Which offer to take?

Hey guys, so I’m a freshmen at a semi-target school (think Notre Dame, Emory, Vanderbilt, USC) hoping to land a IBD SA at a BB or MM by my junior year. Even though a decent handful of banks do actively recruit at my school, I feel that I do not have the same opportunities as students at classic targets, so I feel compelled to start early with internships. I invested a lot of my free time this past year cold calling for summer intern openings at WM/IM/AM firms (turned out to be a lot more difficult than I imagined) and was able to land a few offers. Right now I’m choosing between 3 options:

-Merrill Lynch Summer Intern (unpaid)
-RBC Wealth Management Summer Intern (unpaid)
-Boutique Investment Management Firm Summer Intern ($500mm AUM; $10/hr salary)

I know that what you do during your freshman summer is pretty extraneous for the most part. However I think it could be a good resume builder especially when I don't have anything else except for working in retail. Which of the choices do you think would be a good way to spend the summer? Right now I’m kind of leaning towards the Botique given the paid salary, but I feel that having a brand name firm (ML or RBC) on my resume could be more beneficial in the relative long run.

The commute to each office is about the same (20 mins). 4-5 days per week, 10 week long each.

Thanks in advance!

 

"ML (everyone and their mothers have worked there)" Hahahahaa. This is so fucking true!!!

Do anything, but don't do ML.

"I do not think that there is any other quality so essential to success of any kind as the quality of perseverance. It overcomes almost everything, even nature."
 

Non quisquam earum dicta nobis incidunt molestias. Repellendus consequatur quis quia voluptatibus mollitia. Omnis magni magnam et id.

Career Advancement Opportunities

April 2024 Investment Banking

  • Jefferies & Company 02 99.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 19 98.8%
  • Harris Williams & Co. New 98.3%
  • Lazard Freres 02 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 03 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

April 2024 Investment Banking

  • Harris Williams & Co. 18 99.4%
  • JPMorgan Chase 10 98.8%
  • Lazard Freres 05 98.3%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.7%
  • William Blair 03 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

April 2024 Investment Banking

  • Lazard Freres 01 99.4%
  • Jefferies & Company 02 98.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 17 98.3%
  • Moelis & Company 07 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 05 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

April 2024 Investment Banking

  • Director/MD (5) $648
  • Vice President (19) $385
  • Associates (87) $260
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (14) $181
  • Intern/Summer Associate (33) $170
  • 2nd Year Analyst (66) $168
  • 1st Year Analyst (205) $159
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (146) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
kanon's picture
kanon
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
bolo up's picture
bolo up
98.8
10
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”