Consulting vs. Investment Banking vs. Investment Management etc.

Hi everyone, I'm currently a sophomore at the University of South Florida. I am beginning to think of what I want to eventually do career wise but am having a hard time deciding and finding "good" information.

So far, I am thinking about Management Consulting, Investment Banking, Stock Brokering, Investment Management. I only know about the basics of each of the careers I mentioned above, if you guys could advise or send me links that are credible so I can learn more about these careers that would be great. Also any other related careers or field I should look into?

I know that USF is in no way a prestigious school, but if I have near a perfect GPA 3.9, a good GMAT and extracurriculars as well as letters of recommendations from well known business people. Is that enough to get me into a top Business school? A good firm?

Regarding the careers I mentioned above can you guys tell me about work-life balance? Career advancement opportunity? Respect level? Compensation?

Also does ethnicity come into play here? I am Vietnamese so english is not my first language. I don't come from money, I actually grew up in what is pretty much regarded as below poverty. I didn't do the best in High School (I regret it now that I look back). I'm in no way a genius. The only thing I have going for me is I have a lady who used to be the Managing Director Merrill Lynch's New York sector guiding me and I do better than the average student in school. With these circumstances, do I still have a slightly good chance of making these career worlds?

Thats really all I can think of to say in this post for now. If you guys need anymore information in order to help me please let me know.

Thank you in advance to everyone.

 

My advice to you is get the hell out of USF. I spent a year there transferring from a private northern school to a public in the south. Their OCR is abysmal and I don't even think their business school ranks in the T125. With your grades you should be able to transfer to UF for the next fall and you will have access to a much better (not the best at all) network for recruiting.

Try to land anything this summer that can help you get into a more prestigious for your summer following junior year.

 
Best Response

Transfer ASAP bro. Apply to every ivy, all the top privates and all the target/semi-target b-schools (ross/haas/stern etc.) Also don't ever think about or say stock brokering again. With your GPA you can easily transfer. Hustle HARD for a boutique ib internship this summer or at the very least PWM at a bulge bracket. Since you know an ML MD ask her to hook you up with anything there for the summer if nothing works out.

Don't worry about app fees. That's peanuts in the grand scheme of things.

Good luck.

 

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