A High School Student Trying To Get Ahead
Greetings y'all, I'm currently in junior year of highschool going onto my senior this fall and since my freshmen year, I have been dedicated and ABSOLUTELY set for IB. I've been following everything within the financial industry. Thing is, I want to get more ahead and I need your advice. Many people have stating to just enjoy high school, but i absolutely have a passion for learning and self-educating myself on IB/PE/HF. My ultimate goal is to enter a HF but through IB or PE. Nevertheless IB is my first goal and of course a target uni .
As a Highschool student, recently, I have been reading Joshua Rosenbaum's IB valuation book . Of course I don't understand completely everything, but I have a solid foundation where I can follow the book. Not to mention, I have founded my school's investment club and have done related finance experience all within this year. Except, I want to expand and get better? Any relevent tips and advices or lessons you can provide me to get ahead as a high school student to enter and break into IB?
Chill out, make good friends, apply to good colleges. Ask your parents, parents' friends, friends' parents if they know anyone in the finance industry you can speak to. Don't act like you know everything when you talk to people. Have a good story for when you apply to those target universities, and then those internships later on.
Focus on getting into Wharton. Like literally, that should be your focus. If it includes all the finance-y shit in high school, go ahead, but your goal is to get into Wharton or Harvard. If you do that you'll be fine.
Also have fun, play a sport and get laid. Best advice for high school kids.
Get into a top university such as Oxbridge, ivy league, etc. Finish your SAT/ACT and SAT subject tests early on, and maintain a high GPA (you don't want to be worrying about the SAT/ACT senior year so complete them junior year, trust me).
The thing is, I'm almost positive I'll get into a target considering stellar grades, ecs and what not. Of course it's not a given, but with that being said, I'm worried about upon entering uni, competing with those who has been building up their own portfolios since they were like 12... Considering that recruiting is not all just based on schools's brand name, this includes I I GPA, etc. I want to be one of those in the top 10% entering freshmen class in the fall of unit in terms of being a finance rockstar... Of course while all being humble. So besides the given "target uni", are there any other suggestions for a junior entering sophomore entering IB?
Do an internship the summer after senior year in either a finance related company (for example PWM) or in a well recognised brand (e.g I know some who worked at luxury goods brands e.g Hermes) or maybe in some kind of charity or NGO. If you are the athletic type, keep working hard in your sport and get recruited/walk on to a university team.
There are no guarantees that you will get into a good university nowadays (I know personally guys who had 4.0+ and 2300+ from top high schools who ended up at terrible places with names I couldn't even recognise, on the other hand there are those who did far worse who got into Ivy league schools) so work on those essays and apply to a large number of places.
LOL I had a finance co-op experience with a financial firm in my hometown but otherwise, this experience, that contains "professionalism" and somewhat "finance experience", it's hard to even get a PWM with a good brand name. I have some good contacts in a BB and a prop-trading firm, but they've told me they "atm" are looking for uni students which is a bummer. Of course this is all understandable as I would probably say the same thing if I were them. But nonetheless at this point, besides a target Uni, I'm trying to find alternatives to give me the edge....
You don't sound very humble.
I hope I don't come off that way srsly... but seeing your in long/short equity HF and that being my ultimate end goal, can you give me some constructive criticism and advice? What did you do in highschool and how'd you get ahead and maintain that edge? Any advice or criticism will do.
Hi, as an incoming high school freshman considering finance I know where you are coming from. Keep your grades and ECs up and play some sports. after doing that the most important thing you can do is to network. Find events, send out cold emails, Go to presentations and reach out to the speakers. Do everything you can to meet people in the industry. Keep this up and the internships that give you the experience you need will come. I was fortunate enough to receive multiple offers from investment banks this summer. Was I even competitive with the other college students in my internship judging by qualifications? Hell no. But I met with MDs for lunch before getting an offer. Keep grinding.
you had an internship at an IB in 8th grade?
"as an incoming high school freshman"........ "I was fortunate enough to receive multiple offers from investment banks this summer."
Ongoing internship right now, yes. I have mostly worked with PWM and residential lending. PM me any more specific questions.
I'll give my two cents, but look man, you gotta be a high school student. You have the rest of your life for work. Go for the girl you have a huge crush on, join some dumb clubs just for fun, cause some mischief - you're going to look back and be glad you did. Besides, to succeed you need to be a well-rounded interesting person with good social skills, not just knowledgable. Maybe you already do all those things so sorry for the assumption you don't and unwarranted advice.
Now for the warranted advice. It's already been given but I'll repeat it to confirm it's validity. Focus on college. I went to a non-target and got a job in IB out of college, but trust me, it's a hell of a lot easier if you can get into a good school.
Just don't do anything illegal.
I only give advice to those who are too young to be competition for me for the time being.
My advice for you is to make damn sure you get into Wharton and if you can't then NYU/USC are your next options. Why? Because you'll start interning for small shops freshman year, either in NYC/LA and will have no problem at all getting into a BB your junior year and maybe even Sophomore year.
Don't bother with Portfolios for now, make sure you become an expert in accounting and basic finance, and depending on whether you land on the east/west coast choose an industry strong in that area which interests you.
Don't skip a step buddy
Pay more attention in English class. I understand that's harsh but the foundation of IB is communicating persuasively with superiors and clients. If you speak/write how you post then you have significant work to do before taking the IB world by storm.
Good luck.
If you get into a top school, do well academically, interview well, and apply for relevant internships, you'll be fine. Worrying about your portfolio when you're still in high school is just a huge waste of time.
Don't be a social retard.
Obviously you need good grades, good ECs, internships, etc. Obviously you will have an easier time breaking in if you go to a top school. That said, don't sit in your room on a Friday night masterbating to your finance textbook, either in highschool or especially in college. Join a club. Go greek. Lift weights. Go on bike rides. Drink booze. Fuck girls (or whatever you're into.)
if you get a 4.0 all through college at Wharton you should be able to get an analyst gig. But if you get equally good grades or even like a 3.7-3.8 but you slay pussy, pump iron, lead an organization, make good friends, and have a normal social life you will get much further in life. So many people come to this site and ask which backpack is more prestigious or which exact pair of shoes they have to buy or quite literally advice on how to communicate with other human beings. Don't be that guy.
RELAX, everyone is smart out there. That's not a differentiator. Network and be someone your boss won't avoid having a beer with.
Going into my senior year of high school. What can I do to get ready? (Originally Posted: 07/18/2017)
A stated in the title, I am a senior in high school and I have two jobs this summer, one being a caddy at a country club and another for a financial advisor. I knew I wanted to go into finance but I wasn't sure what I wanted to do. I caddied for someone and we had a great conversation about PE and she said I should start in IB. I have done a fair share of research but was wondering if there is anything I can do during school and next summer to gain experience.
Start learning some accounting now. Be familiar with the financial statements and how they relate. It will help you with your education and also make you more familiar with the language of business. Start tracking different deals and who is doing them. Keep it up through college and network as much as possible.
Just worry about getting into the best school possible. Make sure all of your scores are top-notch; if they aren't, retake in September or October. Really polish your application and read other successful college essays so you know exactly how you should write. If there are any competitions or anything that could possibly give you something to talk about on your resume in the fall, do them.
High school senior lost on where to find stuff (Originally Posted: 10/05/2017)
Hi Wall Street Oasis, very excited to join this community. I've been lurking for a year now but this is my first ever post, so please excuse me of any infractions of unspoken rules I might break. In essence, I will be applying to colleges within the next month, but I am struggling to write a "Why Cornell," or "Why Stern" essay. I have dedicated myself to investment banking, studying and keeping up with current events about the market and training myself to get along with people of all personalities. In essence, where can I find business-relevant information/statistics about a college/university's program? I'm thinking statistics on placements into bulge bracket, private equity, hedge-fund, and other information regarding how that school do in the grand scheme of "Wallstreet". Any info that can help make my essay personalized for a specific college and its business program (aside from things I can find on their website) is greatly appreciated.
