The "Am I good enough for Investment Banking/Consultancy?" Thread

I was wondering, do banks look at high school grades?

I'm aiming for an internship at a top SC/IB.

Profile:
Dutch (native), english (fluent), german (fair), arabic (fair)

UNIVERSITY
BSc Econometrics & Operations (first year)
For those of you unfamiliar with this study, it's heavily geared towards mathematics (& some programming) and has only little emphasis on economics.
- Dutch GPA ~9.0/10.0 equal to highest distinction "Summa Cum Laude" or top 1~3%
- Honours Class
- Teaching assistant

The problem is I started med school right after high school, so I've spent 3 years in med school getting mediocre grades (top ~35%). I didn't really spent any time studying because I disliked it right from the start. Decided I wanted to switch halfway through my 2nd year and searched for something that would fit my needs. I know this isn't really a great positive sign on my resume but I would be able to bend the story in an interview to make it somewhat acceptable.

WORK & MISC
- Have 2 jobs, one simple managing job and a freelance job as a search engine analyst.
- Ex-pro gramer. Twice national champion, traveled a bit, gave some interviews and wrote some reports on gaming.
- Currently launching an IT venture with a classmate/friend

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 2461

TheJ0ker

11

Hi I'm hopefully going to be starting the 4 year Maths MMath course at Warwick in October, I was wondering whether I would have to do a further degree after that? or whether the undergrad masters would be sufficient for me to have a chance in getting a job in a bulge bracket firm.

Reply 2462

KLL

11

Original post by Oorlog

I was wondering, do banks look at high school grades?

I'm aiming for an internship at a top SC/IB.

Profile:
Dutch (native), english (fluent), german (fair), arabic (fair)

UNIVERSITY
BSc Econometrics & Operations (first year)
For those of you unfamiliar with this study, it's heavily geared towards mathematics (& some programming) and has only little emphasis on economics.
- Dutch GPA ~9.0/10.0 equal to highest distinction "Summa Cum Laude" or top 1~3%
- Honours Class
- Teaching assistant

The problem is I started med school right after high school, so I've spent 3 years in med school getting mediocre grades (top ~35%). I didn't really spent any time studying because I disliked it right from the start. Decided I wanted to switch halfway through my 2nd year and searched for something that would fit my needs. I know this isn't really a great positive sign on my resume but I would be able to bend the story in an interview to make it somewhat acceptable.

WORK & MISC
- Have 2 jobs, one simple managing job and a freelance job as a search engine analyst.
- Ex-pro gramer. Twice national champion, traveled a bit, gave some interviews and wrote some reports on gaming.
- Currently launching an IT venture with a classmate/friend

Nobody will hold it against you if you figure out that medicine isn't for you
Many do look at hgihschool grades, some don't

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 2463

Tsunami2011

15

Original post by TheJ0ker

Hi I'm hopefully going to be starting the 4 year Maths MMath course at Warwick in October, I was wondering whether I would have to do a further degree after that? or whether the undergrad masters would be sufficient for me to have a chance in getting a job in a bulge bracket firm.

In reality you don't even need the MMaths to break into a bulge bracket. the 3year course would suffice let alone a masters.

Reply 2464

member665613

what are chances for investment banking with a chemistry degree from Manchester?
Also what are the chances for working in the oil industry? Any suggestions of what is the better occupation in terms of pay and general perks? Thank you

Reply 2465

TheJ0ker

11

Original post by Tsunami2011

In reality you don't even need the MMaths to break into a bulge bracket. the 3year course would suffice let alone a masters.

Oh ok that's good, I think I will still do the four years though purely because I enjoy the subject.

Reply 2466

Tsunami2011

15

Original post by TheJ0ker

Oh ok that's good, I think I will still do the four years though purely because I enjoy the subject.

Good way to go! :wink:

Reply 2467

viksta1000

15

Business Management from King's College London

with a first year internship planned at 2 firms in Dubai? (one bank, one property developer)

would I have a chance of gaining a summer internship at a BB next year (given that I got zilch for spring insights this year :frown:

)

Reply 2468

virtuous throne

I am currently a second year 21 yr oldstudent at the University of

Wales Institute Cardiff studying BSC Economics. I had transferred from a Maths

with Finance and Economics Bsc from City University due to several extenuating

circumstances that were beyond my control or influence. I had to go through

clearing to get away from home, any place was good enough at the time as my

personal life was in such a mess and my family was

being a malign influence. As a consequence I failed a few of the ten 1st year

modules at City University, the head of department offered me a second chance

to repeat the whole year but I just had to get away despite having high

academic potential and a good work ethic based on primary school and

secondary school performance at prestigious private schools in South Africa.

Okay now my question is this; I know two things

UWIC is a lower ranked uni than City

City is one of the top universities for banking

considering the fact that I have managed to overcome the said personal

difficulties that were suffocating my potential is it worth while finishing off the

useless UWIC degree next year and going back to City to have a second crack at

the valuable Maths with finance and economics degree that I am sure I will excel at ?

NB My A-levels were adversley affected too BBC (Maths, Economics and Physics)
also taking into account the sh*t Essex college I had to attend compared to private education still managed to get into a TARGET University first time round

Reply 2469

Howbeit

19

My A-level results are A* A* A.

I'm studying for a degree in Psychology at the University of Southampton.

EDIT: I now plan to do a Masters in Finance and Investment or something similar. I'm probably looking at universities such as Warwick and under (which is still really good) but I will try my best at getting into LSE, Cambridge, Oxford etc... by doing as much as I can now to be considered.

I have a part time job looking after children for Sutton council (nothing to do with banking but it is a 'responsible' position!)

I'm in the Break into Banking society.

