Going to Amherst College next year... why are all the LinkedIn IB profiles former athletes????
Ik amherst's alumni network is very small compared to its ivy competitors but ive heard on a size adjusted basis it does pretty well (along with other LACs like williams, swarthmore to an extent i think?). anyway, i was searching google for "amherst college" + "investment banking analyst" or "summer analyst" + "linkedin" and literally 90% of the profiles ive came across who were working at bulge brackets/EBs/some top MM firms etc. were varsity athletes at amherst, usually playing lacrosse football volleyball or tennis (sometimes crew but i think thats a club sport at amherst). ive known that wall street loves athletes, but this came as a big surprise to me cuz literally the VAST majority of the linkedin profiles were athletes at amherst, and even if they didnt put their team under their college description, a quick google search of them + amherst would bring you to an amherst athletics page usually.
anyway so I was wondering am i screwed if i am not/won't be an athlete and want to break into finance from an LAC like amherst? Ik that in these top LACs like up to a third to 40% of the student body are athletes. So will banks/firms really pass over me when they see an athlete that's just as good (Or not too far behind) me? Or will I be fine if I network really hard. I know there are quite a few liberal arts guys so i was wondering your opinions. @NESCAC"
Work hard and you'll crush it at Amherst.
Agree with above. NESCAC's are smaller schools, so naturally there will be a higher % of athletes compared to a school like Michigan. While it will be easier for a lacrosse or football player to get into IB, you still have great opportunities. This is based off friends experiences at NESCAC's.
It's very easy to walk on to the Amherst crew team. Strong, close-knit group that is welcoming to beginners. Would say most did not row in high school.
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You don't need to swim for crew...?
yea
yea
Regardless of whether there is a swim test or not, I highly recommend that you learn how to swim if you want to do crew in the case that the boat capsizes or you accidentally fall off.
I would recommend learning to swim regardless.
Went to amherst, am in banking now, was not a varsity athlete. PM me if you want to chat.
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Front office IB essentially looks for three things above all else:
Very smart people, but they don't need the smartest - the work's not that intellectually rigorous
Charismatic, presentable people who aren't awkward around clients
Competitive people with incredible work ethic
The above should make it fairly obvious why, in general, athletes place relatively well into IB. You already mentioned the high proportion of athletes in small LAC student bodies. Then consider the self-selection aspect, where students who go to a smaller liberal arts school are probably less inclined to pursue the prestige of IB than their name-brand Ivy peers. I'm not surprised then, that the majority of Amherst bankers have athletic backgrounds. But none of that means you'll be inherently disadvantaged without one. If you find another way to demonstrate your work ethic, you'll have plenty of opportunity.
And for the record, there's no swim test for crew. If you're swimming, you've done something very wrong.
This. As long as you graduate with a good GPA you will get an interview at essentially every bank on the street. History and American Studies majors have gone to JPM, etc. from Amherst.
To set the record straight for all the misinformed--I rowed crew at Amherst. Yes, there is a swim test. But noone cares if you swim fast or slow, only that you can tread water without drowning for a few minutes.
Anyone who thinks rowing clubs don't administer swimming tests is clearly not a rower. It's required to compete in US Rowing events.
Definitely makes a lot of sense why as you are literally surrounded by water when you are engaging in the sport.
take swimming lessons jesus christ 70 percent of the earth is water
Things you need to know in order to be a man:
1) How to ride a bike and swim
2) How to kill a bear with your bare hands
3) How to use Excel without a mouse
Most LACs have a larger % of student-athletes in their student body than a typical university by virtue of the following:
They often have smaller student bodies than typical colleges/universities (1200-3000 students)
They also usually have more varsity athletic teams than a typical college or university (most NESCAC schools have around the same amount of varsity sports as the Ivies--like 30-40 teams).
Combine these two and you get a fuckton of student-athletes at LACs, especially ones like NESCAC schools. Combined with what was stated above (e.g. banks look for well-rounded people who aren't awkward and who have similar interests; banks like people who are competitive and who can multitask/handle pressure), and there's your answer.
Amherst is an incredible school and you should be very proud. I'm sure as long as you keep your grades in an okay place, youre going to be more than fine.
non-US college graduate here and I highly recommend college athletics for those who go to a school with less competitive athletics program (non-olympian, non-NCAA, non-drafting, amateur-type shit)
Working out daily and training to compete and cooperate isn't just a positive attribution for banking, but it's a lifelong asset that'll carry you through and through
I played squash and was Vice Captain for my school. Great camaraderie, great alumni, overall great experience.
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