Some background on myself: 1) Paid internship at consulting firm: consisted of extensive usage of Microsoft excel and online index provider to complete their annual alternative investments report. (I was able to sit in during their discussions with representatives at BlackRock and Blackstone. I introduced myself but I doubt they'll remember me a high school student.) 2) Founder and president of school investment club which works with an outside organization to provide high schoolers with opportunities in investment, finance, and networking. 3) Online marketer for Greater Vancouver Youth Business Association, pretty much the same thing as above but outside of school and with a lot more guest speakers. Ranging from entrepreneurs to Harvard Business School, Wharton, and Sloan lecturers. 4) Assisted in the completion of two venture capitalist/ investment banking-esque business plans over the summer with a company in China. One of them was successful and the other still in process. 5) My uncle works for insurance and he says he will likely get me an internship at Wellington is I do well in my freshman year in college. I am very thankful for this opportunity, Wellington is not a name I hear very often (it's not an investment bank so that might be why?). How well is Wellington known? 6) Manages a 50k starting portfolio with 80% returns in the past year.
welcome.
you can always start with googling "is xxx a target school", "yyy placement on investment banking," or "ib target schoos." Then you will likely be directed to websites such as WSO, Poets&Quants, and college confidential. Browsing these sites gives you a basic understanding of how certain schools perform on the street and what the consensuses are. Another useful tool is linkedin. Simply log into your account and check the alumni of different schools.
However, you should always be cautious with the information presented to you, because, even on a site like WSO, there are a lot of misleading, polarized, and uninformed comments. Certain truths can be rarely discussed; certain statements can vary from individual situations. For example, you may see statements like "brown is a trash school for ib vs brown alumni can go anywhere", "here are the tiers for ib recruiting," or stuffs like "only ivy matters." So you may want to be critical.
The best way to acquire legit information about a school is really to ask those who work in the industry, or learn to filter incorrect information on the internet as you gradually become more informed.
best luck on your application.
and probably an advice for you...never talk about wallstreet placement of a school in your supplement. they know you will probably pursue this, but they just don't want to see this.
Thanks for your input. Why don't they like to see stuff about wall street? Doesn't talking about it show the admissions officers that you are knowledgeable about the merits of their program, have a goal, and the drive to get there through their school? I would've thought that talking about IB placements would work in your favor.
Suggestion for high schoolers (Originally Posted: 01/01/2017)
I am currently a sophomore in high school and am extremely interested in working in the the hedge fund in the future. Are there any suggestion for which majors in college are the best pick to land a job at a hedge fund right out of college. Not really focused on a specific type of fund yet just the overall industry.
Couple things: It is EXTREMELY rare to land hedge fund position straight out of undergraduate school even if u went to Wharton, Harvard, etc. They just rarely recruit undergrads unless you have personal connections within the industry. Most start out working in Investment Banking as Analysts working their way up and transferring to work at a Hedge Fund later on.
In terms of majors, if you want to go straight into Wall Street (investment banking, private equity, maybe hedge fund) after graduation here are SOME typical options: 1. Do ANY major at top, elite schools (like Ivy League + Stanford). Even if you did English Literature at Harvard, you still have high chance of being recruited. High GPA and good EC's are surely important. 2. Economics or Finance Undergrad at good school with high GPA, good EC's (eg. Wharton, Stern, Haas, Ross undergard). This is a solid path if you are damn sure that you want to work in finance/business and have no other major interest you want to pursue. Even if you want to pursue other interest, you can do a minor or dual-degree.
3. Maths intensive majors like Mathematics, Computer Science, Engineering, etc. at a good school with high GPA + good ECs. This is good if you are really good at math or you have an interest in engineering & other majors. Wall Street appreciates strong math background and someone who is good at physics/math/engineering can easily learn finance on the job. The downside is that you might not develop the social skills needed in a fast-paced, business environment.
In terms of schools. Does it matter if I go to Cali, NC, FL, etc as long as I go to a top school or will staying in the northeast help my chances of being recruited.
I'd say the best thing you could do right now is work on making sure you get into a top college, good test scores, etc.
Listen to this comment and thefinancekid's comment, in that order
Yeah, just make life easy for yourself if you're set on this path. In short, do what needs to be done to get to a target school (don't compromise on this early by saying bottom-end of Top 30 will do), then get top grades at said university. Then get yourself involved whilst at university by doing some leadership stuff (read: societies), sports, run a real or fake money portfolio to familiarize with the markets, read through as many books on investing as you can (can't go wrong with the classics, depending on what kind of investing you want to do).
To get your initial job in the hedge fund world it's largely a matter a jumping through loops (i.e. top high school grades, top university, top university grades, leadership experience to show you're active, sports or similar to show you're competitive, general knowledge how to interview properly and knowledge about the markets / philosophy of investing --> DONE) - not much different to what you would need to do to get a front office role at a bulge bracket, maybe just need more intuition / on your feet type reasoning ability / capacity to work solo and just figure it out at a HF.
For background, I'm a distressed analyst at a large HF. I've probably conducted 1-2 interviews a week during this "recruiting season" for roles across our fundamental investing teams.
There seems to be a growing trend to take on college interns, so it's more likely you get hired out of school at a fund today than historically. That said, as said earlier, it's extremely competitive and requires a lot of skill + luck. The screening process (for getting to the interview) seems to be a combination of where you went (Harvard, Wharton, etc.), GPA, and resume (prior work experience at a relevant place, exceptional achievement via competitions/entrepreneurship, etc.). Networking is important too, particularly if you're lacking in any of the former.
My pieces of advice are: 1) Get into a good school + get good grades 2) Join clubs to learn & get a network when you get into college 3) Start spending time now on learning how to think. Start questioning why more, start focusing more on understanding concepts and less on solving the problem in front of you. Start learning how to break up complicated problems into a series of less complicated ones (try practicing brainteasers, these are commonly used in interviews). This will help make you more thoughtful 4) Spend time learning about the market. If you're interested in fundamental roles, start learning about markets and how businesses work (easiest way IMO to do this is to just read other people's pitches on beginner sites like VIC or seekingalpha and look up anything you don't understand). Start thinking about how economics of different businesses that you come across in your daily life / when meeting people. Get basic accounting skills too. If you're interested in quanty roles, then get exceptional technical skills (I'm less help here).
Don't be so scared either. Despite there being a lot of people interested in these roles, it's actually kind of hard to find thoughtful candidates. Remember that not much is expected from college kids, and your interviewer is primarily looking for potential.
Good luck.
High School Senior. What do I do? (Originally Posted: 10/28/2012)
Thanks for stopping by, everyone.
I'm gonna tell you guys right off the bat: I'm not getting into a target school for my undergrad. The schools I'm applying to are:
Boston University, Fordham, Lehigh, Macalester, NYU, Northeastern, Ohio State, Penn State, Pepperdine, Rensselaer, Swarthmore, UConn, UMich Ann Arbor, and Villanova.
Do college graduates break into the Wall Street scene with only an undergraduate degree?
What can I do with an undergraduate degree in Finance
To increase my chances of obtaining nice internships and a job after college, when should I transfer into a better school?
I'm not even a quarter of the way done with my high school senior year and I'm worried out of my ass.
Thanks again.
OMG your a high school senior and can't get into a target school?!?!?!!
Dude, your life is over. You might as well kill yourself. The last 4 years of your life were life mistakes that just screwed you for the rest of your life. Your destined to be miserable and unhappy.