I'm in the Investment and Finance society.

If I can, I'll plan to start a society in stock market trading or something along those lines in the 2nd year when I feel confident enough to be in the leadership position. Perhaps trading on the stimulator on Investopedia and generally just sharing knowledge, perhaps spread betting (as I doubt we'd have enough capital together to properly play the stock market).

Relevant work experience in financial trading, banking, stockbroking etc... (my uncle is head of pricing for a very large company and can easily get me work experience whenever I'm available).

I would consider switching degree to economics and finance but I don't have A level maths. Had I known what I wanted to do I would have taken maths at A level. However, Psychology does contain lots of statistics and science, would all this give me the chance to get me the job I want?

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 2470

CapitalV

Original post by viksta1000

Business Management from King's College London

with a first year internship planned at 2 firms in Dubai? (one bank, one property developer)

would I have a chance of gaining a summer internship at a BB next year (given that I got zilch for spring insights this year :frown:

)

you'll get interviews - try to work all summer/most of it.

Reply 2471

Scorcher

1

Original post by virtuous throne

I am currently a second year 21 yr oldstudent at the University of

Wales Institute Cardiff studying BSC Economics. I had transferred from a Maths

with Finance and Economics Bsc from City University due to several extenuating

circumstances that were beyond my control or influence. I had to go through

clearing to get away from home, any place was good enough at the time as my

personal life was in such a mess and my family was

being a malign influence. As a consequence I failed a few of the ten 1st year

modules at City University, the head of department offered me a second chance

to repeat the whole year but I just had to get away despite having high

academic potential and a good work ethic based on primary school and

secondary school performance at prestigious private schools in South Africa.

Okay now my question is this; I know two things

UWIC is a lower ranked uni than City

City is one of the top universities for banking

considering the fact that I have managed to overcome the said personal

difficulties that were suffocating my potential is it worth while finishing off the

useless UWIC degree next year and going back to City to have a second crack at

the valuable Maths with finance and economics degree that I am sure I will excel at ?

NB My A-levels were adversley affected too BBC (Maths, Economics and Physics)
also taking into account the sh*t Essex college I had to attend compared to private education still managed to get into a TARGET University first time round

Without even taking your degree into consideration

you won't get past the filters which require AAB at A Level

(unless you can skip them by knowing senior people at the bank).

They don't care how bad your college was

most of us go to state schools and some of us

including me go to absolutely terrible ones but we try harder.

You should count yourself lucky that you had a

chance to go to a private school for the majority

of your education and blaming your grades on your college

is just a weak excuse as most just get on with it.

So my only advice would be to start networking as much as possible

with people in the city in an attempt to bypass the filters

and also stop blaming others for your poor grades at A Level.

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 2472

heyguys

I know this isn't strictly adhering to the title, but I'm wondering how much salaries have changed in the City since the boom years? I was talking to a London headhunter recently who said you'd be lucky to get the golden handshakes and huge bonuses they used to reward. Any thoughts?

Reply 2473

john1880

Hey everyone! I'm a 1st year biochem student at UCL, and expecting a good 2.i this year. Unfortunately I don't have much in the way of extra-curricular things on my CV, but I do have a couple. I was wondering if anyone knows the chances of securing an internship in strategy consulting - BCG/Bain/Mckinsey seem unlikely so probably OC&C, Marakon, Booz etc. Alternatively one of the public services firms consulting arms (Deloitte seems quite good). I have noticed that it is very Oxbridge dominated, and would this mean that I'd need a 1st coming from UCL in order to be considered. Thanks in advance!

Reply 2474

RoryH

13

I have 4A* 5As 1B GCSEs

I'm in year 12 taking; Biology, chemistry, maths, economics.
I'm thinking of doing a chemistry degree, hopefully at UCL.

What're the chances?

P.S Ignore the sig, i'm not thinking of medicine anymore :wink:

Reply 2475

RoryH

13

anyone have an answer to my above post? :colondollar:

Reply 2476

uxa595

21

Do banks frown upon/not hire people who retook their A levels like the big4?
I know the big 4 have a requirement of getting BBB in your first sitting and don't look at resits.

Do the large investment banks do anything similar to this?
Last year, i was ill due to a flu which i may or may not be able to prove to employers and ended up getting BBC.
However, this year, i have a conditional offer from Warwick for accounting & finance and am predicted AAAb.

Will i be unable or struggle to get into banking due to my resit A level year?

Reply 2477

Industrious Orca

6

Original post by fletchdd02

anyone have an answer to my above post? :colondollar:

So what do you actually want to do? IBD? Operations? Strategy Consulting?

And what does your EC and W/E profile look like at the moment, and once you're applying for spring weeks?

Reply 2478

Milch

14

Original post by uxa595

Do banks frown upon/not hire people who retook their A levels like the big4?
I know the big 4 have a requirement of getting BBB in your first sitting and don't look at resits.

Do the large investment banks do anything similar to this?
Last year, i was ill due to a flu which i may or may not be able to prove to employers and ended up getting BBC.
However, this year, i have a conditional offer from Warwick for accounting & finance and am predicted AAAb.

Will i be unable or struggle to get into banking due to my resit A level year?

Whenever I've applied for anything I've only been asked my grades - never anything about first sittings. And good choice on Warwick A&F btw :wink:

Reply 2479

uxa595

21

Original post by Milch

Whenever I've applied for anything I've only been asked my grades - never anything about first sittings. And good choice on Warwick A&F btw :wink:

Nice and thanks for the info.
I know Goldman asks about first sitting's during the application process but that's one bank out of many so i guess i can just put in my new grades and forget about the old ones.

I don't see why the big4 are such picky ***** :confused: