applying to IB firms - reaches, matches, safeties

Not to be harsh... but in this environment, calling Citi, Deutsche, CS and Evercore matches, and Houlihan and UBS safties with no IB SA gig and a 3.4 GPA is a little aggressive in my mind. Even from a top target firms are going to be tight with their FT hiring outside their SA class this year. So to answer your question... yes it seems a bit reach heavy, but without seeing a resume, network connections, etc nobody can say for sure. And hell, once you get your resume selected, its all on you to kill it when you are in with the interviewer.

IB recruiting isn't college admissions - and I agree with NewIBHire, without an IB SA, FT recruiting looks like it's going to be very tough. If I were you, I'd apply everywhere, safety-target-reach-whatever. There are firms aside from your listing as well, incl other boutiques (e.g. Moelis, PWP) and well-regarded MMs, which I would recommend adding to your list. Ten is not nearly enough this year.

peepingtom12:

i feel that JPM, bank of america, barclays would not be a good fit for me after going through their website so im not applying there.

Why rule them out, especially based on 1) an already precarious job hunt situation and 2) the fact that you're judging fit based on their respective WEBSITES?

Princeton Review much?

peepingtom12:

Help I'm a rising senior applying for FT positions - I worked for UBS private wealth this summer and want to switch to IBD. I know its competitive but I'm keeping my options open. I have a 3.4 from a top target and my ECs are club soccer, fraternity, investment club (treasurer). im applying to about 10 firms - is this a good list?

reaches: goldman, morgan stanley, lazard, blackstone

matches: citi, deutsche, credit suisse, evercore

safeties: houlihan, ubs

i feel that JPM, bank of america, barclays would not be a good fit for me after going through their website so im not applying there.

all for IBD - is this too reach heavy? help thanks!

Really, dude you will be lucky to get 1-2 interviews. Goodluck, you will so need it

Sorry dude, if you even want any chance of getting into Evercore you need to raise your SAT scores by at least 100 points.

wow, i've seen a lot of retards on this forum but this kid takes home the trophy for biggest retard

Edmundo Braverman is going to have a field day with this one.

What do you mean "safeties". In applying to college we all know what that means. Trying to get into IB with a PWM internship and a 3.4 there are no "safeties." As someone said, if you are connected or some other way selected for interview you possibly could pull it off, but the chances, based on the objective criteria of GPA, experience etc do not look great.

this is where i stand...

reaches - every BB and elite Boutique

safeties - Lehman

let's get everyone else involved!

peepingtom12:

Help I'm a rising senior applying for FT positions - I worked for UBS private wealth this summer and want to switch to IBD. I know its competitive but I'm keeping my options open. I have a 3.4 from a top target and my ECs are club soccer, fraternity, investment club (treasurer). im applying to about 10 firms - is this a good list?

reaches: goldman, morgan stanley, lazard, blackstone

matches: citi, deutsche, credit suisse, evercore

safeties: houlihan, ubs

i feel that JPM, bank of america, barclays would not be a good fit for me after going through their website so im not applying there.

all for IBD - is this too reach heavy? help thanks!

To be honest, you don't have a shot at any of your "reaches." You can also drop Evercore from your list, you're not getting a first round there with PWM and a 3.4. Citi, DB, CS and HLHZ are also all probably unrealistic, but if you have a good resume and good connections, you just might be able to sneak in there for a first round. The odds of that are ludicrously low though.

UBS is probably your only realistic option, as you already have experience there and presumably can leverage that to get introductions, but I've not even heard that they're doing FT recruiting this year, so that might be a problem. If you really want to do banking, you're going to have to focus much more on MM and boutique shops.

If you're gonna think in these terms, go post at college confidential or some other site.

peepingtom12:

i feel that JPM, bank of america, barclays would not be a good fit for me after going through their website so im not applying there.

Just like someone said before, this is ridiculous. I thought you were supposed to be weaned off the college admissions mantra by senior year. If you were a superstar candidate I wouldnt say anything about leaving firms out as a result of fit, but you are clearly not so I would take a long look in the mirror before you decide to reduce your app pool. All of the ones you mentioned are reaches for most ppl even with IBD internships. No offense, but PWM is considered to be a resume fluff internship, something sutdents do before junior year to give them an advantage for SA recruitment. Your list of app places is also extremely short, I am sending out a minimum of 30 apps and then conditional on responses, will send more apps after that.

I think you are SEVERELY underestimating how heavy the competition is for places. I know ppl from Cambridge who did not secure an first round interview even tho they had UK equivalent of 4.0 + finance experience + great EC's.

btw, in all seriousness, can I ask what on their websites drove you to decide Barcap and JPM were not good fits?

Ha...I would move every one of your firms into the "reach" category. Because unless you are some sort of superstar...it's really just luck whether they choose you to move on or not. Also, apply EVERYWHERE. You won't regret taking the extra 5min to do so.

troll.

why do you guys even bother to give people like this the time of day? its one thing to make fun of him (mostly because I enjoy it), but honestly, competition is steep enough for people like me that i don't need anymore idiots from "top targets" mucking up the recruiting process for me.

either this guy is just trying to create some good laughs on this board or he has done ZERO research on the topic of investment banking and the recruiting process and deserves to fail miserably. people like the OP irritate the piss out of me.

go do something you want to do and something you care about, leave the IB interviews to people who have the common sense to realize that having a job in the industry they want to work in is practically priceless.

Regards

Well, it depends. I know that most of those banks are looking for well-rounded applicants during this recruiting season.

Can you elaborate a little more on your extra-curricular activities and community service experience?

im sorry but besides my GPA i go to a top university and worked in a BB. how is that not a decent profile and how is there no chance that i wont get into the lower BBs?

jackofalltrades, im not too involved with my frat or soccer (about 1 hour a week) but the investment club is about 5 hours a week and i manage over $4000 in funds. i worked my ass off to get into a good school and im being punished just because i dont study all the time.

id rather take rhett with a 3.0 from princeton than ching ping ping with a 3.9 from state school who does nothing but work. just my 2 cents

dont i have at least a good shot then at ubs or Citigroup? I didnt get an offer back (only 70% offer rate with very competitive students) from UBS PWM but i have connects there wholl vouch for me so i think i have a good shot at their IBD. any thoughts?