Stuck and don't know what to do.
Fair warning this is me spilling my thoughts out on paper to you guys that know a lot more than me.
Currently in my life I do not know how to progress my next steps. Let me explain my situation. All info will be relevant.
Coming out of HS: 3.2 GPA - no SAT - Chose to play D1 lacrosse at a very low tier school because all I wanted was D1 lacrosse, was not aware how important undergrad is when pursuing a career in finance, more specifically IB.
Spent two years at this school as a BA major with a concentration in finance, I then switched to a concentration in accounting after realizing that it would be more beneficial for career prospects.
After my most recent sophomore year I decided to enter the transfer portal as I figured I would be able to use lacrosse as leverage to get into a better undergrad. Finished sophomore year with a 3.4 GPA.
Let me add that I also have no internship experience, I was extremely late to the game on how important GPA and internship experience was for what I want to do in the future, this is both my fault and my schools as they only worry about junior year internships and nothing else. I missed out on the summer 2024 timeline.
As for the transfer portal, it kind of worked. At this point going into junior year I was not worried about continuing D1 lacrosse, so I explored a lot of high academic d3 schools such as some LACs and NESCACs.
The thing is: I was admitted to some of these schools that I would never have had a chance of being admitted to if I didn't play lacrosse. But these schools are still low tier in their respective leagues. There are higher tier schools which have asked me to apply in the fall and join the team in the spring however I doubt I would have the stats to get freely admitted to these higher tier schools in the fall especially when these schools are too selective for the coaches to even have a big pull on admissions.
Refresh: 3.2 HS gpa - 3.4 College gpa - No test stats - No internships - Decent enough lacrosse stats to transfer (Did not ride bench) - accepted to low tier "decent" schools that are way better than where I was, but how much better I am not sure. These schools are better than my previous as they have alumni that are in IB, my previous has produced no bankers ever, only accountants, financial advisors, investment associates, and consultants.
The schools that I would enter in the fall as junior do not have accounting as a major, thus I would be econ and finance (this has actually cost me a fall audit internship at a small CPA firm unless I find my way back into an accounting program).
I know I am severely behind the traditional IB route, I am not interested in BB which I know I am much too late for, so that said out of college I don't really care where I start, as long as whatever I am doing is applicable to IB whether that eventfully means going to bschool or using my network to pivot into an IB role.
Why IB? I could give you a BS answer however I am just going to be honest. I want IB (eventually) because like lacrosse, I want to be in a high stress, high pressure, "competitive" environment, it's the only thing I really know. I like the grind and the high visibility and it has much more interest to me than accounting or WM.
So all in all: My problem is this, I don't know what to do. As an incoming junior:
Do I stay where I am: D1 lacrosse - Accounting - No Clubs - Bad alumni - Bad school - No placement
Take an offer: D3 lacrosse - Econ/Fin - Clubs - Low tier LAC or NESCAC - OK alumni - OK school - Weak but some placement
Wait until spring (Very Risky): D3 Lacrosse - Econ/Fin - High tier NESCAC - Great alumni - Great school - Great Placement
After school : Even after I choose what option to take, what should I do? I'm going to network like crazy, get involved with everything I can, talk to my career help, up my GPA by much more now that I can allocate more time to school, and sweat techincals. But is there anything in particular that I should work towards? A certain path to take that makes more sense career wise.
Just very stuck and don't know how to progress, sorry for the essay, need to get my thoughts out there and you guys have great insight.
Based on previous WSO threads and the most helpful WSO content, here's a structured approach to your situation:
Current Situation:
Options:
Stay at Current School:
Transfer to Low-Tier LAC/NESCAC:
Wait for High-Tier NESCAC:
Recommendations:
Transfer to Low-Tier LAC/NESCAC:
Immediate Actions:
Long-Term Strategy:
Additional Tips:
By transferring to a better school with a stronger alumni network and focusing on networking, internships, and GPA improvement, you can significantly enhance your chances of breaking into IB.
Sources: Picking between LACs or Uni for Undergrad Degree, Help me choose a LAC with a career in finance in mind, High School Junior Looking For College Advice, Undergrad School OPTIONS (please help), Rising Junior Losing Hope and In Need of Advice
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