, state school, straight to buyside at large opportunistic credit shop
1210 SAT. MM FDD lol
What is FDD
Financial Due Diligence
EB-> UMM PE. 36 act/1560 sat. Had a terrible gpa in college(3.3) but i targeted hardos during ib recruitment who put test scores on linkedin. headhunters were willing to put me in front of UMM/ some MFs despite GPA due to test score
lol if it works it works
35 ACT, Target, BB IB
Don’t think it matters much after college admissions relative to GPA
Agree but I’m still seeing if there’s some lower scores
35 ACT, Target, MM IB, VC
Unironically, get a 34 or 1500 plus and put it on linkedin/resume it does help.
How do you know that? No one will judge about having stuff from high school on there?
35 ACT, semi target, Top BB NYC
1490 SAT, first year analyst at an upper middle market PE firm
Guess I’ll be one of the few non-polished people in this thread:
SAT: 1170, ACT: 23 -> Non-target (3.7 gpa) -> Top bucket MM analyst.
I only took the SAT / ACT once (actually forgot my calculator for the ACT so had to take it without one) because I worked all throughout high school to save up for college / support myself (groceries, gas, car, etc.). Never had any prep courses or books (kind of just raw dogged it) and graduated HS with like a 3.3 gpa
Glad it all worked out in the end and will be interesting to think back on this in 5 years and reflect again
Brother I’m right there with you loolll
1610 / 2400 > Had undiagnosed ADHD but was also in a household where it was really hard to study (mom would always watch tv loudly) + gaming addiction. Went to a city college.
I am in a top banking group within CLOs. I wish I knew how much school mattered; I had a gpa of around 90 (school had major deflation) and barely studied for SATs.
To those who are curious, I rarely take Adderall, but when I do it helps a lot. I think if you dont go to the right school, you'll have to grind really hard in your 20s to get into the role you want. Kind of sucks that you might have to do an expensive MBA where you do fuck all but incur a boatload of debt to switch into the career you want, but it's the way society has become.
Did you find ADD easier to manage in the workplace than in school?
36 ACT; went to a T30 semi-target and ended up at an EB. Had a 1340 / 1600 SAT but didn’t disclose in the admissions process. Got into 3 T15s but went in-state
He only asked for ur act score and wya now , don’t need to flex 🤣🤣
The real flex was the ED at a BB in the thread haha. But also was trying to get at the idea that SAT didn’t work out as well for me and offer some extra perspective about going in-state for college if there’s a good college from where you’re based out of
1560 now vol trader at bb
33 ACT, 3.5 GPA from a chill party school, LMM PE NYC
1590, AN1 at an Opportunistic Credit Fund. Went to a semi-target.
Unpopular to say, but if you're not at a true target (alumns have some street presence, but very limited to no OCR), your score does matter and stick with you.
Target students are automatically given the assumption of excellence/intelligence. A high standardized test score can help you bridge that gap. Came up multiple times when I was recruiting and was told it helped me get "through the door" at my firm.
That said, no one factor is everything -- no point in beating yourself up if it doesn't work out. People have made it from anywhere and everywhere.
1190 - 2.9 undergrad GPA (big state school) -> LMM shop nyc
33 ACT. Decent non-target (T40). AM product strategy.
1540, went to EU for school instead of UVA (Best school I got into stateside). Incoming An1 for BB Corporate Banking
1600 SAT. VP at $5B fund. Did “EB” and PE at larger fund before. Target school.
wow. what school did you go ?
Lower-tier Ivy
Non target who was super late to recruiting and had mediocre GPA but had really good scores - would sometimes get asked about it on calls and felt like it helped reduce the non target stigma a lot and helped me get a top MM IB offer
How we supposed to know what really good is hahah, it’s okay to say your score man
SAT: 1250, party state school, Top bucket - Top BB IB
I got a worse SAT and I am in the same boat. Semi target party school and still got bulge bracket IB
ACT: 35, semi-target? state school -> BB -> Boutique
32 ACT, semi-target, GS, VC
ACT 33 and 3.3 GPA at semi-target. IB-PE-PE backed strategic.
Idk how I made it with that GPA, but things worked out
2.5-2.8ish GPA in HS. 32 ACT. 3.9 GPA at a T20 semi-target. MM IB -> MM PE currently
The steady, gradual improvement.
I fucked around too much in high school but figured it out as I took time between high school and college to pursue a passion that lit a fire
2300+ SAT and 750+ GMAT, I’m an Exec Director at a BB
Which exam is harder? I think gmat is easier than sat
1590 SAT, homeless and unemployed
Took the SAT but it was out of 2400 so I am not sure how to translate that to today's numbers. But at the time, my 2180 translated to a 33 ACT.
Weird scenario where my parents emphasized prepping for the SAT (classes and practice exams) but just so that I could get scholarships, not specifically so I could get into a top school. They couldn't afford to pay for college, so SAT prep was how they were willing to help. And furthermore- I wasn't thinking much beyond the SAT. I just thought if I was smart and worked hard I would get rich. Didn't have a clue about mapping out a path or goals or anything.
Went to an unknown university as a business major. Discovered WSO after sophomore year, switched to finance and went the corpfin route. Doing well- think hitting VP in the next 5-7 years is mostly a given, and that I have as good a shot as any at C-level ultimately
1590 sat
1600 SAT -> Harvard -> UMich -> remote Montana cabin
1000-1100 SAT (sub 1100), Semi Target , I just landed Bulge bracket SA 2026 NYC. Might be anecdotal as I did not take the SAT seriously because it was when test scores were still optional
I'm like 90% sure its UNC
.
36, at an LP/FoF
2380 SAT > top NESCAC > multiple HFs
Might've gotten a perfect score if my father didn't beat me & bloody my nose the morning I had to sit for the exam.... will always remember that day for that reason lmao
Dw guys I haven't been in contact with him for 15 years
Tbh SAT score matters quite a lot in this industry. I don't think that even a high GPA can completely wash away a mediocre/poor standardized test score since people in this area of finance are specifically looking for IQ
Bump
33 ACT. Moved from PE to a PE backed CFO role, currently gearing up for a successful exit.
~950 SAT (however, caveat is that I did not try and would have scored higher if so), incoming SA @ Top BB
1590 SAT. Business Analyst at a tech company. Only 22yo though.
happy to see test scores seem to not be a predictor of anything, i’ve always tested well but didn’t help me much — 1600 sat and 36 act, went to weak semi target, current senior who accepted return offer from SA at pod hf (C/P)
I mean people take them sophomore year of high school how could they be that much of a predictor, especially if you go to a bad high school you would only know as much as they teach you
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