I would concentrate on trying to get a HJ from that cute asian girl sitting next to you in bio.
Honestly, you should enjoy life. I didn't know what banking was until early sophomore year.
Michigan and NYU are pretty good schools. You could try UT Austin, Indiana, and Illinois too.
Your knowledge of finance, let alone high finance is laughable, but a year from now, you will know a lot more if you do a few things. I'm assuming you want to work in investment banking. You don't exactly know what that is, but you can start now and be ahead of most people.
I notice you have Swarthmore and MacCalester. If you still can, I'd add Middlebury/Amherst/Williams, although they are on the fairly selective side. Given the size, these 3 have good presence on the street, loyal alumni, they do get some on campus recruiting from bulge brackets, and have good reputations.
You aren't going to learn any finance at these small LACs, but that's to your advantage if you are willing to work hard and self-study, because competition at these schools is much easier. Major in something quantitative, get good grades, self study finance basics, maybe play a sport, definitely get some leadership positions when you can, network with the alumni base, and a lot of the slots that go to those schools are yours for the taking.
Thanks a lot for your replies, everyone. You don't know how much I appreciate them. For those of you who recommended "Illinois" and "Indiana": which ones exactly? I'm typing them into my college search and tens of them are coming up.
Illinois is Urbana Champaign and Indiana is Bloomington, if I'm not mistaken.
Are you from another country? Illinois is in Champaign. Indiana is in Bloomington. Not trying to be mean but I thought it was common knowledge to know where schools are located just from watching sports and stuff.
On a side note, this shouldn't even be on your mind right now. Pick a school you like and have fun. I guess it's somewhat important to major in finance/Econ/etc and maybe get an internship of some sort. Aside from that, the rest will work itself out. People work in IB from all sorts of backgrounds. Keep your options open. As a HS senior, you may find something else you want to do so I wouldn't be so quick to pigeon-hole yourself as a finance guy and let that drive your college decision.
Knowing what I know now, I actually might suggest majoring in engineering of some sort. It is mathematically intensive and therefore many people are able to transition into finance. And obviously you have the engineering part to fall back on if needed. It's a versatile degree. Seems like everyone and their brother is doing business/finance/etc nowadays and that's diluting the value to a certain degree.
I would really recommend finding a school that suites you; one where you feel like you fit into the program. I probably wouldn't emphasize it so much if you were applying to the Ivy Leagues. But most of the schools on your list will be looked at similarly by financial firms, so you might as well choose the one you are going to enjoy the most.
Junior in High School. (Originally Posted: 04/09/2014)
Hello, this is my first real post on WSO (besides my introduction...) so sorry if I'm posting this in the wrong section. I'm sure similar threads have been posted many times before but I'm completely lost so any help would be appreciated. Well now on to a little background information about me: I'm currently a Junior at a top public school in California, I have roughly a 4.5GPA (10-12W) and am taking the ACT this Saturday and going for about a 32-33, I got a 1960 on the SAT first attempt but I'm not sure if i'll retake because I find ACT much easier. Since my junior year is coming to an end I decided its probably time I start making a list of colleges to apply to. There's one thing I know for sure, my dream is to work on Wall Street in Investment Banking then maybe Hedge Funds a little down the road, I'm not in it for the money (even though that's a bonus) something about finance, the lifestyle, etc... genuinely excites me and I have a few family members in securities trading and hedge funds. I also know that the best chances of getting to where I want to be is going to a top Universities but the problem is I'm not sure which ones to look at as I'm from the West Coast and don;t really know what universities are the "best" for breaking in to Wall Street. My EC's are good, not stellar. I'm on a charity team, did rowing freshman year, biking sophomore, basketball junior (and most likely senior), and do accounting for a small start-up software company that I'm hoping to use their software with my moms association to increase members which could make for an interesting story, oh and sort of a stock club at my school which was hard because I've had speech my whole life and people used to make fun of me (not anymore) so getting in front of people makes me nervous. What colleges do you suggest I put on my list keeping in mind my goal is to work in a big investment bank? The only schools that I've really thought about are Columbia (I'd apply early decision) and NYU Stern. Finally I should add that at USC and Fordham I get 75% off the tuition and Berkeley is cheaper due to in-state but money isn't an issue so I'll go to the school that opens the most doors. If you've read everything above thank you for the help!
Really not sure why you wrote that giant wall of text, but here are some good schools, majority of these are reaches:
Georgetown Duke University of Michigan, Ross NYU - Stern Berkeley Dartmouth Brown Penn Columbia Indiana Kelley is also good for IB recruiting but ONLY if you get into the IB workshop club
Thank you! Any "safety" schools that are still good that I should look at as all of those are reach school for even the best students.
UT Austin is a target for IBD energy in Houston.
When you say "Wall Street" do you literally mean Manhattan, New York City or do you mean "Wall Street-type jobs"? I'm a little blown away--when I was 17 I thought there were 2 types of office jobs: accountant and bookkeeper. It never ceases to amaze me how some kids already know what they want at 17. Most people don't figure that out until they're in their 30s after switching careers twice. Anyway...
If you do get a 33 on the ACT then you're a very strong candidate for Berkeley (I guess I wouldn't call it a "safety" school though), which is a Wall Street target. In fact, a 4.5 weighted GPA (which is basically a perfect GPA) with a 33 ACT makes you a strong candidate almost anywhere outside of the Ivy Leagues and similar. Your extracurriculars are so-so, but the name of the game with that is "truthful hyperbole".
I would think you'd be a very strong candidate for Berkeley, UCLA, and Southern Cal, especially if the admissions committees there are familiar with the rigor of your school (apparently it's a "top" public school?). And you'd be a decently strong candidate at pretty much any top state school (UT - Austin, UNC - Chapel Hill, Michigan, UVA--all high finance targets or semi-targets).
Let me throw in another school I'd look into--Washington & Lee in Lexington, VA. It's an elite liberals arts college that is more or less a target school for Wall Street and they were recently endowed by a ridiculously rich alumnus with a major scholarship that pretty much offers free rides to something like a quarter of all students and something like 80%+ will now get substantial scholarships to cover the cost to attend. So for most students it's cheaper than in-state tuition.
I guess by "Wall Street" I mean Wall Street type jobs, not sure if I'd like to work in NY or San Fran. Do you think I have any chance at Columbia applying early-decision where if you get in you have to go. Also I guess finance has always interested me and not much else for at least 4 years know but who knows what could change. And by "top" public school I mean it was ranked in the top 3% of US but like all rankings they're only to be taken with a grain of salt.
Assuming you get a 33 ACT score you'd be a legit candidate, but I just looked up Columbia's acceptance rate--7%. That basically means that it takes a lot more than just scores. Your scores make you a legitimate candidate, but after that it's completely subjective--race, gender, major, extracurriculars, legacy status, etc. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but I probably wouldn't waste my early decision on Columbia with your profile. I'd go with a more realistic school. But I'm happy to be corrected if I'm wrong on that.
How does legacy work? Would an uncle I'm related to through marriage count, also I'd apply early decision to Columbia because it's my first choice and the rate is like 23% vs 7%.
Nah, that wouldn't help. They need to be immediate family.
Definitely apply early to Columbia - they're early acceptance
Also is race self-identified and is there a cut off % for race? I'm part Hispanic but not very much, around 10% but thats what I'd most closely identify myself with.
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/1366406-race-in-…
Basically, you are asked if you are Hispanic; if you answer yes then you have to describe your racial background in sentence format. Not sure there is a way for them to find out either way, but I do understand that if you are caught lying on an application it is an automatic denial.
Legacy status means immediate family members--parents and siblings.
