Apply for Junior or Sophomore SA position?

I just finished my first year of undergrad and I am sitting a little over 60 credits - 30 that I came in with from AP classes, and 30 from my first two semesters. This pushes my graduation date up one year to June 2020. Over the next few days I will be sending out a bunch of applications for 2019 SA internships. My question is whether I should be applying for junior or sophomore SA programs, or both, depending on the firm (apply for sophomore positions at the most prestigious firms where my chances are slim, and junior at less prestigious firms where I feel I have better odds)

The reason I am considering applying for sophomore SA programs at some firms is that I go to a non target state school, and with only one year in I have not had the opportunity to network whatsoever with the industry. Also, I am just learning how accelerated the recruiting process is for this industry, and realize I got a late jump. Despite these 3 weaknesses, I assume my resume is decent.

Resume highlights: Double major: finance & accounting - 4.0 Two internships: insurance broker & corporate finance Leadership/involvement in student investment fund and other organizations

Now that you have some more insight, does it make sense to target sophomore positions at prestigious firms like GS to give myself a fighting chance? Or do I apply to Junior SA positions at all firms regardless of their tier?

31 Comments
 

Sophomore SA positions are almost impossible to get unless you're diversity. Try your luck with the junior SA positions that are still open/have just opened.

To infinity... and beyond!
 

Are you set on 2020 graduation? It's truthfully a little bit late to be starting as a junior, especially when you (understandably) have not taken as many finance courses or have any technicals/networking. A lot of firms have filled up or are in final stages.

Unless you are diversity, the elite sophomore spots are few and far in between. Apply to any junior spots you see, but if doing another year is a possibility you'd give yourself a much better shot at the top-tier firms by applying next year for 2020 SA.

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The way I have it laid out currently is to finish my bachelors in 3, and if I was to do another year it would be to get my masters. I guess my thoughts previously were to hold off on the masters if I have good opportunities lined up without it, that way I can start building some real world experience and then go back and get a masters later in what I find would be the most suitable for my career path.

But given my late jump on 2019 SA recruiting process and lower odds of getting something for next summer, maybe I'm better off adding the year to get my masters, giving me another summer to be competitive for SA positions? In this situation would I be targeting junior SA positions even though I have technically graduated and pursuing masters?

Also, I'm thinking it would give me the chance to go to a more prestigious business school, which I feel would make me a much more competitive applicant.

 

A one-year masters program doesn't count as an undergrad year, so you wouldn't really be eligible for SA 2020 unless you delay your graduation. There are still opportunities out there, see if you can get something for 2019, and if not, your best bet would be skipping the masters entirely, getting some good experience and applying to top MBA's. Or do both, if you can afford it.

To infinity... and beyond!
 

Yeah the master's is not that highly valued in IB. The route for 2020 SA would be a 4-year bachelor, either picking up another major/minor or just coasting at 12 hours for a bit, maybe get a fall internship. I also considered graduating in 3 years, it's just not advantageous with the timeline for IB.

Agree with Buzz, see what you can get for 2019 as a junior but if you're not happy with your options then an additional undergrad year would set you up nicely for some top tier SA positions.

Array
 

Update: took this advice and got offer for a corporate banking summer analyst position for 2020, but I wont be able to accept a future full time return offer because new graduation date is december 2021. If I accept this internship it will help me for 2021 IB SA recruiting because I can list it as incoming on my resume and its part of a reputable banks capital markets group. However if I do accept it then I wont be able to recruit there for IB 2021 next spring because they think im graduating by june 2021. Is accepting the corporate banking SA position for my sophomore internship worth losing one of the top banks for my schools junior SA recruiting?

 

Update: took this advice and got offer for a corporate banking summer analyst position for 2020, but I wont be able to accept a future full time return offer because new graduation date is december 2021 (so it would be my sophomore internship). If I accept this internship it will help me for 2021 IB SA recruiting because I can list it as incoming on my resume and its part of a reputable banks capital markets group. However if I do accept it then I wont be able to recruit there for IB 2021 next spring because they think im graduating by june 2021. Is accepting the corporate banking SA position for my sophomore internship worth losing one of the top banks for my schools junior SA recruiting?

 

Apple_iBank, I have enough credits to be a Junior, but I will be graduating late since I accepted this internship in lieu of going to school this semester.

 

You're a jnuior. Even if you are not. You are close enough and its not black and white. If someone rejects it, just have a good story of how you define junior. Otherwise by saying you are not junior your resume might just get chucked... Good Luck

I used to do Asia-Pacific PE (kind of like FoF). Now I do something else but happy to try and answer questions on that stuff.
 

Your question has been answered numerous times in this thread....if you can't figure it out and are stressing hard about this then honestly you may want to rethink working in ib

@quaneaser - that makes absolutely no sense....status is determined by the amount of hours you have not how long it's going to take you to finish...and even then how is >2 semesters = sophmore?

 

...Not where I went to school. Takes 120 credits for most degrees, so 0-30 freshman, 30-60 sophomore? etc. Its not even like that.

If you are interning and after that you have a semester in the fall and/or a semester in the spring left, you are then a senior during those semesters.

If you are interning and after that you still have another summer of interning available, then you are going to be a junior. etc.

At least that is how structured internships view it. If you are unable to start working FT next summer then you are not a junior. Banks will be very upset if you apply for junior spots and then tell them you can't be FT next year because theres still another summer and semester left for you to complete.

 

Not sure what to believe, since one says I'm a junior and another says I'm a sophomore.

Technically, by credit hours, I am a junior since I have 68 credit hours.

Any other insight would be greatly appreciated?

 

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