What can I do to optimize my chances for IB at Texas A&M?

Definitely join Horizons they’re starting to really pick up their placement. Beyond that just focus on locking down a good sophomore internship for now so you’ll have something to flex once you start recruiting for your junior internship. Transferring isn’t a terrible idea but if you’re gonna transfer to somewhere like UT it probably won’t be worth the hassle.

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I don’t think you can join Horizons/AOWS until you’re a sophomore looking for a summer analyst position- I’d say join Aggie Investment Club and begin your journey there as a freshman. If you can join committees and take part in stock pitch competitions, it should help boost your resume when applying for Horizons/AOWS!

If you wanna work in energy just keep your GPA up, network well (lots of aggies in houston and Dallas), your first year join professional organizations since you won’t have any formal experience.

Shouldn’t have a problem getting into IB from Mays, it’s a great school (shitty town though)

If you’re shooting for NY-join AOWS and try for Horizons. People break through every now and then to NY, but I know quite a few of them do it through diversity programs.

If just looking at Houston, or another regional bank, join Horizons and don’t worry about AOWS since it is NY focused.

Like others said, focus on getting an internship (both summers before junior year if you can, this is extremely beneficial) and join some orgs like Investment Club, or anything else you are interested in to give your resume a boost. Horizons typically places about 8-15 kids in banking each year out of around 25-30 if I remember correctly. Most of that is Houston though.

NY is going to be a real uphill battle even with networking. It's doable, but not likely.

If I were you, focus on Houston, which is a pretty easy get from A&M, and lateral out at 1 year or 2 years. Don't breathe a word of wanting to go to NYC - not to your best friend at school, nor during SA, or for a single minute during your first year. Lateral out after your first bonus, or as an A2A.

Would recommend that you get your degree, leverage it to get a job on the janitorial staff at GS HQ, then use that to try to get in front of some people who might be able to give you a referral.

Basically impossible to break into NYC if you’re not diversity. Would do engineering or STEM - higher chance of breaking into FAANG outside of Texas. 

This would be my mental checklist in your position:

• Get good grades, i.e., 3.7+ and preferably 3.8+
• Network and do so effectively (read guides about good networking, because if you half-ass it, it's just garbage in, garbage out)
• Slowly prepare for interviews with a focus on behaviorals (occasionally check Handshake for freshman summer internships)
• Get involved with different student organizations and try to get to leadership positions (preferably 1 finance and 1 nonfinance, it looks better on transfer apps. Don't stress if you can't get leadership positions as a freshmen, but at least make an effort to get them)
• If you really want to work in NYC and not Houston, research good schools and liberal arts colleges with strong IB presences in the Northeast (e.g., Boston College, Tufts, Wesleyan, Bowdoin etc). Take your time crafting a good transfer essay and app

Listen very closely and I’ll tell you the best thing you can do to become successful. Get the hell out of cstat asap and transfer to UT buddy