I did a summer working in test prep and admissions consulting. That's a low SAT score - hopefully you'll do better this Saturday. I've found that, in most cases, students don't really jump from sub-2000 levels on the SAT to 32+ on the ACT. If you don't do so well on the ACT, you should probably think about taking the tests again after more practice.
Ivies + places like Georgetown/Duke/Chicago would be high reaches. Since you're in Cali, UCLA or Berkeley might be good choices, but they would still be reach schools.
I don't mean to demean your efforts for the 4.5, but do you know if the weighted GPA's at your school are inflated? Do you know what your class rank is? Admissions offices expect similar stats for GPA and standardized tests, so a 4.5 GPA at a fairly rigorous high school would probably be paired up with a 2200+ or 32+
At this stage of the game, you'll find College Confidential to be more useful than this site. Come back in 3 years or so.
I will admit I do find our GPA's to be over inflated, we use ABCD and honors and AP are both a 5 instead of 4 (I've only take one honors though). I'm just in top 4% of class. My SAT was with out study, I got a 630 in Math, 660 in Reading, and 670 in Writing. I made the mistake of assuming since I get high A's in Calc BC I wouldn't need to study for math only to find out the math is from what I did 4 years ago and I'm rusty in. I've studied for about two weeks for the ACT so I plan on doing my best on the one in June. Also what about USC Marshal/Levanthal? I can get in to USC almost 100% (family). How much can connections help to some of these school if I'm on the edge? At Columbia I know an admissions officer (through family) and my dad lobbies for private colleges and knows a lot of presidents etc.
Connections don't usually help except in situations where your parents are trustees, your family donated a huge amount of money, or your parents are the admissions officers in charge. So unless your family fits the criteria above, I wouldn't count on those 'connections' to help at all.
SC is best for accounting, but I'm assuming it would be decent for West Coast placement.
Also, is the USC discount because of National Merit?
Ivy leagues NYU Columbia Chicago UVA Stanford Berkley
These should all have very strong Wall Street placement.
Don't get too ahead of yourself. I think you should do more research. You said you have family in the securities business. You need to realize 1) investment banking is NOTHING like securities trading, 2) sell side is not all that similar to hedge funds. You also said "there's something about finance and the lifestyle." Saying "finance" is so broad that it can't be a reason in itself. Also, are you sure you love even 1 thing about the investment banking lifestyle??? I find that very hard to believe.
You have a lot of research to do but that's perfectly ok. To be honest I think you are getting a bit too far over your skis are 17. You need to be focusing (in this order): 1) get that SAT up... not the ACT, the SAT, 2) go to the absolute best school you can get into, 3) try to get as close to a 4.0 as possible, 4) have fun in college. Do this and you'll be very prepared as far as resume for a junior year internship. If you can intern with family at those funds you spoke of starting your post-freshman summer, you'll be waaaay ahead of the game.
Relax a little.
Another high school senior (Originally Posted: 09/21/2017)
Hey guys I'm a HS senior from a magnet school in NOVA who has a low GPA (3.62W) but high test scores (34ACT, 770 MathII) and good ECs (captain, research internship, placed well in science symposium). I'm looking to hopefully work in IB (hopefully in NYC or Boston) and eventually venture capital on the West Coast. I hope it's okay if I ask seemingly stupid questions trying to figure out how to properly go about this uphill battle.
Any advice/tips on schools that like students like me and are good for IB? I was looking at IU, Nova, NYU CAS, Oxford College (Emory), Northeastern, and possibly Lehigh or Bates as well.
If you are a rock-star then your first internship wont be until a year and a half from now so take a breath and relax. You might be behind some people but your look 200x better than I did in high-school. Start with this list of target schools and filter based on admission standards, location etc. Good luck.
https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forums/list-of-targets-and-semi-targets
Thank you! I've heard that a lot (just relax and do well) and am trying my best! (lol). If you don't mind me asking, what did your career trajectory end up being? Did you do well and then transfer to a target or work for two years and then apply to a grad school, or something similar?
you go to TJ lmao?
nah but it's similar
New Guy - High school senior (Originally Posted: 02/27/2011)
Hi everyone I've been lurking for a while and just wanted to introduce myself. Im a High School senior (yea i know you guys don't really like to help out the younger people on here but why not try..right). Anyway I am interested in Investment Banking as a career. I have some marketing background but very little (well a lot for some one my age) I have been actively trading for about two years now, and have learned lots about the market, terms trends, options, ETF's, futures, IPO's, etc. Unfortunately i will not be able to attend a target school next year, Im going to Pace University (Lubin School of Business) in the city (NY) my GPA is a 3.7. I plan to major in Finance and minor in Business. I just have some questions for you guys. I would like to know if it would help to Major in finance and minor in business or can i do it vice versa Major in Business and Minor finance, or is a Finance major a must? As soon as I start school next year i would like to obtain an Internship i wanted to know if that was anywhere near possible, (a freshman getting a IB internship)? If not what can i do my freshman year to get into the field, i don't want to just go to school and try and get something junior year i would like to start as early as possible (what can a Freshman get internships for? I will be 18).
Thanks
I'd major in finance, just because it'd show greater interest in the field and you'll learn more material that's applicable to the field you'll be employed in.
It's really tough getting any IB internship as a freshman, but go for PWM or anything that's even remotely finance related and you'll be well ahead of everyone else.
Can you explain what PWM is??
you wont get an internship as a freshman, go party somewhere instead.
Finance major should be sufficient for IB.
If you get a finance major maybe check out a minor other than business. This way you can take some interesting classes (think about a math, comp sci, philo, econ minor).
I agree. Rather than minoring in Business, do a major in Finance with a minor in Math or Computer Science. I think the Economics classes you'll take for Finance would be sufficient.
An internship as a Freshman would be very difficult. Try getting a head start on local financial firms and do anything that is remotely related to finance. Doesn't have to be a head-on IB internship.
As a freshman, shoot for maxing out in terms of grades and NETWORK with smaller investment firms since they may not be as discerning as a BB in terms of wanting to only take in juniors as interns. Get your resume done by a professional too. It's worth it.
Meh, decent troll
Expected
PWM = your job is to manage wealthy individuals and families' money.
To those who are tearing Pace apart, they have some very notable alumni http://www.pace.edu/pace/lubin/alumni-and-friends/ and they do have very strong relations with JP Morgan with over 1,000 graduates employed their. And yes there are much better schools in NY (Fordham, NYU, Columbia) but they are MUCH more expensive as for Pace I feel it has the best value or bang for your buck
an alternative to pwm is working as a research assistant for a top notch professor (that is, if pace has any)
Pick accounting as a minor.
NYZ - PWM internships are generally accepted as the stepping stone to other finance related internships.
Ok but where would i go about obtaining one of these internships? places like BAML, GS, Morgan Stanley, JP Morgan? or....
yes...start emailing places
Well i haven't started at Pace yet I'm still in HS, the problem with Columbia is that it is to expensive im already stretching my dollar really far trying to go to Pace as far as the major minor situation Finance/Business a good idea or should I do Finance/Accounting as someone else had suggested?
Go Finance/Accounting or Finance/Business just make sure to get a 4.0
If you are in NY what about one of the SUNY Cornell schools like ILR or Ag (the AEM, business, program is in Ag)
Finance/Accounting (only double business major I'd do), Finance/Math, Finance/Philosophy, FInance/Econ
I didn't know accredited schools still offered a business major with an emphasis in business... meh, looks like I'm out of the loop.
Ignore the haters on this thread, Pace is a fine school, work hard and take advantage of being in close proximity to banks. Earn your spot.
Just a word of consideration, without bashing one school or another I will state what I know for a fact. JPM is the only major bank I know of that goes on-campus at Pace, and they recruit for BO positions. I've met two alum who got MO/FO, but they're at MD with regional slots who clearly had something special, regardless of where they went to school.
