Do I transfer?

I am a rising sophomore at a top 50, non target school in the South (NC/VA area, don't think Wake or W&L, I'd consider those semi's) double majoring in Econ and Finance. I currently live around 30 minutes outside of NYC, and I am fortunate enough to have a pretty large network of people around the IB/PE/HF spaces. My school currently has a very young alumni base, with about 15-20 alums in the banking space (mostly BB's or MM's, think CS, BAML, WF, Cantor, HSBC), and maybe 30-35 total alums in areas across those 3 industries I've listed above. I've already been reaching out to plenty for the last several months during my freshman year, and now's about the time I'm going to try and follow up on a few. There isn't a whole lot of structured OCR, but I know that CS and WF come, and there are a couple alums also at BAML. I am super involved in the student run investment fund, to which I'm a sector head (as a freshman). My real knock comes from my freshman year GPA, though. I finished with a 3.0, and not to sound incredibly entitled and what not but I did well in high school (3.7/3.8) and I just completely blew it once I got to college. With all this in mind, I did manage to land a IB SA position at a boutique investment bank in my town this summer, which is a fantastic resume booster and looks great to future recruiters, yet my dilemma still remains.

My dilemma is this: I have very deep connections at an Ivy league school (multiple legacy, uncle on the admissions board). I never considered this school during my high school application process because I had yet to learn about banking entirely, thus having no real grasp on the competitive nature of it w/ OCR and the difficulty coming from a "non target." While my school is not completely in the dark, it isn't like the semi-targets that you'd think of in the south (like Wake or W&L where several students make it across the BB's).

For me, however, my situation is a little more unique, in that I'd be able to pull up my grades from a 3.0 cumulative to a 3.3, and a major GPA of a 3.6 by the end of the fall semester (aren't liberal arts schools beautiful?!?). This is a fairly realistic goal for me by the end of the upcoming fall semester, especially because I've yet to fully get into classes surrounding my major until this next semester. Ideally, by the end of sophomore year, I could have a 3.5 cumulative and a 3.7 major GPA heading into SA recruiting in the fall of my junior year, which is miles better than where I stand now. My issue really comes in lots of different parts, though. I would much rather stay at my current school because of my close friends, girlfriend, and I just enjoy it more. I know these reasons will really throw my credibility as a wannabe investment banker out the window, just hear me out. I like my current school, and don't want to transfer unless I really do have to. While I'm not an 100% shoe-in at said target Ivy league, I think I have a very solid chance with my high school test scores and involvement on my current campus with the added connections and legacies, being that I'll also be able to raise my GPA before having to apply in February of next year.

So, the age old question is: do I make the transfer to for my junior and senior years? I actually ask this question amongst people in the industry I've spoken to, and have gotten mixed reviews. Some say that it's too late, I won't have any credibility given that I'll jump into recruiting without any real academic performance at said target, there is far more competition alongside your classmates, or that my transfer shows disloyalty and does not guarantee me a job necessarily (which is more than true). That being said, some people also recommend it given that the OCR is a massive advantage and that I'll have more leeway in terms of grades (I won't need a 3.7 from said non-target, a 3.5 will do just fine from the target). Some people have even suggested I work for a break into IB or ER from my current non target, then pursue an MBA at the Ivy league target school and then work towards my goals from there.

I'm pretty certain on either breaking into IB or ER, as my long term goals are at an HF. I'm curious as to whether my aspirations to make it to HF affect my transfer dilemma as well, being that some I hear still consider school prestige when going through their recruitment process. I'd obviously love to pursue something like the MS Equity Research Sophomore Associate internship next summer as a great way to either follow that path down ER or perhaps leverage that into a IB SA position (I do not care about the size of the bank at all, I have no preference between BB/MM/EB).

I'm incredibly torn and stressed about this decision, especially because it is becoming quite late. I have a terrific internship currently, but my grades were pretty lackluster in my freshman year which makes the uphill battle coming from my current non-target even steeper. I have been networking like crazy in any way, shape, or form, and followed all the guides from this site which has been a very useful tool over the last few months.

Also, I know some people are going to be INCREDIBLY skeptical of my ability to transfer into the school I'm talking about. If you are THAT skeptical and choose to focus on that detail, then just pretend I'm hypothetically a "shoe-in" and treat the situation as if I'd get in 100% no doubt.

ANY insight would be incredibly helpful, and sorry for the length it's just a rather long and weird story. Thanks! Disclaimer: I've probably posted on this exact topic before or something, but now the scenario has become a little more unique. Thanks to anyone w/ any advice!

 

Totally agree. There is nothing wrong with trying and the most you have to lose is a couple hundred dollars in application fees and the wasted time in filling out BS applications answering questions like "How do you think you will change the world?" Though some people might argue that doing this helps your writing skills.

 
Best Response

If your "deep connections" will get you into an Ivy, then do that. It seems that you're afraid to go outside your comfort zone and transfer away from your friends/girlfriend. Yes, transferring would be a significant change and you are uncertain if you'll be happy there. Maybe, you won't like your first year at the new school and will regret transferring.

But think long-term. What will carry your career going forward? 10 years down the road, you may not even be in contact with the friends and girlfriend you have now. A million people would kill for the opportunity to graduate from a target school. Having that name on your resume will make breaking into the industry significantly easier.

I assume you want to live in NYC long term. I grew up in a similar area (40 min outside the city). Everyone who grows up in these areas dreams of living in the city. It will be hard to get a solid job in NYC coming out of a non-target in the South. Something to consider.

Bottom line, it is tough to completely uproot your life and start new. Especially when you are comfortable and happy. But I think it's something you should do.

Make a pro/cons list. Are there any long-term cons of attending an Ivy? No, there aren't any. Even if you don't have a great GPA there, you'll still be in a better spot than you are now.

Side Note: I'm in a very similar situation. I'm doing fantastic at a semi-target on the east coast and am considering transferring to a target for my junior year. Looking at your situation from an un-biased perspective has convinced me to try and make the switch.

 

I would transfer and repeat a year if you can handle it financially. Essentially repeat your sophomore year at the ivy. absolutely worth it for reasons beyond just the banking

 

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