Some advice for someone in my situation?

Hi, so I didn't do as well as I would have liked in my first year of college. I didn't get into any finance clubs (I came in not knowing what I wanted to do). I'm not sure if I made many finance friends (if anything, I pissed off a bunch of powerful people). I've done some informational interviews/coffee chats, but nothing has really come out of them so far.

The only thing going for me is that I have a 4.0 GPA right now (I'm on a quarter system), although I might finish with only a 3.8 GPA worst case scenario. I managed to find a small pe shop in my hometown to take me for the summer, but I'm not sure if I'll be doing any substantial work.

For reference, my goal is iBanking. I'm a mathematics major with a minor in economics at UChicago. At this point, however, I might have to aim for trading instead given my skillset.

My plan is to first continue reading fundamental investing books, introduce myself technical trading, and maybe venture into options also. I understand that this probably won't do me much good with getting into banking, but this is more for club recruiting/talking to people/making money for myself. If I really can't get into banking, I guess I'll try to get into a Chicago prop shop.

Next, I'll have to continue networking. I've heard this is essential but I suck so much at it. I also need to learn how to dress better and act more polished.

Next year, I'll have to do my best to get into all the finance clubs.

Any other advice for a guy who's feeling left in the dust? I know people who have internships in NY in their first year and are extremely involved and connected. I can't help but feel inadequate.

3 Comments
 

Hey Jason-S1112, the following topics might be helpful:

Or maybe the following users have something to say: @Pats12" albertningyang @aspiringprofessional21"

If those topics were completely useless, don't blame me, blame my programmers...

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

I’m pretty sure getting into a prop shop is harder than getting into IB, at least on average. It might be easier for your if your specialize in math and really suck at networking.

For finance club recruiting: what did the application process look like first year? What kinds of questions did they ask? I’m guessing learning about value investing helps.

You said you finished up your first year at UChicago? You have any idea how many people become interested in IB within their first year? Is the “competition” for finance recruiting really that noticeable at the school, even during first year?

 
Most Helpful

Dolore impedit atque qui eveniet et et eligendi. Eaque esse saepe sint. Totam esse tempore voluptatem ut facere dolore. Sed quia rem magnam ab.

Vel ratione inventore aliquid maiores voluptas optio est. Explicabo ipsum praesentium assumenda. Alias quis aut rerum molestiae quis consectetur nam facilis. Est dolorem nostrum amet rerum et. Earum ut neque enim suscipit vel.

Natus dolorem est harum consequatur corporis. Quod quod molestiae quos sit tempora. Eius quaerat velit ullam minima. Aspernatur cupiditate molestiae qui occaecati fugiat tempora labore.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.2%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.2%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.6%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.2%
  • JPMorgan No 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (43) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (75) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (65) $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

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
10
numi's picture
numi
98.8
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...”