Non-Target School

I'm currently a freshman at a large state school in the northeast. I'm up to par academically with a 4.0 my first college semester, 3.7 unweighted/4.5 weighted high school GPA, and 1500+ SAT. In terms of extracurriculars though I have no leadership positions except a couple decent leadership positions and internships I held in high school. Right now, I'm in some of my college's investing/finance clubs as a regular member but that's it. I've read some posts saying that transfer applications focus more on grades and essays rather than extracurriculars. Monkeys that transferred into a target/semi

13 Jan 2021

I was recently accepted as a sophomore transfer student to Duke University and will probably be majoring in economics with a concentration in finance and minoring in computer science. Currently I am a student at Macaulay Honors, Baruch College majoring in financial mathematics. I am not receiving any financial aid from Duke and will be taking on significant loans after I graduate. Will transferring to Duke give me better career choices and an edge in business school applications? Is it worth the money? Thank you.

19 Jun 2018

I am currently a first year undergrad at UGA. I have heard from upperclassmen that the Corsair Society, in recent years, has been responsible for placing 100% of its members on Wall Street. The Society is highly selective and only admits upperclassmen. Can anyone attest to UGA's increased placement into BBs, EBs, etc over the past several years? Due to Corsair's high selectivity (and the possibility of me not being able to network my way in), does anybody recommend transferring to a stronger overall target: UVA, Notre Dame, Georgetown, and of the like? Any input would be much

30 Oct 2017

The general rule of thumb is that attending a top 20 program gives you a pretty good shot at the industry. However, there are some schools - namely WUSTL, Johns Hopkins, and CalTech - that don't really fit the mold of a "target school." It makes sense for Johns Hopkins and CalTech as they have a strong medicine program and STEM focus, respectively. But what's the reason WUSTL doesn't have a stronger presence on The Street? On the flip side, are there any schools out there that you can think of that does inexplicably well in terms of placement? Thanks.

06 Jan 2018

I am very interested in pursuing a career in investment banking, and I've been doing a lot of research and have some questions. Currently I attend a smaller state school in Ohio (Kent State University), and study Business Management. I have just finished my first semester and plan on finishing my Freshman year here. After reading a few books and doing my best to research the field I have determined that the university I currently attend will not help push me into the industry. I know Ohio State is NOT a target school, but I also know it can help me secure better connections and looks better on

16 Jan 2016

Rising sophomore at a non-target state school here. My goal is to break into BB IB after I graduate. I'm assuming GS, JPM, and MS are the least accepting of non-targets, but does anybody have insights on which banks take the most non-targets?

30 Aug 2014

Hey monkeys. I just started becoming more active on WSO now that I have made it to the buy side and wanted to share a few tips for fellow liberal arts undergrads. After working on my economics degree on a campus of 2,000 students and residing outside of a large city (I apologize for the geographical vaguness) that contained top-ranked schools, I have learned several things about what works. Small colleges don't always have the best career centers for finance-minded students, so here is what I learned on my own: 1. NETWORK No matter what college or university you go to, networking is key to any

14 Jan 2016

Goal: 2015 Summer Analyst IBD position at a BB bank preferably in energy. I have tweaked this resume from every angle I can possible think of, so I am asking kindly for the great people of WSO to help. Thank you

09 Dec 2014

Hi everyone, I've been lurking this website for a while and I have a question for all you knowledgeable monkeys. I apologize if I am too long-winded. I've included a short version for all those interested. Background: Essentially, I'm at a non-target school for the top three consulting firms. I'd say my school is ranked top 20 for overall undergraduate business schools in U.S., but specializes and is known for entrepreneurship. However, it's isn't very well known nationally and I know it does not carry the same weight as more competitive schools. Fortunately, at least the big four accounting firms like our school, especially since some professors were partners.

20 Aug 2014

"All hail the sacred written word on thy ranking of colleges and universities by thy great and all-knowing U.S News & World Report! Exalted are they who decree those worthy institutions of thy greatest prospective students this land has to offer and cast mere mortals for those who failed miserably to even make thy bottom fifth." Okay, so I just made this up but doesn't this description of the U.S News & World Report on college rankings sound pious, ridiculous, and inaccurate? Well, according to Lynn O'Shaughnessy they actually are all three and I'm going to let you on a dirty little secret…

07 Oct 2012

Hey everyone. I'm sure there are many forums on this topic running right now, but I figured a fresh start couldn't hurt. It can be a daunting task of breaking into the IB world even while attending a target school, so the chances of landing that sought-after position can seem pretty grim for us non-targeters, especially in this market. I am currently only a sophomore attending a state college and have quite a trek ahead of me before landing any fruitful interviews. However, I it may be useful to some like-minded individuals to discuss our journey leading to our dream career. Feel free to share

08 Apr 2012

Hey guys. So This past week I received offers from GS Strats and MS S&T. For me it marked the end of a 2.5 year journey that I thought some of you might find interesting. Before I begin I want to say how lucky I am to have parents that could help me immensely along this long and sometimes expensive transformation. Though scholarships here and there were a major factor as well. If you're not in such a position please don't despair because there are MANY roads to the front office so keep grinding! I went to a non-target ranked about 50 in the U.S. where I was math and pre-med. I had relatively

14 Feb 2015

This thread is dedicated to graduates of non-target universities who made it into the coveted investment banking departments of our favorite bulge brackets. If you fit this description, please respond to this thread so we can pay homage.

