High School Senior Looking For Advice (Pt. 2)

About 3 months ago I posted a question about which college I should attend based on my options. My goal (like many, I know) is to find an analyst role at a bulge bracket IN NY. Aiming for a summer analyst positions for my junior summer is going to be hard, however, considering I am currently committed to a non-target: Santa Clara University. Sadly, this was the best of my options after applying to various schools with a 33 ACT, 4.29 GPA, 1350 SAT.

Now, I am considering my options and trying to figure out the best path to take in order to land a summer internship junior year. My options are as follows:
1. Attend Santa Clara for 4 years, network as hard as possible, cold email and cold call every alumni and possible contact in NY, hope for the best.
2. Attend a community college for 2 years, save money, miss out on solid finance education for 2 years, transfer to target, or semi-target school. (in this case, would I be missing out on the recruiting cycle?)
3. Attend a community college for 1 year, attempt to transfer to target or semi-target, etc.

I am aware that an important part of this process is summer internships, and no matter what path I take I will work relentlessly to obtain the best internships I can to put myself in the best position for a junior year bulge bracket internship.

Thank you all for help, open to any suggestions and input!

 
Most Helpful

This is not really what you want to hear, but take a step back and just relax a little. In the big picture that is your life, getting a summer analyst role at bulge bracket is not what you are going to remember. IB is not the end all be all. I'll say it again, IB is NOT what will define you. So many college kids and high schoolers are hell bent on breaking into high finance, and half of them don't even know what the fuck it means. So you didn't get into a target school? Who cares man, go have the time of your life for four years and build some life long relationships. Worry about the job later. This is time you will never get back. enjoy it.p>

 

I appreciate your point and there is a lot of truth to what you are saying. I do plan to have fun in college and I'm not just thinking about this stuff 24/7. However, my personality doesn't allow me to "go where the wind takes me" if you will. I am a planner, and hapiness comes from establishing plans and executing them. Also, I have found that I have a true passion for the economy and the markets. I know that I am young and things might change, but I have spent the past 3ish years of my life watching the market every morning, studying various economic metrics, etc.

 

^^^I second all of that, it's very important to understand why you want to get into a career first before you actually make a decision. But good for you that you're on here and thinking about that stuff! I come from a non-target myself, and it is possible, but much harder to do. If I was committed to IB in your position, I'd attend Santa Clara for 1 year and try to transfer into a target. It's important to form connections your freshman year too and I wouldn't think you could do that in a community college. If you don't get in after a year, it's not the worst thing in the world. My advice for networking is network more deep instead of wide. It's so much more important to find a few connections who would step up to the plate and refer you rather than knowing a bunch of junior bankers that wouldn't remember your name after your coffee/chat.

 

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