Kids I've met in the city who go there aren't that happy with it.
He's a troll.
Here's the costs of each college in NYC that you would be interested in or have shown interest:
Columbia: $41,316 NYU: $38,765 Fordham: $36,449 Pace: $32,816
This is me being straight with you. Transfer out. The fact that Columbia is just about 8k more than PACE means the whole world here. I would go for those student loans because PACE is so much harder to get internships and jobs than the others, unless you are a networking wizard.
Hope to see you up there!
What a fucking troll
^that is classic
High School Student (Originally Posted: 08/09/2011)
Hi I am a High School Senior who is interested in ibanking. I struggle very much with standardized tests which will most likely keep me out of a top 30 school. I was wondering which schools in the midwest outside of the top 30 could eventually lead me into an ibanking career? Also what are the best majors to take when trying to break into ibanking from a non-target?
hmm i mean most of the state schools are top 30 in the midwest (wiscon, OSU, Indiana U, UofMichigan, Ilini, Penn State) so idk honestly. Also man try to raise it, if you def cant then work hard to network from which ever school you think is a safe school. In Ohio I know UD (University of Dayton) has decent AM placement, and in Michigan, Michigan State has some sort of club in their business school.
Also you should do what I did, and that was to look at your safe schools and research to see if they have investment banking clubs ( which many state schools have) and then try networking with the head of those clubs. I called the head of the Indiana U Investment banking workshop, the president of the Michigan Investment Banking Club, The head of the Nittany Lion Fund in Penn State and the head of the Fisher Futures investment banking program at OSU. From there most of them told me they would train me in modeling and more about Ibanking when I got there.
You gotta network buddy
Good luck
hmm i mean most of the state schools are top 30 in the midwest (wiscon, OSU, Indiana U, UofMichigan, Ilini, Penn State) so idk honestly. Also man try to raise it, if you def cant then work hard to network from which ever school you think is a safe school. In Ohio I know UD (University of Dayton) has decent AM placement, and in Michigan, Michigan State has some sort of club in their business school.
Also you should do what I did, and that was to look at your safe schools and research to see if they have investment banking clubs ( which many state schools have) and then try networking with the head of those clubs. I called the head of the Indiana U Investment banking workshop, the president of the Michigan Investment Banking Club, The head of the Nittany Lion Fund in Penn State and the head of the Fisher Futures investment banking program at OSU. From there most of them told me they would train me in modeling and more about Ibanking when I got there.
You gotta network buddy
Good luck
Find yourself a gf and don't worry about buddy. You have to work hard to get in no matter if you go to top 20 or top 25 or top 40.
haha^^ too
I disagree with bossman actually. Do not find a gf, they are a pain in the fucking ass. It may all seem great in the beginning, but give it a few months before you start saying "man, Uncle Flake was right". Just kinda, sleep around etc. The other thing he said I do agree with.
Sorry I meant the top 30 national universities, I do plan on applying to some state schools. And I have to agree more with flake haha, they are a pain, especially at my age because there is no point. But what do you think of other midwest schools like Case Western Reserve, Miami U., etc.?
Take a good SAT class, get a tutor. Invest in it and force yourself to test well. It will be worth it in the end, assuming that everything else with your background is pretty solid and standardized tests are your only problem. Like bossman said, even at the top schools you will have to work for those jobs...but the process should be less stressful and the odds should be much better.
I have taken ACT classes and still only have a 26, I have a 4.3 weighted GPA and many extracurriculars. My problem is what schools to apply to. I was originally was going to apply to wharton because I have legacy but the chances of me getting in are so small and I want to enjoy college and not just study the whole time. I would love to go to Northwestern or Michigan but my ACT is holding me down.
Not to be a dick or anything but just pointing out a few things: I scored reasonably well on the ACT and I wasn't in the top 10% of my class. I went to a top prep school in my area. Testing well is a skill, and it sounds like your school is pretty damn easy or you are not used to testing. You are competing with kids who test well and have everything else, so your options are to either: A)improve yourself and test well or B) give up. I would strongly suggest getting a tutor as those scores will keep you out of top schools, no matter how good everything else is. Keep trying man, and you will get there.
Can you retake the ACT? I don't even know how the high school process works anymore.
Yea You can Case Western is a great school for enginnering and the sort, there business is a Big 4 magnet, but that is really all. Miami is also decent but doesnt have as big a network as OSU, and miami is in the middle of nowhere btw the average ACT at OSU was a 28-29 for incoming freshman (you need a 30+ to get into Fisher College of business directly) and MiamiU is 28. So OSU is best in Ohio in my opinion.
You dont really need to worry just try your best and party it up. Just dont completely F up your GPA until 2nd semester starts.
You can take it many times :D (colleges mostly take highest score)
I have taken it three times-22,25,26, and taking it again in september along with my first SAT in October. But I will probably put too much pressure on myself and get another 26
I think the most important part is that you're starting this early and hopefully you will stay focused in college, which should more than compensate for attending a lesser/non-target school. Try to re-take the ACT/SAT or whatever and just apply to all the schools you like. Apply to the schools Ambition mentioned. Why not? Look at Businessweek's undergrad business school rankings for ideas (or FT rankings or whoever).
yea u can is a typo :(
yea u can is a typo :(
alright thanks flake
Since you probably will not get into MIchigan, I would highly suggest Wisconsin or Indiana. Both of those schools have Investment Banking Clubs/Workshops that place decently well in NY and very well into Chi, especially MMs there. If you go to either of those schools, work hard, network, and find good internships before your junior year, you will be in a very good situation.
blackrainn, I go to the only prep school in my area and have had an ACT tutor at Sylvan. The ACT just isn't something that I do well on, there are other people in the same situation. I just feel like the school that I go to really affects my internship/job opportunities for ibanking and was just seeing what some options for me are.
Thanks for all the responses and for now I am just going to focus on studying hard for the upcoming tests. Also, if I do not get into a target school then which major would be the best to prepare for ibanking?
Finance and accounting. Just do your best btw I used sylvan and it was worthless for me because honestly for me I was motivated and when I went there my teacher was hot so all I did was stare. Then I am like F this, and got a nice prep book and went through all the practice problems and learned the strategies.
Good Luck
Well I had a fat, ugly tutor so that wasn't really a problem for me. I just got an ACT book and am hoping it will pay off. And yes if I end up going to a non-target i was planning on a Finance major with a possible Accounting minor, so that is good.
yea i am dual majoring in finance and accounting, its all good man
if your going to go to a state school in the midwest that isnt Mich, Wisc or Illinois id just go to your state school. Youll save tons of money and none of the other ones place well enough (imho) to make it worth spending the extra $$$. As earlier stated they all have ibanking clubs and youd be suprised how few people from the midwest actually want to be ibankers, so you actually can get some good networking out of them. (I have a buddy who did this at U of Iowa and he works at a BB now).
But I would echo the comments on getting a tutor. If you have a 4.3 GPA (assuming that is as strong as it sounds), you should be scoring better than a 26. If you've taken it 3 times and havent improved drastically, prolly time to get some help from a pro.
My alma mater (Wake Forest) now allows applicants to apply without SAT scores. I believe a few other universities planned on following suit. If your GPA and extra currics are up to par you might want to take a look.
Miami is pretty good school, but OSU-Fisher is still better IMO. A lot better location wise, thats for sure.
To get into a top tier school.
Dominate your first and second semester, and it will be exponentially get in and transfer.
Doing well your first year in college can compensate immensely for low test scores.
I live in Wisconsin so madison is my state school but I have never been a big fan of the school. I was planning on maybe transferring into a better school but I know I won't study hard enough in college for my GPA to make an impression on other schools.
