Do A-levels/High School grades matter?

Little to no weight. Just throw in a number that you can justify, the chances of anyone actually asking you about it is very slim.

Lolz. How can you attend all these school at the same time?

i'd just ask them

Have your AP scores sent and then call and make sure its ok.

good point, but asking is always better

At most you should have to provide SAT scores...i would tell them to F off and say that they are not readily obtainable

i have never heard of this. my guess is that this would possibly happen if you're a freshman. even then, why high school grades matter is beyond me. high school was a joke for most people on these forums.

This is a full time entry-level position at a major bank... seems odd to me.

Weirdest thing I've ever heard...

NEVER lose your BlackBerry www.conveniencesoftware.com

Sounds like the UK.

In the UK it doesn't matter if you're 30 years old, VP level or whatever great experience -- people still put their high school grades on their resume...

I find it odd that Yanks applying for jobs in UK have to provide their high school grades, since the US doesn't have a standardized educational system. I mean, really, how is HR in London going to be able to interpret a US high school's grading system? What possible information can they glean from it?

I can't remember which, but one of the bulge brackets over in the UK called me and asked for my high school grades. I think it was Lehman, but don't hold it against me if I'm wrong. Anyway, I told them I didn't remember (and I still don't remember) and they dinged me afterwards, lol. Like I remember my high school grades. I barely remember what I ate for breakfast this morning.

it was almost definitely goldman... unless other banks are doing this now also.

That's moronic. Presumably you go to a college or university that already decided your grades were good enough.

