Screwed up this semester at Cornell, what are my options?

So I messed up pretty bad this semester and will have around a 3.4 at Cornell as a sophomore in ILR (a social science major). I am taking a somewhat easier, not necessarily lighter, course-load next semester and will probably have around a 3.5 going into junior year.

What are my options. OCR at Cornell is crazy competitive and it seems like most kids who get BB/EB IBD have 3.7+ in engineering.

Also, how should I go about securing a boutique internship for this summer, and when is the best time to start this process? I do not have any real family connections to Wall Street (or anything corporate) and am pretty much lost as to what should I do from here. I know I should network and I have been, but is there really a chance of me securing IB at a reputable bank with a 3.5?

I know I could get my MBA and then recruit at the associate level, but I feel like M7 may be out of reach without IB or something exceptional that is non-IB.

Thanks

 
Best Response

Some advice and things to consider: 1. Start networking and searching as soon as you can. If anything you'll learn more about what you actually want to do and you'll build a network that can be helpful if not this summer than next. 2. Compile a list of boutiques (take a look at league tables or something to get started) and search the name along with "cornell" to find alumni. Cold email or call, but do not ask for an internship. Make them informational calls and ask for advice or to be put in touch with other alumni, etc. 3. Cornell has a career office, lists of alumni, and a job portal. There's also a number of advisory boards with accomplished professionals that might be willing to speak to you. Contact anyone you can and apply to everything you can. 4. Use the library to get free access to Vault guides and other materials to educate yourself and be informed. 5. Your GPA is obviously not amazing, particularly for ILR, but if you network hard enough, take classes that show your interest in finance, and work hard to improve it over the next year for your junior summer or full-time, you can have success. 6. If you can't secure a banking internship for your sophomore summer, just look for something that will give you good experience, make you seem interesting, and possibly give you connections willing to help you for junior summer. 7. Good luck!

 

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