In that case you should definitely go to Wisconsin unless you get into Michigan.
Hey I got in Michigan, Wisconsin, IU, Penn State and OSU and like some of the people above here said I picked the school that was cheaper OSU. Wisconsin is a great school man. Just start networking a bit with there investment club teacher advisor and just starting building a network. Thats the best you can do now! \
Good Luck
Ya but madison is all liberal nuts and I am very conservative. it doesnt mix well
haha well you only want midwest? northeastern is a decent school with a lot of Co-ops at banks too like GS. (it might be in your range)
I can go anywhere for school and have been almost everywhere I could think of and for some reason the midwest is the most comfortable to me. I have heard that schools like Northeastern and Fordham could be possibilities. Northeastern could be an option but I dont like the idea of going to school in the Bronx, frankly anything in NY besides Manhattan is awful.
Northeastern is in Boston........................... Fail haha
study till you cant study anymore, relax, then take a few shots before the exam
^^^^haha my ACT was the day after my junior prom, I went to prom ( the after party and the after-after party) then came back home at 8 A.M. and took a shower 1 hour nap then off to ACT land for a 4 hour test :D....... Dont do that man. ( it was for some reason my best one)
ambition i was referring to fordham in the new york part if you didnt read the whole post and yes my 26 (my best so far) was the morning after homecoming and i was completely hungover.
"Northeastern could be an option but I dont like the idea of going to school in the Bronx" as written
Bro, I saw your post and what you said about Fordham. You just didnt seperate your phrase correctly so I got confused it really looks like you are refering to Northeastern when you statedyour opinons about the Bronx ^
Maybe I just suck at reading. ;D
Also, I wonder why that is a pattern, :O it should be on their Kaplan books.. haha
Almost done with high school - where do I begin...? (Originally Posted: 06/07/2014)
Hey guys! My name's Kevin and I'm brand new around here, so naturally I'd gravitate to this section. However, I want my first post to be a learning experience and perhaps narrow down, even if just a little bit, this wide, wide path that I've started to embark on.
Let me start off with some background information - I'm a relatively "normal" 17 year old kid fresh out of his junior year in high school, so my exposure to this type of stuff is in its infancy.
In my immediate family, my mom has a background in finance (she was an accountant, but became a stay at home mom several months after my birth), and my dad is a successful aerospace engineer who has a good grasp on finance due his participation in trading stocks and owning a consultant business.
As for myself, just yesterday, I was playing a game on my iPad - a mundane game where you swipe to accumulate virtual cash and you use that money to exponentially increase your earnings, appropriately named "Make It Rain," (weird, I know, but it's addicting). Well it led me to an article which piqued my interest in the finance field, and more specifically, investment banking. These past two days I've been doing a lot of research, reading articles, mentioning it to my parents (since I have always told them my career choice was undecided at the time). It led me to this website and I decided to take some initiative to start early and give myself a good grasp of whatever I'm getting myself into.
My "rough draft" of a plan so far is to graduate from my local University of Arizona or Arizona State with a degree in Finance, or another related major, then transfer to Stanford to pursue an MBA from their business school. My basic academic credentials include a 3.85 unweighted GPA with several APs and Honors credits thrown in and a 34 on my ACT (have not taken the SAT yet). In terms of related extracurriculars, I was state champion for Arizona's DECA conference, which holds competitions where students perform their way through mock scenarios in front of a judge. It sounds quite similar to what little I know of investment banking so far, although I have no idea how my performance in that will translate to the real world. My computer skills consist of extensive knowledge of Microsoft Word and Powerpoint (of which any good student should have), decent experience with Excel and most of the other Office programs, basic HTML knowledge, Photoshop and After Effects, although I must add I'm very quick to pick up anything related to technology.
SO, my tl;dr for this is how can I begin my journey down this road? There is so much it seems I need to do, but I want to give myself an early edge with the advice of some senior members around here. I know this is a very broad question and I'm asking a lot for an answer, but any bit you guys can provide for me will be greatly appreciated.
1. You are a junior....in HS. Don't worry so much about going into investment banking or private equity. Go bang a lot of girls and your goal before graduating HS is to get into top schools (Ivy League/top state schools such as Michigan etc). Decide if business is the path you want to pursue - if it is, then do some research on the top schools aka target schools in the country. Going to a "target" school will help out in finance recruiting; University of Arizona will limit your opportunities drastically.
2. Read more about careers in investment banking/high finance in general. From the way you described, you are intrigued by the money you make, not the things you do on a day to day basis. Also, understand what you actually do is important and the trade off for doing finance and see if it is really for you.
Will an MBA from a prestigious program offset a non-target undergrad school in the recruiting process or will banks still place a lot of emphasis on where I went for my Bachelor's?
The problem is that you will have a more difficult time going into an MBA program with a crappy undergrad and if you went to a prestigious undergrad, you can have a chance of getting a shot at prestigious banks right after graduation. So why wait?
.
.
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High school students (Originally Posted: 12/15/2014)
Is there anything a high school student can do to make an impact on (hopefully) a future career as a stockbroker? Are there any kind of internships for highschool students ? Basically what I am asking is what can i do to have a succesful career?
As a high school student, your best bet is to use your network and your families network. Most internships for high school students are favors. Being a stockbroker is all about using your network to win business, so trying to find an early internship will actually be terrific practice for this. That being said, no one will worry if you didn't work in a corporate setting as a high school student. It can be helpful for future business classes to have worked on the front lines as a store clerk, cashier etc.
Have fun and do something exciting that would make you an interesting person.
do you know what a stockbroker is and what he does? start there (hint: my blog is good for that)
bloomberg is directionally correct but meh in substance (sorry broseph stalin), my advice to you: don't worry about it right now, PWM is a career, not a stepping stone to something else. focus on getting into the best college possible, try to have fun along the way, and put yourself in a position with as many options as possible. PWM is all about relationships (as is life) so just try to be a good people person, you'll be fine in whatever you do. a great way to practice closing (essential to success in PWM) is to hook up with a super hot chick (assuming you're a guy), that's about as hard of a sale as a millionaire.
No worries Bro Chi Min.
4.0 that bitch and make as many friends as you can. Handling people (most valuable skill, period) is best taught through experience and being likeable will catch you more breaks than you can imagine. As @"thebrofessor" said, go for the 10s.
High School Senior striving to land a job in wall street (Originally Posted: 09/29/2016)
Not exactly sure if this is the right forum to post this in, but as the title says im currently a highschool senior and I've always wanted to work in wall street starting as an analyst of course. I'm mainly looking to get some advice and any tips that would prove beneficial to me. I have still not decided on what school I want to attend as I have been hearing many different things about which to attend. At this current moment I've been leaning toward Wharton as I've heard they're the best undergraduate business program there is and they simply have the most connections to firms etc (I'm also a Villanova fan so any thoughts on their businesses program would be greatly appreciated. I've also heard good things about the following and they are all options that I am considering at this time: NYU, Villanova, Mendoza, UVA, Ann Arbor MIT, and of course the other Ivies (Although other than Wharton im not too interested in any of the Ivies). So I would love to hear any options on any other outstanding business programs that would accelerate my chances of landing a job in Wall Street.
Appreciate everyone taking the time to read this and give any input.
do you believe that other ivy without BSBA would make your wall street trip more difficult? do ivy wall streeters all go to Wharton for undergrad?
Get accepted into one of those programs you listed... do well and actually learn some stuff in your classes ... pursue relevant internships early and often ... maintain gpa of 3.5+ (preferably 3.75+) . understand finance concepts rather than memorize formulas
Join a fraternity (social) ... might not be the most well received advice on this board, but half the battle is having a network you can leverage and greek life provides an awesome network.
http://thefraternityadvisor.com/greek-life-statistics/
Dont forget to have an awesome time while at university ... there are hardly better years than college (arguably senior year in high school)...