16 Aug 2010

1 page version - http://www.razume.com/documents/21454 2 page version - http://www.razume.com/documents/21455 What's good and what sucks ass on this? I'll drop the MAcc program in a heartbeat if I get a full-time offer or off-cycle internship during the school year. I front-loaded the finance courses I'm taking (VC, Corp Financial Strategy, Consolidations, Financial Modeling) since I don't expect anything job wise this fall. I know it's best to keep it to 1 page, did I cut the right stuff from the long version to get to 1 page, or should I have kept other stuff? Would I benefit from moving the

16 Aug 2011

So I've applied to 15+ MM IB firms, and heard back from one. I'm interning at a MM/Boutique during this semester, 3.8 GPA, yet can't seem to get any responses. My goal is to work in BB / MM M&A after graduation, but if I can't get a decent internship this summer, the chances of that decrease significantly. Would a boutique summer internship even be worth my time? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

25 Feb 2013

Hi everyone,

16 Jul 2014

Basically the story is this, I was a pre-med biology major until I started finding out more about Wall Street type stuff and have been super into it. Now I have switched gears to a mathematics major with a econ or finance minor (Considering trying to get a Masters in Financial Engineering). I go to the University of Florida which has some but very little recruitment besides for their MBA program which has really good recruitment. The other issue im having is, in my math degree the last two classes I need can only be taken in consecutive semesters i.e. Fall/Spring, Spring/Summer. So in order for me to do a summer internship Ill have to delay my graduation basically an entire year, on the other hand I could finish this summer, but I would have no summer internship..

05 Sep 2010

Hello everyone, My situation: Just graduated from a non-target UC. 3.85 Major gpa in business equivalent degree, poor cummulative gpa (3.2 started in engineering). Currently interning at a California pension fund also have one past internship in wealth mangement and one as discount broker intern. No full time job prospects. My question is... Should i continue in Asset Management and try to get whatever job I can while pursuing the cfa, with the risk of not getting a name brand job or a good job. Or should I go a more certain route and do a summer program in accounting that would ultimately land me a job with a big four accounting firm (program has great recruiting)

16 Apr 2012

I am currently a junior in college majoring in Finance and Economics at a very small non-target school. Because of the size and lack of name recognition of my school, I have my work cut out for me when it comes to networking and trying to land an internship next summer. I am interested in Corp. Fin. because of the work-life balance. I would love to make the money that IB offers, but the consistent 80 hour weeks don't really fit with my desire to go out and do things and maintain relationships. Don't get me wrong, I'm more than willing to consistently work 60 hours or even 80 during peak seasons, but a consistent 80 is too much. These are my questions:

16 Sep 2014

Hey Guys, Since WSO comes up every time when I search for information regarding internships on Wall Street, I needed to sign up to be able to read everything :). I am an undergrad student from a German "target" school (obviously only target within the German speaking countries). I am getting into my junior year now and I already interned with one of the Big 4 companies in Audit and with a German bank here in New York. I really want to land an IB internship here in New York for the next summer and I hope to get a lot of advice and information to be successful on this. My grades are very good (top 5%) and next year I am planning on getting into Columbia for a semester abroad. Hopefully I will be able to prove myself here! Thank you!

01 Sep 2014

Hi everyone, Here's some info on the background: I have been working at PwC Advisory (financial services Consulting, Risk and compliance practice) in Paris for almost 3 years. I am a French and a Mexican national. I have a BA and an MA in Humanities from the Sorbonne University and a 1 year masters in business that I completed while working part-time at PwC. It is not a prestigious degree. I would like to go to the US to work in a similar consulting firm. I have a preference for Chicago or Minneapolis (given the relatively low cost of living and the fact that my partner is from the Midwest) but I am open to other cities.

01 Sep 2014

I've had good experience in investment management and am interested in getting an internship at a large bank or large investment group this summer. I honestly am not sure where to look at and what fields to consider based on my experience, gpa, and non-target school. I'm definitely interested in front office work and would likely rather go somewhere smaller and be in the front office than be in the back office of a BB but I just want people's opinions on what places/business areas might be most realistic for me to pursue. Bio:

02 Sep 2014

Hi, I'm an intern at a small boutique in Calgary, Canada. I'm a freshman at the engineering faculty at one of the most non-target schools for banking in Canada, the University of Calgary. I'm very new to finance, and I want to learn everything to be competitive in the investment banking industry.

27 Aug 2014

Hello all, I am new to WSO and I wish I wasn't. I have read a few articles before on the forum page, but now I have decided to get active. Hopefully not too late. A little about myself: I recently graduated from The Citadel, which is a military college in Charleston, SC. I graduated in three years and am required to stay for a fourth year due to my military contract with the Army National Guard. For my fourth year I am going to be pursing an accelerated MBA. I am planning on completing my MBA in August 2015. I will also be commissioning in the National Guard in May.

10 Aug 2014

Hello everyone, My situation: Just graduated from a non-target UC in northern california. 3.85 Major gpa in business equivalent degree, poor cummulative gpa (3.2 started in engineering). Currently interning at large california pension fund also have one past internship in wealth mangement and one as discount broker intern. No full time job prospects. My question is... Should i continue in Asset Management and try to get whatever job I can while pursuing the cfa, with the risk of not getting a name brand job or a good job. Or should I go a more certain route and do a summer program in accounting that would ultimately land me a job with a big four accounting firm (program has great recruiting)

16 Apr 2012