New girl from non-target school considering IB - how to break into the boy's club?

Any chance that you go to a school on the east coast in a town that starts with N?

No

Honestly, just network with other women in the industry and apply through women diversity programs and you'll have a much easier shot of breaking in compared to the guys from non-targets (maybe even guys from semi-targets as well). Just know basic technicals on top of your story and behaviorals and you should be fine. I doubt they'll ask you to do a paper LBO model, or past the basics sections of the 400 Question Guide.

You should be prepping the same as everyone else - know your answers to standard behavioral and technical questions down cold. Smile and be personable. Don't try too hard to act like a dude but don't try to seduce anyone or anything like that.

edit: nevermind

Hi, while I agree with most posters on here, in that it's wise to stay focused on your work, be adequately or overly prepared, maintain professionalism, etc, etc, etc... I can't really fathom how it's not a "boy's club," at least in part, based on the tone of some of these threads, especially personal or sexual ones. And I don't perceive it as a group of alpha males, I perceive it as (OFTEN TIMES, NOT ALL THE TIME) a group of corporate drones who have over-inflated egos because they moved up the corporate ladder, which does't exactly equate to a heroism like navy seals, or other example that I choose not to give.... I trained in gyms that were predominantly male for a long time, so I feel like I can offer you some insight if you're one of the only females in a male-dominant environment. Just focus on your work, and do your best. You're going to meet all kinds. Once you start your career, form alliances with those who you feel safe with. Because you are going to get people who give you shit, try things, or look at you differently. You can even see it on this forum, how people think / speak. Or when they choose to throw sh*t (ANONYMOUSLY, mind you. Too easy). It can be appalling... forget that there's any gender difference. Don't even consider that. Lead with your mind, your character, your capability. Your work ethic. And once you're hired and on your path, be sure to form alliances with those who you respect / feel safe with. Because they'll be the ones that insulate you from the assholes. And there are plenty. Good luck to you.

I can appreciate that, externally, Wall Street / IBD looks like a boys' club - after all, there's still a gender imbalance at the very top in terms of C-suite occupancy and, more broadly, on boards. That said, I think you'd put yourself at a disadvantage to try and break into the industry with a "me / us vs them" mentality: if I remember correctly, both JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs have, the past two years, publicised the fact that their analyst classes count more women than men among their ranks. The logic follows, of course, that C-suites / boards represent hiring behaviours 15+ years ago - it's only a matter of time before the young women that have entered the industry in greater number the past decade start to make their presences felt at the very top. But I digress...

The point I'm trying to make is that I think you'll give the wrong impression / come off poorly if you go to interview with a combative attitude. If anything, while of course attending a non-target puts you at a disadvantage in terms of recruitment, being a woman will help your cause. My suggestion would be to not discount your chances and do all you can prior to submitting applications to accrue as much experience as possible and to learn as much about the industry as you can. A great way of doing this are the women's events hosted by a lot of these large firms across university campuses. A good port of call to find out more would be either your university's finance society, women in business society, or career office.

It's also worthwhile noting that a lot of senior male bankers are now extremely eager to mentor up-and-coming female employees. Now, while this may not always be born out of pure altruism (often it reflects well on them as a champion of diversity, which can then help their own pursuit of progression to the top), that doesn't mean you can't use it to your advantage: if you go to one of these women's events (or even just a general networking event) and send a follow-up email to your chosen person of interest the next day, I think you'd be more likely to receive a reply than one of your male counterparts. Use this bias - be it inherently progressive or otherwise - to your advantage!

Thanks so much for your insight! Much appreciated :)

I think that with the current demand for girls in IB, you as a non-target uni girl have higher chances than target school boy.

Just keep trying :)