I see thanks Stalin
And yea Senior year has already been amazing so far (more parties than ever before). But regardless, do you have any recommendations on which school to go to? I know Wharton has a Greek life. Any schools that would just make life a lot easier for me because I know that it's a pretty big decision to make. Or possibly a great business school that's closer to the $40k spectrum and not 50 as I've heard it's better to have the least amount of debt possible after school. But then again I've also heard that an MBA is a must if you want to go up high up in Wall Street. This is all just things I've heard from friends and teachers etc so if I'm wrong on anything just let me know.
Thanks
Take some time to research some of the old forums on this site, most of your questions can be answered with a little research. The MBA has become less vital to move high up in certain Wall Street roles and given your 8-10 years away from considering Business school, probably not worth discussing further.
As far as picking a school, you need to strike a balance between the best school you can get into at a price you can afford. If you can get aid / merit scholarships at a good state school (UVA, Mich, UT, UNC) versus paying full price at an Ivy; you'll still have a great opportunity to get a job in finance while have ~1000x more fun during college.
Just pick a target school and enjoy life. Focus on getting good grades once you get into college, securing internships and networking but don't forget to actually experience college. People on here are so wigged out about making sure they follow some secure path - which isn't wrong. BUT, you need to enjoy life. If you get the grades with a brand name and as long as you have a heartbeat and social skills you should be fine.
Which are the best target school in you opinion?
"NYU, Villanova, Mendoza, UVA, Ann Arbor MIT, and of course the other Ivies (Although other than Wharton im not too interested in any of the Ivies)"
The fact that you listed everything from the hyper-conservative Notre Dame to large public schools like UVA tells me you're going into this process wrong. College isn't simply about trying to get a job on Wall St, if you're smart and dedicated you can get in from literally anywhere. I'm not saying Wharton and Arizona State have the same chances, due to a number of factors such as OCR and alumni connections, but at the level you're talking about (ie top schools outside of Ivy League) any advantages are relatively insignificant.
The most important factor you should be considering is fit. Each school has it's own unique culture, and I strongly advise you reach out to current students on social media and get a feel for what it's like. You'll be spending 4 entire years here, which is arguably longer than what most people on these boards spend in IB before moving to the buy-side/different industry.
After you determine which schools you like best, a factor you should consider is the competitiveness of the applicant pool. If you're an average kid (relative), it might be best to go for the safer choices like Wharton or Stern if they fit into your profile. If you consider yourself above average, then you really can't go wrong with any of the schools you listed. Also don't be so deadset on business school, I went to a top 10 program but just 3 months into the program I realized it's not what I want to do. Switched to Econ&Math and I'm actually learning something.
Keep an open mind, choose based on yourself not on prestige, join greek life if you're into parties, and enjoy these 4 years. Work hard enough and you will get that "awesome" job on Wall St working 100 hrs/week.
Thanks Hugh
And yea I've been hearing relatively the same thing from many different peers that as long as I do relatively well in college that I'll be fine. As of now to be quite honest im not even %100 sure that I want to do IB. I still have many different options that Im taking a look at (although IB is generally what I'm leaning towards due to the salary and how far I can myself in 10 years of working in IB (My goal in life is to someday make 7 figures)). So generally as long as I choose a good school I should be fine for any other options in the case that I change my major or something of that sort. And yea college life will play a HUGE part in what I choose as I dont want to go to a college that is not social and has a great atmosphere greek life included. If you dont mind what made you switch after 3 months in?
Again thanks for the help
High school Kid (Originally Posted: 01/26/2017)
What are some ways to get my foot in the door as a senior in HS? Interested in Private Equity, Hedge Funds, and investment banking. Planning on double majoring in Finance and either economics or Business management. All responses welcome. Thanks
If you mean get your foot in the door the summer before college, then it's hard for a firm to hire a HS grad to do anything meaningful unless you're truly passionate about investing and finance -- the fact that you're asking the question here probably means that's not quite you. No worries though, I spent the summer before college having fun and wasting time, and so should you.
I think if you just enjoy yourself, maybe travel a bit and read up on general investing/finance and the industry, you'll be better prepared than most at least in terms of which area you might be more interested in. Private equity, hedge funds, and investment banks are all in the same ecosystem but they're quite different in terms of work and culture. It helps to know how they are all interrelated and what you're most curious about.
If you're really determined to have work experience by the time you're in college, I would suggest directly emailing the senior management (CEO, head of biz dev) at small (>$10m funding) startups for finance/biz dev roles. It's better than nothing, and in a smaller group of people you might get some decent responsibility now and then. My first internship was spring of my freshman year in college. I worked at a startup completely unrelated to finance, but my supervisor happened to be an ex-banker who got me interested.
Whatever you end up doing, enjoy senior year! It won't come around again for a while, and you'll have plenty of time to grind. Even being on this site means you're ahead of the curve now.
High school senior seeking advice on where to find stuff (Originally Posted: 10/05/2017)
Hi Wall Street Oasis, very excited to join this community. I've been lurking for a year now but this is my first ever post, so please excuse me of any infractions of unspoken rules I might break. In essence, I will be applying to colleges within the next month, but I am struggling to write a "Why Cornell," or "Why Stern" essay. I have dedicated myself to investment banking, studying and keeping up with current events about the market and training myself to get along with people of all personalities. In essence, where can I find business-relevant information/statistics about a college/university's program? I'm thinking statistics on placements into bulge bracket, private equity, hedge-fund, and other information regarding how that school do in the grand scheme of "Wallstreet". Any info that can help make my essay personalized for a specific college and its business program (aside from things I can find on their website) is greatly appreciated.
Some background on myself: 1) Paid internship at consulting firm: consisted of extensive usage of Microsoft excel and online index provider to complete their annual alternative investments report. (I was able to sit in during their discussions with representatives at BlackRock and Blackstone. I introduced myself but I doubt they'll remember me a high school student.) 2) Founder and president of school investment club which works with an outside organization to provide high schoolers with opportunities in investment, finance, and networking. 3) Online marketer for Greater Vancouver Youth Business Association, pretty much the same thing as above but outside of school and with a lot more guest speakers. Ranging from entrepreneurs to Harvard Business School, Wharton, and Sloan lecturers. 4) Assisted in the completion of two venture capitalist/ investment banking-esque business plans over the summer with a company in China. One of them was successful and the other still in process. 5) My uncle works for insurance and he says he will likely get me an internship at Wellington is I do well in my freshman year in college. I am very thankful for this opportunity, Wellington is not a name I hear very often (it's not an investment bank so that might be why?). How well is Wellington known? 6) Manages a 50k starting portfolio with 80% returns in the past year.
While the business programs and placement may be great, don't forget that's only one aspect of the entire university experience. There are many, many other reasons to want to attend these schools that add to a holistic experience other than "I want to work in finance and make lots of money". NYU wants reasons other than that it's based in NYC, for example, the multicultural melting pot of the student body or the extensive study abroad opportunities they offer. Don't know enough about Cornell, but worth talking to current students and alumni about those other reasons to attend.
I think College Confidential is better for stuff like that.
More generally, I don't think any ad-com will want to read an essay about a high schooler wanting to be an investment banker...
An Open Letter to those in High School (Originally Posted: 05/06/2007)
I thought this was funny. Just thought I'd share. http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=253421
To the CC community,
I attend a prestigious, selective college at which most of you CCers would kill to be accepted. I also attend that school for free – on merit; I guess you could say I used to be a typical CC kid. I essentially ran my high school, and I aced the SATs. The senior superlative of “Most Likely to Succeed†went to me, and to this day, underclassmen who have never met me know who I am.