Got asked for my high school class rank at one of the PE firms that I applied to (I'm a 2nd year analyst). They didn't ding me for not knowing, but I was certainly surprised they asked.

~~~~~~~~~~~ CompBanker

request seems strange

my high school grades were good, but my SATs weren't up to par. got into a good school, but I think the SAT prevented me from landing at a HF right out of undergrad.

How far into your career would you say that stuff no longer matters?

Only important if you're a freshman. By the time you're a junior, nothing high school-related should be on your resume except SAT/ACT scores or some really unique and impressive experience/award.

High school grades only matter in terms of getting into a particular college. Standardized test scores do have some meaning in regard to job applications however.

I am sure every once in a while prep school comes up, it is a connection like a frat or anything else is. Realistically, where you go to UG is what really has a huge influence. Don't worry about high school, just worry about going to the best school you can and networking.

in all my interviewing I have only been asked once what high school I went to... so... don't worry about it

I went to prep school in manhattan, def came up, doubt it was a big deal. Just another talking point, as MD's with children took some interest in it.

I wouldn't say it matters as much as UG, but nonetheless I went to a very good prep school and our alumni gatherings are better networking events than any university get together. People are loyal to their UG alma maters, but even more so to their prep schools. Going to a prep school is also a more unique experience than UG as not everybody does it, which creates a stronger bond between alums, having the unique experience in common.

From my experience it seems to be much more relevant in Europe, particularly London recruiting. I've had BB HR contact me after submitting applications because my HS info. was "incomplete" (as an American I would always leave those parts blank).

I would assume that nobody in America really cares unless you come from the same school the person you're interviewing with, hence my thinking when filling out applications in Europe.

Also I was at a new england boarding school, not day school.

I agree with everything bnewz said, my prep school has an internship program for students and young alums that couldve been incredibly useful.

spacejam, I will be deleting your troll posts from now on.

In the UK, they ask for HS because they use A levels as a standardized metric to evaluate applicants - it'd be like leaving SATs off a US application. Sure, going to Rugby or Eton helps, but no more than Exeter or Andover.

I went to a NE prep school, and will say that my HS network has definitely been as useful as my UG network - the UG network is obviously bigger, but HS alumni will always reply, and the advancement & alumni offices are pretty useful about putting me in touch with relevant people, and making introductions.

That said, it rarely comes up in interviews.

I am by no means any authority on the topic but I had an interview at a PWM firm near my home and a big reason I got the interview was because I e-mailed a guy who was an alum from my high school, an all-boys prep school.

This has already been discussed on this thread:

http://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forums/acceptable-high-schools-for-resume

Use the search function mate.

I get oohs and ahhs when I name drop Hotchkiss in interviews. I usually bring it up subtly though. Like people would ask about life changing experiences and I would say going to boarding school. Then they usually ask which one and I would say "Hotchkiss", and half the time the interviewer would say, "how come you didnt put it on your resume? It's something to be proud of!"

monyet:

I think you are being a little naive about the way some people view prep highschool. I had a interview at a boutique where the guy started calling me spooner (as in silver spoon) because an MD mentioned to him where I went. Same guy later was asking me if my trust fund was a problem for me at tax time. Obviously the guy was a bit of a ball breaker but you can still sense the resentment. I'm just saying you may not want to act too high and mighty about it to people you don't know. Also, I have never put it on my resume.

Drexel:

I think you are for the most part right about the parents net worth comment. At the same time I also think the education you receive at top prep highschools is excellent. I am not douchey about it in any way though, I mean for god sake it's only highschool haha.

my high schools most famous alumni are in the NBA . Nyc high schools really get kids into shape.

Doesn't matter at all.

HS: 3.4/4.0, 1320/1600, captain of varsity sports, heavy music involvement. By no means was I top of the class, but all that really matters is the college you enter next year.

It's all relative; you won't be able to determine your future success by high school success as so many factors may change in that time frame. At the same time, you have to consider what is driving your successes/shortcomings. If you are hardworking, smart, etc. and, for this reason you are successful in high school, you will likely be successful at a top college and have a plethora of opportunities. Nonetheless, there are a number of late-bloomers who don't get the "motivation bug" until later in their lives, so it's really impossible to say. Further, various factors, such as the quality of your high school, may impact your class rank or performance.

To answer your question: I was a decent student (top 10% if I remember correctly) at a public school. I always found school relatively easy... never had to try hard. My sister graduated #4 (top 2%) in her class at the same public school I attended. My brother, on the other hand, was a mediocre student at a top private school (one of the Phillips). We all ended up at the same college (decent school, non-target). GPA-wise, I have been the most successful of us three. My sister has had the most difficulty. My brother graduated with a mediocre GPA and works at a decent (though not ibanking-caliber) job.

Most of the people here kicked ass in high school. Once you enter college, it's pretty much a clean sleight. I know a lot of kids in my high school class who got complacent and performed poorly in college. Just keep up and you'll set yourself up.

It all depends...from what I know...graduating top of the class from a school w/out a lot of smart students might enable you to get into the schools you want versus...going to a prestigious high school w/ a lot of smart kids and when they all apply to the same schools...the colleges aren't gonna accept all of them...

Right now...I think you should just do your best...don't even bother to compare your results w/ others...

If you want banking...make sure ibanks actually recruit at those colleges that you applied...I am not from a target...I was so disppointed when I want to do IB but yet companies don't actually come and recruit...I don't know where you will end up going in September...but if you are at a nontarget...they mostly want you to have 3.7+ gpa...and some ppl who don't have that kind of gpa still manage to get offers as a SA is because they network w/ alums a lot

You probably should start reading wsj...know more about financial markets if you haven't already...and plus maybe study finance on your own...cuz at my school...I am taking introductory to finance now...and now it's like the season for internship interviews...doesn't help whatsoever...

in my humble opinion. Every lemming wants to do it. You should learn more about yourself before committing to a field. I had a friend who wanted to be an investment banker in 9th grade, learned options theory by taking business school classes as a junior, by the time he was a sophomore at Harvard, he wanted to go into government.

You can get into investment banking by going to almost any university ranked in the top 100, but it'll be considerably harder than going to a target school. I know dozens of people from my university's business program--a university known for engineering and architecture--that work in investment banking, and we have only one or two IBs recruit on-campus each year.

I agree with nathanialpowers, really really learn about this industry and see if it's what you want to do. I worked in it right after college and quit after a few months to take a different career path.

not strong in high school. Poor test scores - failed a sophomore state writing exam, PSATs

Decent high school (GPA put me in top 10-15% of a 300 person class, but SAT scores left much to be desired. Captain of sport teams, and pretty much all-national/all-state accolades in each. etc. etc.). I got into the weirdest bunch of schools and waitlisted at a bunch as well. Obviously, was also rejected many-a-time.

Graduated cum laude from a good Ivy with a double major. 4 Years of D-1 Athletics (walk on for track, which I never did in high school), and held leadership positions in musical groups, sorority, etc.

In the end..I always think it's a crap shoot. I've been doing the college alum interviews for seniors who've applied, and I've seen quite the range of kids. One girl who applied early got into my alma mater and I was extremely surprised.

3.95 GPA, 1370 SAT, Captain of a varsity sport kicked ass in that sport, International Baccalaureate + Tons of APs. Didn't go to a target, chose to go to a state school instead, graduated a year earlier, went to a target in Europe for a masters program; now I am a future banker starting in June. Don't let alcohol get in the way of your studies, aim always for a 4.0 in college and you will be just fine.

Remember, you will always be a salesman, no matter how fancy your title is. - My ex girlfriend

3.7 GPA or lower in high school. I graduated just below the top 25% of my class. I had a standardized test score which put me in the 99th percentile. Very few extracurriculars to speak of. Went to a non-target college. I will start working in IB this summer.

Other posters are right: there's no way you can predict which high school student will make it in IB. The four years between high school and college will change your life in dramatic ways. Great students in high school can party too much in college. Weak students in high school (like me) can come to undergrad with a new work ethic. Disjoint is right: don't let any class get away from you: get A's across the board. I wish I would've.

Also, in my experience, if you go to an out-of-state school you will grow up much faster than if you stay at home and kick it with your buddies. Whenever I visit home, I always feel as if I am the only one striving for something more.

There's a paradox you (and all of us frankly) have to live with no matter what stage in life you're at -- that is, envisioning a future that you want, but being open-minded enough to allow yourself to discover other things (because those "other things" may be even better than what you had ever envisioned). It's being focused without being narrow-minded.

It's promising that you're career focused, but don't be in a rush to grow up so quickly either -- you will regret it when you're older (or you will be one of those 40-year old guys who is trying to relive the 20s he never had).

In other words, it's great you have big ambitions at such a young age (I'm sure many of the bankers and ex-bankers here, myself included, didn't even have the foggiest idea of what investment banking even was back in high school). However, give yourself permission to change and discover other things along the way as you go through high school and college. Be prepared that who you are even 2 - 3 years from now may be different than who you are today. Your goals should be aspirational, not a limitation of other things you can't or won't do.

Before you enter the working world post-college, know that your time as a high school and college student is THE best time for you to learn from your mistakes -- you are NOT doomed if you aren't the perfect student or if you didn't get to THE choice college. Take risks and try new things (you never know, you might discover something about yourself or what you love that you never would've known had you not tried it) -- because if you limit yourself at your age, you will have a much harder time developing into a dynamic adult.

Having said all that, if there is ONE thing you should take care of, it's your grades (aside from having a clean criminal record) - in high school and college. Make sure your academics are the #1 priority in your life, but also keeping in mind that it's not the ONLY thing in your life. The "ideal" so to speak is someone who is diligent enough to get strong grades, but who is also active outside of the classroom engaged in activities (sports, arts, community service, etc.) that they enjoy.

Strong high school grades and SATs give you more options when it comes to colleges (obviously). And in college, doing well academically also gives you more options for grad school. While top b-schools accept mostly "B" average students, top law and med programs are full of mostly "A" average students. Also, some of the more exclusive post-college employers do care about your college grades. In other words, no matter what you end up doing, strong grades will give you the most options down the road.

Good luck

Alex Chu

I did very well in high school and slightly above average at university (2:1, 63.5% average). I did the SAT for the heck of it (didn't need it for UK apps) but got a 1400. Might help with my GMAT.

I went to a private college-prep high school in Fort Worth, TX. Took 8 APs, 3.7 unweighted, played several sports (for fun, I wasn't that great), lots of volunteering, 1420 SAT (800M 620V). I am now at Vanderbilt (#19)

My high school was not challenging enough for me despite me taking the hardest classes offered. once I got in ED to vandy, I slacked off a lot and made A's and B's taking 4 APs senior year with absolutely no effort.

Came to freshman year thinking I was a hot shot, went pre-med (only because my whole family are doctors) and royally screwed myself. (2.2 1st sem, 2.9 2nd sem)

Got my act together soph year, started taking econ and finance classes and pulled 3.4 and 3.6 and 3.36 last sem. Unfortunately I'm still sitting at a 3.1 which is why I'm not getting any interviews.

My advice to you is if you can't get into target schools (ivies + UVA, Duke, etc) then where you go doesn't matter that much. Just do the best you can wherever you are. Keep in mind though that it may not be the best idea go to the best school you can get into though. I think if I had gone to UT-Austin (semi-target), I could have pulled a 4.0 which would have looked exponentially better than a 3.1 at a top 20.

Like most of what everybody else says, you can throw your HS record out the window and just ace all your classes and be a competitive candidate

Also, if you didn't get good enough grades in HS to get into a good college. You can always transfer (my little bro got a 2.9 in HS last year and pulled a 3.56 1st sem college and is transferring out) to a better school. If not ivy league, you can try semi-targets like vandy. I think NYU would be good too because being in the city will give you access to hundreds of finance internships you can do during school.

Getting into college is really a crapshoot. Even if you don't have great grades or scores, you may still get in at your top choice, it's all random luck.

Don't worry too much about where you get into school. In the US, even if you don't get into an Ivy/Stanford/MIT, there are a whole bunch of other schools that can give you a good chance at getting into investment banking or wall street (NYU, Duke, Chicago, UVA, Michigan, etc.)

If you don't get into any of these type of schools, you may end up needing a connection to get into investment banking (but that's not a huge deal, just keep your eyes and ears open and network as much as possible).

Good luck

89% average, 9th in honours class (of 76), 1560/1600 SAT. Newspaper editor, lit. journal editor, peewee hockey coach, quiz team member. Got into Penn (ED) and UChicago (EA). Chose Penn.

3.4 weighted avg, 1320 SAT's. I didn't do anything in HS, it didn't prepare me for shit.

Now attend a top 50 or so college, looking to transfer to the ivies sigh.

I was bottom half of a top public school, 1340 SATs, now at a top 30 undergrad. My high school experience was much more focused on having fun, and not so much thinking 4 years down the road.

I don't go to a target school, but I've been fortunate enough to get interviews at all the major BBs and top MM/boutiques - and even have a good offer as a backup. I would say your college does help (think alumni), but more importantly make sure you get a solid 4 year experience - and I mean both from an academic and social standpoint. The last thing you want is to regret missing out on having fun for you four years, even if you have that dream job.