Back when I was a CCer endlessly posting about my anticipated excitement and naïve perception as to what college life would be like, I would have sworn I would assume the role of intellectual at college. The gist of my time on CC had to do with all the extraordinary things that would eventually come of my “friends†I made online. We were to be the next generation of Rhodes Scholars, campus activists, and mental giants at the best colleges, nationwide.
But something happened. I arrived on campus. I met people. Hooray for racial/ethnic/religious/geographical diversity! What is the point of intellectualism and the “diversity†at colleges today? I say the noblest lie evocated at Universities is the façade of diversity. If you are an Asian from California, you will hang out with the Asians in the Asian Club. If you are a white Southerner, you will hang out with the rest of the good ol’ boys in your fraternity (I fall in line here). If you are an active politico type, you will spend your time with the other College Republicans/Democrats scheming one of you will one day be in office and give jobs to the rest of your buddies. Athletes are mercenaries for the university and do not interact beyond their team. I can attest, the very concept of diversity is unnatural, and forced on the rare occasions it occurs.
Diverse as the University appears on paper, I can say that in all actually, the student body is homogeneous: everyone wants to be an investment banker, with work 130 hour work weeks post-grad. Correct that, everyone wants to be rich. All anyone cares about is the money they one day will earn, and what color their Range Rover will be painted. The only unifying factor of students at my school, and at other campuses at which I have buddies, is that everyone wants to be filthy wealthy one day. Desire for that six figure Investment Banking job is the sole common trait among kids from different cliques.
You might ask why I am writing this rant right now. I am writing this information for CCers as an image of what to expect at college – lots of kids just like you. Don’t expect any groundbreaking differences from your life in high school. The only intellectuals on campus are burnt out ‘60s hippies-turned-professors and the girls not pretty enough to become trophy wives.
Intellectualism is dead at the 21st century University. Are kids smart? Absolutely – but the only reason they care about Shakespeare or Locke is because their GPA will determine which firms they land interviews with one day. The intellectual curiosity which I imagined is absent.
And guess what, I’m drunk, on a Wednesday night, and I don’t care. My GPA is higher than yours, I am not socially awkward like you, and due to “networking,†I’ll get the Goldman Sachs job.
Yours Truly, Fratastic
P.S. I'll check back in later. I'd love to hear your responses to this.
P.P.S. No, I won't reveal where I go to college; I love my school in spite of my rant, and would not like to see her reputation marred.
jeez....i wish i was him :-/
tool
it is true though.
True enough but definitely exaggerated. I don't know what school you are at, but at my wonderful Jesuit non-ivy target school there is still a glow of intellectualism. It is true that the eros of knowing 'why' simply for the sake of it is not alive and kickin, but it's not dead. Don't tell these kids that there is no Santa, let them dream, maybe they will be able to stick to their hopes and ambitions.
You might get the job, so can anyone but I'd bet you won't last in it... or you might just suck a couple of dicks to get to the top... either way you suck... enjoy GS
Lol this board is ridiculous; this kid is telling it like it is. He is commenting on how the expectations of college are completely divergent from the reality and he is totally right. Thinks like "well you're an idiot for expecting intellectual discussion" or "you may get the job but you won't last" are completely stupid comments from people who are insecure after reading his piece. He definitely is being an asshole in his letter but that doesn't make him wrong.
I am not attacking you guys on this thread and I hope you won't turn around and make this a "well what have you done?" attack (though I know that's what it will degenerate into), this is just something to seriously think about.
Yes, you are attacking them, in a sense (calling them "insecure," "stupid comments" and so forth), so just man up and admit it.
But should this kid really have been expecting intellectual stimulation? No, unless he's majoring in classics or somethin
I kno at my highschool we didn't have this odd perception that college was like Good Will Hunting or some other amazing intellectual discovery. It's the grades after 12th grade and you learn what you go to major in, I don't normally expect to meet the next Kant or Locke in my english class.
Also if you want to talk about the reality of college it is not college but labor markets that have created the situation into what it is. You have a few professions that make ridiculous amounts of money and a growing population that brings more and more competitors to the labor market. Then you have to figure out ways to give person A the job over person B. As time went by, extra educational requirements were created to weed people out. I don't mean to say banking is for idiots, but I think most people agree that it is something that most people could understand. So now colleges are a competitive environment of premed,prelaw,prebanking kids. If you want more writers, then create a system that rewards writing.... if you want more scientist, create a system that rewards it..... but why do graduate school (besides law or medicine) and live as the starving artist or thinker because our society has no system of adequate rewards for it? This issue was created by labor market movements in the US.
I am only attacking the idea that people think college is some Good Will Hunting adventure where genius is everywhere and people sit around talking about philosophy..... and I don't know where that perception came from--either movies or your high school experience. I can definately tell you that I am sure the kid who wrote that letter has rubbed quite a few people the wrong way.... if he chooses to give off that attitude in the work place.... he may not be fired, but he will definately annoy the hell out of his coworkers. Lets just hope he can use some Kant or Locke or fraternity bros to earn his division good profits lol...
A High School student wondering about the future... (Originally Posted: 10/21/2007)
Hi, I'm a Senior in high school right now and I am planning to work in the business field. This is the case with me: I will have an Associates Degree of Liberal Arts when I graduate high school along with a h.s. diploma. If I use my degree, I may be able to attend at an state uni. or city uni. (SUNY BINGHAMTON, STONY BROOK, or CUNY Baruch) as a junior at the age of 18. Once I graduate by 20, should I join the workforce for 2-4 years and attend grad for an MBA? Or should I attend to an undergrad at a state school as a fresh (not-so-great cumulative high school gpa, but stellar senior gpa) and then transfer to a more business oriented school (NYU STERN)?
What would be the better route? Which route has the best opportunity cost?
I also have a list of other undergrad schools I might attend: Penn State U. Park, Indiana Univ. Bloomington, Purdue Univ., Rutgers-New Brunswick, U of Iowa, Syracuse, Fordham, U. Mass. Amherst, and Boston University.
What would be the best school for business as an undergrad?
This is such a horrible idea. If you're smart enough to start college as a junior, then you should NOT be going to Stony Brook. Work for 2 years and get an MBA? What kind of decent job could you possibly get coming from Stony Brook? Is your plan to cook really amazing french fries at White Castle and then get into HBS?
The only decent schools you have mentioned so far are Stern and Indiana. If you go to Indiana, make sure you major in business.
I am sure the OP is choosing schools based on those that would accept his already done 2 years of liberal arts college (I assume these credits were taken at a local university). Mark klein is right though..... Bloomington and stern are the only two colleges so far listed that could really put you into a good finance career.... otherwise your going to have to graduate #1 in the class and still have a ridiculous resume to work off. I definitely think it would be better for you to go to a better college for all four years as opposed to the ones listed for 2 years.... first you will already be ahead ..... and second you will have much better opportunities coming out of school.
Yeah, NDkid makes a good point. You're already ahead. I'm going to take a wild guess and speculate that your social life is lacking. If I'm wrong, and I very well could be, disregard the following:
Why are you in such a hurry? Most people will tell you that college was the best 4 years of their lives. A lot of your male peers, when they first enter the real world, will have spent those years getting laid/dating. Do you want to be playing catch-up when you're 25 because you have no idea how to talk to a girl? End up marrying the first girl who pities you enough to date you, hoping that your money will keep her interested? C'mon dude. That's a whole chapter of your life, and you're going to jump over it like it's a mud puddle and realize you can't go back. This is another wild guess, but I bet you've already made this mistake with high school while you were bulking up on credits for your associates degree.
dont worry about banking. do not graduate college in 2 years, you will regret it.
go to college, work hard, drink your face off, get laid, and all will be well.
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